Hybrid Vehicles - a car buff seeking automotive redemption

Why you won’t get that NGO Job?

Administrator — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 00:06:57 +0000

I found an interesting little piece about an industry that is my particular little obsession at the moment. After finally finishing my study (the jobs of being a mature-aged university student) I’m trying to turn those years into some kind of meaningful and productive employment. This piece on ngo jobs was a little depressing!

Cyclone Nargis Changer their lives - Make a difference and donate today

Administrator — Sat, 31 May 2008 07:33:01 +0000

On May 2nd 2008, Cyclone Nargis struck Burma, killing 100,000 people and leaving a million homeless. Inaction on the part of the Burmese Government meant vital aid was delayed to millions of affected people.

World Vision is now on the ground with over 600 staff delivering aid to those who are most affected. You can support there work by making a small donation to their Myanamar Cylone Appeal.

Reputation Management company Distilled.co.uk are currently running a competition to encourage people to donated to World Vision. Check it out here:

Our entries are:

Help Burma Cyclone Victims

1 Day Changed Their Lives.

1 Donation Gives A Better Future.

World Vision Burma Appeal

600 Staff In Burma Delivering Aid.

Make Your Donation Count!

Burma Families Need Help

$100 Means Food, Water and Shelter

For A Homeless Family. Donate now!

Turning your photos into custom works of art with canvas prints

Administrator — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 05:11:10 +0000

In my other life, I work for an Australian canvas printing company called Brilliant Prints. I’m taking the entirely self indulgent opportunity to showcase our new facebook business page. Check it out - and if you want to help please sign up as a fan.

Without further ado - the Canvas Printing People on Facebook.

Nissan enters the Hybrid Card Field

Administrator — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 03:24:45 +0000

The next big company to enter into the hybrid market, is not who many think it would be. It is Nissan, this company has plans to start releasing a series of hybrid as well as completely electric vehicles within the next few years.

Now many ask the question as to why not choose an ethanol or bio-diesel design as well. Well the engineers at Nissan have rebutted this as well stating quite simply, that the added costs for bio-diesel as well as ethanol are too great to make a sufficient amount of cost savings, and therefore, they are moving to hybrids and electrical vehicles.

Since the likings of the infamous GM EV-1 cars, no one has been openly willing to offer a totally electric vehicle until now, but after learning from GM’s mistakes, Nissan openly states that the electric vehicles they are designing, are for the purposes of a second car or a company vehicle which is designed for short commutes and not long trips.

Either way that you look at it, it will be nice to see yet another popular car manufacturer releasing to the world, yet another hybrid vehicle option.

Fantastic Blog Competition

Administrator — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 22:00:39 +0000

I thought I would take a break from our usual laser-tight focus on hybrid cars and vehicles to mention a fantastic competition I came across while browsing through my rss:

David Airey, a logo designer from Northern Ireland, is holding an anniversary prize giveaway. There’s more than $4,000 worth in free prizes! Find out how to enter by reading the details on David’s logo design blog.

A quick browse through the site shows that the man not only designs great logos - but runs fantastic competitions.

The following are just a small selection of some of the great prizes on offer.

Custom WordPress theme design from Nate Whitehill of Nate Whitehill dot Com. It’s vital to set yourself apart from the crowd, and Nate will help a great deal with your very own custom WordPress theme.
Personal marketing / advertising plan from Maki of Dosh Dosh. Maki is an expert where blog advertising is concerned, and he is kindly donating his time to help you make the most of your new custom blog.
One year’s hosting and blog setup from John Boardley of I Love Typography. John has kindly donated his time and will do everything you need to get your new custom blog hosted on one of Media Temple’s dedicated servers.
Signed copy of Blogging Tips by Lorelle VanFossen of Lorelle on WordPress. I bought this book myself, and it contains excellent blogging tips for beginners to pros.
Logo design from Tara Roskell of Graphic Design Blog. You only need to visit Graphic Design Blog to realise that Tara really knows a lot about great design.
Website critique from Randa Clay of Randa Clay Design. If you want some expert advice on how to improve your website design, you won’t be disappointed by this offering.
One hour SEO consultation with Lyndon Antcliff of Cornwall SEO. Lyndon will conduct a Skype consultation with the winner of this prize, and he comes highly recommended for search engine optimisation and linkbaiting.
$60 of books from Amazon courtesy of Darren Rowse of ProBlogger. Is there a book you’ve been meaning to buy on Amazon? How about getting it free? A great donation from a professional blogger.
Logo / blog header design from Jonathan-C. Phillips of Smart Wealthy Rich. Jonathan has donated his expert skills to help your blog stand out from the crowd.
One hour blog optimization consultation with Daniel Scocco of Daily Blog Tips. This consultation will cover design, SEO, monetization and blogging strategy, from the author of one of blogging’s most useful resources.
Revolution Premium WordPress theme package (personal package) from Brian Gardner, WordPress designer and consultant. Brian’s WordPress skills are second to none.
Blog review and email interview published on Make It Great! with Phil Gerbyshak. The man to ‘make it great’ will critique your blog and feature you on his very own PR5 blog.
Full blog review with deep links and images published on Blog-Op with Chris Lodge. Chris knows how to piece together an excellent blog review, giving you an added insight into the impression your website is giving.
Blog review from Aaron Russell of miLienzo. Aaron has been coding WordPress themes for a while now and certainly knows his stuff where blog design is concerned.
Expert WordPress blog help from Lakshmi Mareddy of Chilligavva. Have you ever had any ideas for your blog that you haven’t been able to incorporate? Lakshmi has kindly agreed to offer her WordPress skills, helping you out with either code or graphics

