Tasty Throwdown: Hybrids

My new hybrid (Toyota Highlander) is NOT getting the gas mileage
promised. As a matter of fact, the SUV is getting less than 21 MPG in
the city or country. I am very disappointed and think y’all should discuss
hybrids on the tasty throwdown- many people have told me that the new
Mercedes SUV diesel gets substantially better gas mileage, but I guess
diesel is bad for the environment. I am confused and irritated!!!

I feel your pain! I feel like I did at least 3 months of research on and offline before I ended up purchasing my '07 Ford Escape Hybrid 3 weeks ago. It's still new, but so far, it seems to be getting an average of 30 mpg, even though Ford claims it gets 36 city/31 highway. I think the CAFE standards are like serving sizes on food packaging. Can you REALLY get 4 servings out of a box of pasta? It depends on what you consider a serving, you know?

As far as the confusion of flexfuel vs. hybrid vs. diesel vs. bio-diesel vs. veggie diesel, etc., I think you and I are like many, many consumers who just don't have all the information in one handy place that will help us make a decision that's right for us. Are you listening car makers and automotive media??

I will say that the two most helpful online destinations I've found are Treehugger.com and Autobloggreen.com. In fact, even though I've already made my car purchase, I'm still religiously reading the blogs on autobloggreen.com, although it will also make you green with envy knowing what the Europeans have for choices! Last but not least, I suggest lots of conversations with people you know and trust to give you advice on real world usage. I'm fortunate enough to have friends who have done bio-diesel and veg waste diesel, as well as having a domestic partner who has a Prius and she had already done a lot of research already. It seems people who are hybrid or bio-diesel fans never seem to tire of talking about it, so take advantage of their chatty-Kathiness.

In the meantime, maybe autobloggreen.com has tips on getting better mileage out your Highlander. I heard driving barefoot increases mileage, so maybe tossing out that Manolos will help, too!

and for more information on different types of eco-friendly cars, scroll down...

A hybrid vehicle is essentially a vehicle that gets its power from 2 or more different energy sources. The most common type of Hybrid in today’s market is the gas-electric hybrid, which combines the use of a gas internal combustion engine and a battery/electric motor to create energy to propel the vehicle.

Click here to see a list of current and future model gas-electric hybrid cars on the market.

Biodiesel is a clean-burning alternative fuel. It is a domestic product made from easily renewable resources like soybean and vegetable oil. Pure 100% Biodiesel (Neat) contains no petroleum diesel. However, Biodiesel is also often sold in a blend of Biodiesel and standard petroleum diesel. Biodiesel is for use in diesel engines only.

Types of Biodiesel Fuel

There are two basic types of Biodiesel that are commonly sold throughout the States. B100 and B20. B100 is 100% (Neat) Biodiesel fuel. It is the cleanest type of Biodiesel fuel.

The second common fuel is the B20 Biodiesel blend which contains 80% petroleum diesel. While not as clean as B100, B20 still has significant improvements over standard petroleum diesel. Your diesel engine will give you better gas mileage, run much more efficiently and last longer with the use of either grade of Biodiesel, and it is much safer for the environment.

Where can I fill up with Biodiesel?

Biodiesel is available in most states. It is widely available in many agricultural states where Biodiesel fuel is predominantly produced. Click here to see the availability of Biodiesel fuel in your area.

Can I make Biodiesel fuel at home?

YES! It is possible to make your own Biodiesel in your own home. There are numerous kits and equipment available to you to start making your own Biodiesel fuel right out of you own garage.

Like Biodiesel, Ethanol is a clean-burning alternative fuel made in the

United States

. Ethanol is produced from corn and other common crops. It is oxygenated high-octane fuel, commonly known as Ethyl Alcohol or Grain Alcohol in its purest form.

The main benefits of using Ethanol are:

- Decrease the harmful emissions that regular unleaded gasoline's put in our atmosphere.
- Increase the efficiency of your engine’s life through higher octane and oxygen.
- Decrease American dependence on foreign fuels.

Ethanol is not used in its purest form (100% ethanol) in the common engine. It is generally blended with unleaded gasoline to create a useable type of alternative fuel. These common blends are E10 and E85.

Types of Ethanol Fuel

The two common types of Ethanol that are widely sold throughout the

United States

are E10 and E85.

E10 is a blend of 10% ethanol with 90% unleaded gasoline. E10 is safe for use in all vehicles without modification. You could start using E10 today. It would be beneficial to the performance of your vehicle and to your health.

E85 is a blend of 85% Ethanol with only 15% unleaded gasoline. E85 must only be used in engines modified to run E85 fuel. E85 is a higher grade alternative fuel for use in Flexible Fuel Vehicles, or FFVs.

(What is an FFV? FFVs truly are "Flexible" vehicles. FFVs can run on E85, regular unleaded gasoline or any mixture in between and up to 85% ethanol. Giving the driver flexibility of what fuel they want to use.)

Ethanol is an "oxygenated" fuel, meaning that the properties of ethanol contain more oxygen, and therefore it naturally detonates or burns more efficiently. The added oxygen also allows it to burn cleaner.

Also, since the BTU value of Ethanol is lower than regular unleaded gasoline, it burns cooler, which allows engines to last longer. View other tips to keep your engine efficient and in optimal condition here.

Where can I fill up with Ethanol?

As more and more FFVs are being manufactured, more and more E85 fueling stations are popping up around the country. Our friends over at E85fuel.com have a database of the most up to date E85 fueling locations. Click here to find an E85 fueling station in your area.

The energy used to propel the vehicle may be obtained from several sources, some of them more ecological than others:

from an on-board rechargeable energy storage system (RESS):
- from chemical energy stored on the vehicle in on-board batteries: Battery electric vehicle (BEV)
- from static energy stored on the vehicle in on-board supercapacitors
- from rotational storage: flywheels
from both an on-board rechargeable energy storage system (RESS) and a fueled propulsion power source (internal combustion engine): hybrid vehicle (as in a diesel-electric locomotive ), including plug-in hybrid
generated on-board using a fuel cell: fuel cell vehicle
generated on-board using nuclear energy, on nuclear submarines and aircraft carriers
from renewable sources such as wind and solar
from a direct connection to land-based generation plants, as is common in electric trains and trolley buses (See also : third rail and conduit current collection)
from both an on-board rechargeable energy storage system and a direct continuous connection to land-based generation plants for purposes of on-highway recharging with unrestricted highway range.