We have given away a lot of stuff while driving across America in a 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid, but this is the final giveaway. Best of all, you don’t need to photoshop, guess, or really work at all to win all this gear. All we are asking for is your thoughts on hybrid and electric vehicles. Just leave a comment with at least three sentence, which could be pro or con the gas saving autos, and we will pick one at random. Don’t you love us?
Giveaway items:
- Navigon 4300T GPS
- WowWee Rovio
- Jabra BT-530 headset
- Jabra Bluetooth SP700 speakerphone
- Harmon Kardon earbuds
- JBL onStage Micro iPod dock
- Black & Decker 100 Watt Power Inverter
- Black & Decker Smart Scan unit
Click through for contest details and simple rules. BTW, don’t miss this contest too.
Giveway details: All we are asking for is at least three sentences with your thoughts on next-gen vehicles. We don’t care if you flame hybrids or claim EVs are gift from God. Just tell us how you feel about the current or future crop of high mileage automobiles. The winner will be chosen randomly. Also, only enter the giveaway once, please.
I love these advances in cars, especially after being to europe a few times and noticing that they get along just fine with MUCH smaller transportation. I hate all these huge trucks and SUVs because they are so wasteful and expensive. I would love to see a Nissan Titan doing a traffic cirle in Rome. Anyways, you have to start somewhere, I just hope that by the time my career has started (I’m only 20 and in college) that there are some great triple digit MPG cars to choose from.
I’d love a hybrid car, but just can’t see the premium being worth it yet. I’ll wait another 5-10 years to see how the batteries hold out before taking the plunge. I’d hate to spend all that money and have it crap out in a couple years.
Take KERS of F1
all in all, i don’t really get them. I actually herd something that said in the long run, they affect the environment more, because of the process they have to go through to make the batteries. On top gear they actually found out that a prius driving at top speed is actually less fuel efficient than a BMW m3 going the same speed. of course that is not the point of hybrids. the point of them is for stop and go traffic. What im saying is that i would not buy one.
Hybrids are the future, and people need to realize that we have killing earth for too long. I wish they were a little more affordable but their price will drop soon enough as technology advances.
It amazes me how much energy is created every minute from simple kinetic tasks. Cars have great potential kinetic energy and it’s wonderful to finally see a machine powered by it’s own brakes and tire rotations. I hope one day we will see a car that can take us from coast to coast on one tank of gas.
I think the advances we’ve made is great. I also think that we haven’t done nearly enough. I was just at the Denver Auto Show yesterday and there we’re not enough companies showing off hybrid or high MPG vehicles. 75% of the cars still get under 20 MPG in the city. It might be a bit extreme but I think we should put a date on no more gasoline vehicles. 2020? I think hydrogen is an amazing thought. Change all power plants to nuclear and all cars to hydrogen. Word.
I have to concur that hybrids and/or plugins are the future of individual transport, although I’d still like to see more attention given to making localized living (shopping, living and working) more feasible. I have some reservations about the “boutique” nature of some of these vehicles, in much the same way grossly over-priced but environmentally friendly homes pop over time. I do concede that in both cases, often, the technology has to break through before it becomes viable for the average person (Model T, Home PC, Man-Portable Fusion Generator *grin*, etc).
I think that buying a hybrid now isn’t the best idea. I know it’s not exactly “early adopting” anymore, but I think that in a few years… a lot of these cars will be very inefficient to the standard of the cars that will be produced. It’s not like buying a new Mac will be obsolete in 2 years. Re-buying isn’t as easy.
1) Hybrid good for the environment?? If anything its the same between the battery, and the fact that you only get extra miles because of the battery, the gas portion of the engine is not any more or less efficent then any other engine.
2) Bio Fuel. Also doesn’t make a difference in our environment. In order to produce teh bio fuel, you must plow down alot of land make (i think they use corn) then constantly chop it down, the natural ability for plants to take in CO2 and release O2 is counter productive.
3) Electric. I know this may be a good soloution for alot of people, but where i live on LI Electricity is ridiculously over priced. Until the allow nuclear power to lower the cost not worth it
My opinion the CNG is the only way to go. No pollution, We have a ridiculous amount of it. Yet only people utilizing it for the most part is the Govt, yet they are pro Oil for the people
The technology is cool, but the price is pretty steep for the potential cost savings. For lots of stop and go driving the hybrid system is quite nice. And the system works nice for a quieter ride, which is especially nice for conversations in a full car.
i traded my 16mpg suv in for a 07 prius 2 years ago and have never looked back 40,000 miles later and $5000 less for the oil & gas companies. our next car has to be hybrid or electric. hopefully the big 3 can recover to keep toyota innovating.
