Just where did a hybrid car get it’s start? Well, read on to find out. Hybrid cars are very popular for today’s car buyers, and there are many reasons why. But before you even think about choosing a hybrid car to buy, you might want to know a little bit about the history of the hybrid car first.

It is surprising, but hybrid vehicles were around even before gas-powered cars. In or about the year 1665, a Jesuit priest by the name of Ferdinand Verbeist started making plans for a new type of vehicle. That vehicle or cart would be very simple, nothing intricate. Dead simple was all he was interested in.

So it was that Ferdinand designed a car that would have four wheels and would run on steam. It took roughly fifteen years of work for Ferdinand to go through with his plan. He laboured to perfect his dream car. But no one knows for certain if he ever finished it because there is no physical evidence that his concept ever came into reality.

Then in 1769, a man by the name of Nicholas Cugnot designed and developed a carriage that was driven by steam. This vehicle really did go and it went at six miles per hour. This project was great, but it was difficult to get the amount of steam needed to make the car to travel any significant distance.

The real break through in hybrid vehicle design finally came in 1839 when Robert Anderson developed an electrically powered car. It was the first of its kind and was built in Scotland.

This type of electric car was a highly applauded innovation of its time. But, the only problem was that it was very difficult to recharge the car’s battery. Some pioneers did come after Anderson, but they had the same problem of getting the battery recharged after a few miles.

Finally in the year 1898 Porsche produced an electric and fuel combustion engine that was the first of its time. The car was called the Lohner Electric Chaise, and it could go up to 40 miles just using batteries.

Not long afterwards, pioneers combined both gas and a battery powered engines to power what would turn into today’s hybrid vehicle. In 1999, Honda made its jump into the US market. It came out with the Honda Insight, which was a lightweight two-door hybrid vehicle. Since then, hybrid cars have been evolving and improving into what we see on the roads these days. Hybrid cars are no longer just for the techies who think it’s cool to combine battery and liquid fuel to get them where they want to go. Hybrid cars began life simple, and they still are quite simple today.

Nowadays hybrid cars are becoming increasingly more popular as people are getting to understand them better. In the 21st century, hybrids saw a big boom in sales after the Toyota Prius came on the streets. It was the first hybrid with four doors that was marketed for America.

Soon after, the Ford Escape hybrid became the very first SUV hybrid ever made. So there it is in a nutshell, the history of the hybrid car – today’s modern car.

On May 2007, the division of General Motors launched its new SUV model for 2008, the Buick Enclave. Buick Enclave is a full-size luxury crossover SUV. It is partially based on the Buick Centieme shown at the 2003 Detroit Auto Show. It has the same feature as the new GM Lambda platform, just like GMC Acadia, Chevrolet Traverse and Saturn Outlook. The Enclave replaced Buick’s SUVs such as the minivan-based Rendezvous, the truck-based Rainer, as well as the Terraza minivan.

The Enclave can accommodate at least 7 passengers; instead of a standard chair it has an optional second row bench that can add extra seating. It almost has the same platform and mechanical underpinning with Saturn Outlook, GMC Acadia and Chevrolet Traverse. But this also comes with a standard front -wheel drive with an option of an all wheel drive.

For its first year of production, Enclave was powered by a 275 hp (205 kW) 3.6 L High Feature V6 engine matted to a six-speed automatic transmission. Enclave also shares power trains with its Lambda siblings. The 2009 model, a 3.6L V6 SIDI (direct injected) VVT with 286 hp (213 kW) and 255ft. lbf (346 N.m) of torque standard (the same standard with other 2009 Lambdas). According to United States Environmental Protection Agency the latter direct-injection engine is commended for offering a broader torque curve, bringing fuel economy to 17 mpg-us (14 L/100 km; 20 mpg-imp)/24 mpg-US (9.8 L/100 km; 29 mpg-imp) for FWD models and 16 mpg-US (15 L/100 km; 19 mpg-imp)/22 mpg-US (11 L/100 km; 26 mpg-imp) for AWD models

The production of the Enclave started on 11 April 2007, with their first vehicle reaching certain dealers by the end of the month. It has a starting price of $32,790. But with this model, GM has also stepped up their warranty. Instead of 4-years/50,000-mile bumper-to-bumper basic warranty, they increased it to 5-year/100,000-mile power train coverage. Lambda vehicles are built at GM’s new Delta Township Assembly plant near Lansing Michigan.

