Car Insurance

Automobile manufacturers have long been trying to find ways to reduce America’s dependency on foreign oil and improve vehicle designs to be less harmful to the environment. The result of this diligent work has been the creation of the hybrid car.

A Hybrid is a combination of a gasoline engine and an electric motor that share the control of the car depending on the speed in which you are driving. In addition to the Hybrid Car, the electric vehicle, otherwise known as a plug in vehicle since it requires the owner to plug it into a power source to recharge the car’s battery. Electric vehicles are gaining a lot of attention from consumers and energy experts alike because they are much cheaper to drive fuel wise, yet they still rely on oil and coal via a power plant.

Perhaps the easiest way to get an understanding for plug in vehicles is to compare them with the traditional gas engine cars. Overall plug-in vehicles look very much like their standard cousins. Without in depth knowledge, the casual viewer might easily miss that the plug in vehicle is unique.

Plug-in vehicles perform at a comparable level to standard models. A plug in vehicle owner isn’t likely to notice a major difference in things like acceleration or road handling features. Currently one electric car company has produced an EV sports car that can accelerate from 0 – 60 mph’s in only 4 seconds, the Tesla Roadster.

Things get different from here on out. As the name suggests, a plug-in vehicle operate primarily off the electricity generated from the added batteries. These vehicles plug int a standard 120-volt outlet. Many people with an electric car like to charge them at night in their garages or during the day inside a parking facility.

Depending on the size of the battery, it is typically possible to charge the battery with enough energy to operate the vehicle to run up to 60 miles. As you can see 60 miles doesn’t take very long to drive, so thats where the hybrid plug-in comes in. The gas tank would never be touched as long as the battery still held a charge, but if you needed to drive farther then 60 miles the driver could turn the car back into a hybrid which would then use both gas and electric.

In other words, these vehicles run on little to no gas within the first 60 miles. This feature is what makes plug-in hybrid vehicles such an attraction to environmentally conscious consumers.

Another benefit of driving a plug-in hybrid vehicle or HEVs, as they are sometimes referred to, is the reduction of harmful emissions. So while electricity use does emit some byproduct, it is still a 50% reduction in damaging emissions compared to that of using just gas and oil.

The retail cost of plug-in vehicles is higher than that of a conventional car. The size of the battery is the key component in determining the cars price for manufacturers. For example, for a vehicle to be able to perform an additional 10 miles on the battery charge, the battery must be larger and therefore may cost the consumer $1000 more.

There has always been a certain mystique associated with the automobile. It is in the roar of a mighty engine, growling like a caged tiger at an intersection. It is the feel of the miles peeling away one after another on an extended road trip. It is size and leg room and status. Sadly, of late it has also been the sound of a cash register ringing as our hard earned money has been pumped into a gas tank.

You are going to experience none of those things with the Zenn. This two seat electric car is intended for city driving. Rather than that noisy combustion engine, the Zenn features six 12 volt Deka maintenance free, valve-regulated, and sealed lead acid gel batteries that hums it along at a top speed of 25 mph. Its range is approximately 35 miles.

The Zenn represents one of many new alternatives that have been developed to deal with high gas prices, and increasing pollution caused by exhausts of combustion engines. These cars are considered a novelty to some, but it is obvious from a glance at the spec sheet that they are not being built as glorified golf carts.

There is independent front wheel suspension and rack and pinion steering with permanently sealed tie-rod ends. Because of the use of automotive aluminum for the frame and ABS body panels, this 3 door hatchback weighs in at a mere 1,200 pounds.

Although it is perfect for city driving and short commutes, it is the range that seems to limit its value as a replacement to the family automobile.

Government regulations such as the FMVSS 500 standard in the United States and the CMVSS standard in Canada sets limits on the top speed for low speed electric vehicles, as well as setting safety requirements.

Credit Unions have long been known as the place to go when you are in the market for a new or used car. Today’s credit union pairs its long history of car financing with technological and bargaining tools that help consumers every step of the way.

Of course, programs vary among credit union, but generally your credit union makes the old get out the paper and go through the ads routine a thing of the past.

If you are in the market for a new or used car try your credit union’s car locator service. Simply call your representative and give information about the car of your dreams (Kiplinger’s Buyers Guide to New Cars & Trucks provides extensive information and articles, and can help narrow your choices). Include such preferences as color, make, model, seat types (i.e. leather, cloth, vinyl), and let your credit union do the rest. Backed by the power of reputation and volume, your credit union negotiates the best prices with local dealers and sometimes even surrounding states.

With a pre-approved car loan your credit union may even be able to arrange for delivery of your car to their location where you can close the deal and drive home. This convenient service eliminates the hassle, confusion and stress of approaching a local car dealer directly.

If you would like a more hands on approach, many credit unions also offer an onsite database program, which allows you to conduct your own search. An added bonus, the database even has information about the price paid by the dealer for the car you are considering. This can be important information for negotiating the best price.

An auto loan calculator is an important tool for anyone considering a new car purchase. You can use a car loan calculator to approximate your monthly auto loan payments. Given information about terms, rates and loan amounts the auto loan payment calculator can tell you if a new car will fit into your budget or if an auto loan is out of reach.

To find an auto loan payment calculator you can visit a site such as www.bankrate.com to use their car loan calculators. Auto loan calculators can help you determine if your auto loan is the best deal or if you should consider another auto loan. An auto financing calculator will tell not only about your monthly auto loan payments but also about your costs over the life of your auto loan. You may be able to reduce total auto loan costs by waiting until your credit score improves, increasing monthly auto loan payments and/or shortening auto loan repayment terms.

Your results with using an auto loan payment calculator will vary with your credit history and score. As with any loan, the terms of your auto loan will depend upon the current market and your credit status. If a car loan payment calculator reveals that auto loan payments are out of reach for whatever reason you may try extending your auto loan repayment period to reduce your monthly auto loan payments. The car loan payment calculator should reveal that while the auto loan payments are more affordable in the short term, in the long term the auto loan will cost you more.

If you are in the market for an auto loan, use a car loan payment calculator and experiment with several scenarios. The auto loan rate calculator should give you an idea of what to expect with each scenario and how best to proceed with your auto loan.

# Decide how much money you can spend and what type of car best suits your needs.

# Research the various models to determine those that are the safest, most reliable, and otherwise suitable.

# Narrow your choices to several cars. Do not make the mistake of having your heart set on one car — it may reduce your bargaining power.

# Obtain updated price lists to compare dealer costs with prices listed on the window sticker. You will know how much bargaining room you have on the basic car and individual options.

# Get a firm quote, in writing, from the dealer.

# Shop around at several dealerships. Check out their reliability with the local Better Business Bureau.

# Keep all negotiations separate. Consider questions about financing, service contracts, trade-ins, or other extras after you have settled on a price.

# If negotiating over prices bothers you, consider a car-buying service.

# Shop around for financing and service contracts, and compare the terms carefully.

# Test drive the car before purchasing it.

# Read and understand the contract thoroughly before signing.

# Inspect your new car carefully before driving off the car lot.