Well, I’m sad to tell you that I’m not impressed at all with the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid. My Honda Fit does 40 MPG in the Highway and 33 in the city and it’s not a Hybrid. So far the only Hybrid that really impresses me a lot is the Prius 2010 which can do up to 51 city/48 highway. Most of the Honda cars can make 35 MPG in the Highway.
I think that the gas milage is great.
I am from the south so people down here want “power.” Even those who don’t “need” any power for towing, still want to be able to say, “I got 350 horses under the hood.” I think when a high power (HP) hybrid is able to get 35 mpg +, then we will have a #1 selling hybrid car/truck.
Are hybrids the future? Or will there be alternative fuels that are the future of automobiles?
While I applaud the efforts of hybrid car manufacturers I have a few concerns. Car maintenance by owners & independent shops, especially with regards to the electronics have a long way to catch up. E-waste, especially long term dealing with discarded batteries is another.
If I remember from an article in Wired, the Prius uses a battery that is made in China, which uses some random metals, which is strip-mined from a place in Africa.
If the Detriot company’s are willing to create hybrid technology that doesn’t require using a $5000 battery with such a heavy green footprint around the world, I would pick the lesser of two evils.
I think Tesla is on a better track of an all electric vehicle, just missing the infrastructure to have enough power without those infamous rolling brown-outs
meh. call me when there’s a Jeep Wrangler Hybrid.
I am for anything that gets us off the dependence on foreign oil. I am hoping to wait it out until there are some American made hybrids or electrics that are affordable. I’m not so sure they will be any better for the environment than the gas cars we have now, but I think right now that the environmental issues with cars are not as important as the dependence on foreign oil. And no, I’m not saying I’m not for saving the environment. I am.
I’d buy a hybrid.
Make it more affordable.
Then we can all win.
I very much so want a Chevy Volt-style vehicle. I drive a minivan at the moment and often don’t drive very far (max of 20 or so miles). If it could be purchased at a reasonable cost I am sure many would go for it. (As long as the ability to drive far is possible, aka a gas (or hydrogen or whatever) engine is included.
I enjoy watching as the consumers in the market place demand new products that meet their desires and the companies slowly create products to meet such demand. The technology, though some of the concepts and ideas have been around for many years, is advancing. My personal enjoyment in transportation technology will be the automated car. The wide open road can become more efficient, safe, and easy to navigate with a convergence of many different technologies that allow the car to drive itself at optimum performance.
I hug trees, so I like hybrids.
Give us 3G in the car
Lets get some really sexy interiors
Met wants!
Hybrid cars are great. Saving money and mother nature friendly. However; you have to pay an extra premium to drive a hybrid car, are we really saving money? The extra premium you paying for a hybrid car that could be worth 1-2 years of gasoline.
I’d rather we drop the hybrid / electric car idea and put our money towards hydrogen or something more dependable. Hybrids I suppose are great. However, if you are out on the highway it isn’t even using any of the electric power. So if you live in the middle of nowhere, it’s a pointless type of car to own. If you live in a city then great… get one. Electric is worse. 300 miles on a charge on some trips won’t get me from point A to point B and back. Now I’m sure most people would say, “it’s for driving around and getting groceries and doing errands.” However, I don’t have the money for an ‘errands’ car. I want a damn car that will take me anywhere I want to go for cheap and eco-friendly. For now though… gas it is for me and a car that gets 30+ mpg.
I think Hybrids and electronic are the current future for automobiles, consumer cars. But, in 10 years I think we will see hydrogen take a bigger role since it would work across all vehicular platforms.
I’d REALLY like to see the car manufacturers work more closely with governements to lower the price gap between regular combustion cars and hybrids, to really drive adoptions. Just think, if you could move a nation in 10 years to an alternative fuel, you could drop the fuel requirements for consumers by HALF!
12, 34, 1234, 34 – sound off
Fossil fuels are a limited resource. What’s more, they’re largely controlled by unfriendly regimes. (Or by so-called friends who consort with unfriendlies.) It’s in our best interest to switch to more widely available alternative fuels. We should devote as much brainpower, time and money as we can afford to developing technologies that will lead us to energy independence.
But, more importantly, once we get there, can we make cars that look like this (http://image.examiner.com/images/blog/wysiwyg/image/1_a2(1).jpg) instead of this (http://pumpngo.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/honda_insight.jpg)?
