Deals Episodes
Green Cars
From electric to hybrids, trucks or mini cars, there are a lot of options when it comes to your ride. All of these vehicles promise to save you money on fuel costs, but how do you know which is best for you? We've got the green car 4-1-1.
Most green cars will cost you a little more than a traditional vehicle.
"I think that it's worth the investment. If you can save $20, $30, $40 bucks here and there, that's money you can put towards groceries," said Ruth Munoz, test driver.
First, the most popular green vehicle out right now is the hybrid.
"That's a step up from the traditional engine," said Carrie Majeske, from Ford. "They charge the battery by regenerative braking. So when you put on the brakes the heat energy from the breaking charges the batter. No plugs, it's just a conventional vehicle. You will start out launching it in all electric mode. So when you start out the car it doesn't make a noise. Then it will go as you get up to around 40-45 miles per hour it will go then to traditional gas mode."
"I can't believe how quite the engine is when you start the car up," said Billy, "It drives nice, drives just like a regular car."
There are other types of hybrids on the market that you can plug in to charge.
"You get a bigger battery, more powerful battery. You have more of the driving is on electric EV mode," said Carrie.
"The only thing I knew about the hybrid car is that it was going to save me money on gas," said Ruth, "It was going to give me more bang for the buck. And it has all of that and much more than I ever expected."
And then there's the full electric car.
"There's no gas. It's all a huge battery when it's charged by plugging it into the wall," said Carrie, "And it's zero emissions. There are limitations, as far as how many miles you can drive on a charge. For most electric vehicles, you get about 100 miles per full charge. Charging an electric vehicle is about two dollars a full charge. So it's going to be potentially cheaper operating costs."
For those who really love their trucks and SUV's -- several automakers have flex fuel vehicles -- traditional engines specially made to reduce fuel usage.
"For about 20 percent improvements in fuel economy," said Carrie, "Same performance as a V8 in a V6 engine. Great performance. People love them, they are flying off the lot."
"It seems like the whole world is moving towards this green movement," said Billy.
"It kind of gives everybody the choice," said Carrie. "There is something for everybody!"
For more information:
http://www.greenercars.org
http://www.greencar.com
http://www.ford.com