About 1 inch (25mm) longer that it’s Lambda siblings, enclave was considered the largest uni-body vehicle. Enclave was often praised because of its subsequently huge cargo space while maintaining the relatively dynamic nature of uni-body construction over the conventional body-on-frame. Enclave was also praised because it is considered as one of the quietest vehicles available in the United States, and also for the quality of its interior design. The Buick Enclave is also often referred to as the “best vehicle GM makes”. Lastly many admire this SUV because of its good looks.

Weighing almost 5,000 pounds (2,300 kg) with all-wheel-drive it has been considered too heavy. And it is also often criticized for its 6-speed transmission, which results to its uncertain downshift. But on 2009 the power train was even more competent and with more abundant torque.

The article shown below will detail for you 1 of 6 incredibly valuable oil analysis tests you can use to quickly establish the continued viability of your oil, without ever sending it off to a lab.

The crackle test is useful for determining whether water ingression from condensation problems is an issue. Most often, you will be most vulnerable to water build-up in your oil if you are a short trip driver and/or if your vehicle sits for long periods without being run.

Why is water in your oil a problem? Because water in your oil causes acid build-up, which causes corrosion. Corrosion leads to pitting, and pitting is BAD for your vehicle’s engine. Even a high TBN extended change interval synthetic oil like AMSOIL can eventually be overcome by water/acid build-up.So, it is important to know if you’re getting water build-up in your oil BEFORE the acid fighting additives in your oil are used up. THAT is why we do the crackle test.

Now, if there is fuel in your oil, this can cause confusion with the test results, so perform the blotter spot test (business card test) first to see if you have any fuel dilution. If so, fuel dilution is already a problem, so the crackle test is a moot point.

So, how do you do it? Simple. Find a hotplate of some kind. Set it to a temp between 250 and 300 degrees F . Lastly, put a little oil on the plate. Then, drop some oil on the plate.

If you place a small amount of oil on a 300 degree hotplate, the oil should boil quickly. You’ll either hear a crackling sound or you won’t. If the crackling doesn’t begin quickly, chances are there is no water in your oil.

A professionally performed oil analysis is more accurate in that it will tell you if you have too much water in your oil and how much water there is, but the the DIY crackle test detailed here is a good, free way to find water in your oil.

A good driver is always constantly critically observing the road ahead and using their skill to anticipate the effect of any potential hazards on their progress, and reacting accordingly before the need to brake sharply. However the unexpected can still happen and knowing how to brake safely in an emergency will ensure you stop safely and remain in full control of your vehicle.

One aspect of import when braking is to try to maintain a straight line. If you weave or corner during a braking situation the rear end of the car will be lighter than the front. This can make a situation of skidding or spinning. At the very least your tyres will have more demand on them, affecting their grip and your control of the situation.

If there is ever a need to use heavy brakes when you go around a curve, you should apply the brakes gently and progressively allowing the transfer of weight to be less on the front and control to remain in your hands.

Vehicles sold today have ABS or anti lock braking systems. As a standard in automotives you have control and stability of your car in several situations. When braking or going around a corner ABS can make it easier. Still, ABS has limits for what it can handle.

The ABS contraption can discover the point where the wheels will begin to lock during a braking episode. The system will then release the brakes for a half a second to stop the wheels from locking up. The process happens several times in the second, and reacts faster than a motorist would be able to.

With ABS ensuring the wheels are still turning, and not locked up, during heavy braking, steering control is still fully maintained, the tyres continue to grip effectively, and you can steer around and safely avoid any potential hazard.

When you brake and ABS comes on there is a pulsing that you feel with the pedal. You may also hear a grinding sound. Do not fear this movement, and never let the brake pedal go. Instead continue with your heavy braking to stop your vehicle in the short distance and still engage the ABS.

There is no doubt about the effectiveness of ABS for making heavy or emergency braking as safe and as controlled as possible. However it cannot defy the laws of physics so if you are driving too fast on slippery roads it may not prevent an accident.