I have a hard time not getting excited about vehicles like this. Yes, fully electric cars will have range problems and batteries will require advances in recycling technology to truly benefit the environment in the long run, but the fact that these hybrids/EVs are getting more and more attention is (hopefully) a sign that we can get more money poured into r&d and convince those unwilling to get their feet wet as early adopters to make the plunge. As long as car companies can produce vehicles with the creature comforts many buyers have become accustomed to, while vastly improving mpg/emissions, I think consumers will quickly get over the new-tech jitters. As for the Fusion hybrid – I would so much rather pull up in that car than a Prius or an Insight. I know it’s a personal preference, but I was pretty excited to hear that Burns was going to review it in the real world. He should get props simply for taking a lengthy road trip with a 5-months-pregnant passenger.
Finally a good hybrid from Ford. Though next generation Prius is the one I’m waiting for.
It is good to see that many auto companies weighing for hybrids. However, what happened to the fuel cell technology? Why the auto industry is not adapting it as quickly as hybrids?
My commute to work is not very long long. Add in some occasional errands and I still would be a great candidate for the hybrid or all-battery powered vehicle. I’d love not having to run to the gas station once-a-week!
As much as I like the idea of next gen cars, there are some things that bother me. I’m really gonna miss the sound of loud engines, so I’m pretty sure that I will always have some gas powered sports car as a luxury/hobby. The other thing I’m worried about, is where the energy needed to power fully electric vehicles will comer from. I know, from an outlet, but in the end will that still be from fossil fuels?
Hybrids are a waste of time, marginal efficiency improvement at absurd initial costs; no roi.
Electric are on the right track, yet lacking in areas that need to match the gas vehicles before being taken seriously.
Teleportation is where it’s at.
There, three ’sentence’ for you…
I think the current generation of hybrids is interesting, but they don’t go far enough. I like how some folks are modifying the Prius to be all electric for short trips. That makes a lot of sense. Ideally, I’d love to have an all-electric car that included a tiny trailer that was the engine/generator unit for long trips. That way I wouldn’t have the weight penalty for short trips, and wouldn’t have to worry about recharge time on long ones. Combine that with real government support for a decentralized power grid via effective PV rebates for citizens, and you could make a real difference.
I would says its about time for electric cars.
I like the ones, such as Tesla’s, all EV. No relying on gas on those. All this really needs is the infrastructure of fast charging. Since there are all these gas stations, all they need is now a connector on them next to the pumps.
While Hybrids are an interesting idea, I am disturbed by a few things about them:
1/ Why is their fuel efficiency not better? I was expecting 70-80 mpg, yet they don’t come close.
2/ Car companies seem to be using them to assuage our guilt about buying vehicles that are still much larger than we need. A hybrid Escalade? Seriously?
3/ I fear that they deprive other more valuable projects of research money. Hydrogen power as an example.
4/ We need to have better transparency into the total environmental costs of hybrids, including the rather large impact of eventually disposing of all those batteries.
Environmental preserving vehicles such as hybrid, electric, and solar powered are crucial to the long term health of our earth. Its these advancements that will make the world a better place for our children. But dont take it from me, Im a hypocrite that drives a Hummer H2. Peace!
Having moved to LA from Boston, and being stubborn, I made it 5 years in LA without a car. I finally resorted to getting one last spring. I would have loved either options but electrics and hybrids were either unavailable or unaffordable. I’d far prefer an electric – lots of energy sources to draw from. However, until the prices come down, and the cars are simply more available, I guess I’ll be stuck with my gas guzzler – along with millions of other LA residents. Until the car is affordable and useful to “the masses” it’s environmental effects will be negligible, since we will have people driving around giant, steel cars from 1972, held together by tape, spewing dark black smoke wherever they go. Kinda like the schoolbuses out here! I guess we’ll just have to wait until first movers start selling off the electrics and hybrids as used vehicles a few times over before they have an impact.
Well, I think that the technology is great. I also feel that battery tech is moving so fast because of the demand from hybrids. It’s a win-win deal if you ask me. (Which you did)
hybrids will open the path for more eco driven technology. as you can see, this is the turn of the century. from gas to electricity/hydrogen, everybody’s trying to be ‘green’ nowadays. but damn, nobody will beat the oommpphh of a tricked out gas-powered car! haha2!
My commute to work is 5 miles, one way. I’d LOVE to drive a plug-in hybrid or fully-electric vehicle, but they simply cost too much. I’ve found that the most cost-effective solution I can afford is to ride my bike on nice days, and drive my Civic (non-hybrid) on rainy days or during the winter. Now then, when I pass my ‘01 Civic off to my 3 year old daughter (when she’s old enough to drive), I’ll probably have enough cash to afford a used ‘09 Civic hybrid. Will I be able to find one? I’ve got 13 years before I have to care.
(Pick me, CrunchGear Random Number Generator. You’re my only hope.)
Although the advancement in hybrid and electric technologies is cool, it is too little too late. I seriously think that the complacency of the auto industry and oil companies greed has led to insufficient research funds for alternative fuel vehicles. The recent fuel price explosion helped boost this industry, but I am sure that the answers are out there to get better fuel efficiency. We need more alternatives to the gas vehicle. I long for the day I can choose to buy a car that runs on electricity, hydrogen, or other alternative fuel at the same or lower price than gas cars.
The problem with current hybrids is the cost and maintenance. From what I understand, battery packs willhave to be replaced, which will cost a lot of money. I hoep that these type issues can be overcome.
Not worth it yet. I don’t own a car living downtown and don’t need one. I DO want a fuel efficient car that doesn’t look like a shoe eventually, but it will have to be brought down to somewhere along the lines of a Tata Nano pricing scheme for me to jump in new.
My BIG question about hybrid or electric vehicles, is:
What happens to the batteries when they won’t hold a charge anymore?
Its one thing to get rid of an old cell phone battery, but car batteries are a lot bigger.
The electric revolution faces a couple major hurdles. Primarily, transferring all of the energy capacity stored in the fossil fuels used to properl vehicles using a combustion engine to electric vehicles is going to severely strain the country’s electrical infrastructure. Plainly speaking, the majority of this country’s electric grid is hardly prepared to cope with the mushrooming demand that an electric vehicle society will draw. The increased electricity demand, which will be significant if it is to replace fossil fuels, will require significant new electricity generating capacity.
Do we build coal fired power plants at the rate China is? Do we want nuclear power plants that result in massive amounts of spent energy rods….which we already have tons and tons laying around from the last 50 years of nuclear energy and nobody knows what to do with? What does it mean to your home electricity bill if electricity demand causes prices to skyrocket prior to sufficient supply?
Down with Gasoline Hybrids!!! The hybrid continues to destroy our enviorment yet everyone who owns one thinks they’re going “green” The substance that the batteries are created from, (Lythium Ion) is toxic and there is currently nothing in place for eco-friendly disposal. You would have to drive one for 250,000 miles to offset the damage done by mining the materials used to create these batteries. Unfortuately the batteries only last between 80 and 100K. Until VW pairs their incredible diesel technology with Hybrid technology they will continue to hurt our planet.
My wife has owned a Hybrid vehicle for the past three years and we love it. You can get on the HOV lanes even with one person in the vehicle. The way the engine shuts down when you come to a stop is great for saving energy and gas. I would recomend a Hybrid vehicle to anyone in a metropolitan area like DC.
I’ve always loved hibyrids. I do not have one yet.. but I have always been reading about them and looking forward to get on of those. What has been stopping me from doing it ? The cost. I think they will really kick up when the cost gets lower, so you can cup up the cost faster. Right now it takes you years to cup up what you are paying extra to get a Hibryd. Cheers !
I’m really impressed how far we’ve come in only about 10 years. We’ve left our ideas of gas guzzling SUVs behind and have started to lean to ward fuel efficiency which is great because I’m gonna need cheap gas after I graduate college and can’t find a job anywhere. I’m also really impressed with 35 mpg no matter how the car is driven that leaves quite the impression.
I traded off my 12 mpg SUV a little over a year ago. I drive a HHR now that gets about 26 mpg. The savings in gas every month is huge. I’m filling up twice a month vs. 4 or 5 times a month. I think hybrids are great but the price is still too high for most to consider. Plus you’re still burning gas. I’m hoping in the next 5 to 10 years there are more all electric or hydrogen cars. It would be nice to have them before I go to purchase my next car.
I think that hybrids are the wave of the future, and should be considering all of the benefits they extend to both the environment and the user. If you are simply looking for a means to get from point A to B then this is the way to go. You will not look foolish in these (as opposed to years past) because they are now hard to tell a difference from non-hybrid vehicles. As technology keeps getting better and better, then there is no doubt that these hybrid cars will also get better, and in return help the damaging effects the emissions have on our environment. Hey lets try to keep people around for thousands of years more, not only hundreds.