What if your hybrid vehicle gets in an accident?

Administrator — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 01:22:41 +0000

With the number of hybrid cars and vehicles on American roads increasing, the chances of accidents increase proportionately.

This creates additional challenges for fire and rescue safety crews due to the presence of high voltage electricity. With every manufacturer adopting different safety standards - dealing with a vehicle in emergency situations can be intimidating.

Recent testing has dispelled a number of myths:

There is no risk of electrocution if a hybrid vehicle is driven into water
Emergency crews using axes or mechanical equipment to cut open vehicles after an accident do not face the risk of electrocution
Spraying water on a hybrid car that has caught on fire will not put you at risk of electrocution.

This is not to say that there are not some risks - however the current mistrust and fear is more symptomatic of services grappling with unfamiliar technology than any real underlying danger.

It is also good news for hybrid car drivers - some of who have questioned there safety during an accident.

Top 12 Hybrid Vehicles for 2007

Administrator — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 06:11:20 +0000

Forbes has compiled a list of the top 12 most environmentally friendly vehicles for 2007 - and the greatest news for people interested in purchasing hybrid cars or vehicles is that the cost for your purchase is dropping.

Of the vehicles who made the list - all clocked in under $35,000. The average price was $20,000 (which is down more than $1000 from the previous year) Frugal buyers can purchase a low-emission vehicle for under $13,000.

Not surprisingly the Toyota Prius and the Honda Civic Hybrid tied for first place with perfect 10 scores for greenhouse emissions from the United States Environmental Protection Agency. That’s fantastic considering your average SUV is likely to take out a score of zero (they don’t give zeroes)

The cost-price is great news for people interested in hybrid vehicles as it reflects a growing downward trend. With price seen as one of the biggest barriers against people making the move - it can only get better.

Illinois offers $1000 rebate for hybrid car purchases

Administrator — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 03:09:28 +0000

We are pleased to say that another state has jumped on the hybrid rebate bandwagon - making the transition easier for consumers who are worried about the higher upfront cost of purchasing a hybrid vehicle.

The Illinois State Treasurer’s Office has partnered with the Valley Bell Credit Union to offer a $1000 rebate for purchasers of hybrid vehicles who finance their purchase through the Union.

The offer is open to customers in Elgin or Kane, McHenry and Boone counties - and is limited to the first 2000 purchases.

Full details of the scheme can be found here (including its eligibility for people living outside the designated areas).

GM Light-truck sales down by 22%

Administrator — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 03:08:30 +0000

A new incentive scheme offered by GM to dealers highlights the downward trend in light-truck purchases over the last 12 months.

GM is assisting dealers to discount purchase prices by up to $1000 after sales slumped more than 22% in July. Slower sales have also meant that production has been slowed down at more than 6 light truck plants across North America.

While nobody wants the families involved in the production of light trucks to lose their jobs - it is an interesting trend. Heavy vehicle usage (including SUV) has been trending down slightly over the last couple of years. We are yet to see this result in an appreciable uptake of more fuel-efficient vehicles - but the potential is still definitely there.

GM has big opportunities going forward to look at the fuel efficiency of its vehicles. Making small changes could have a big impact, and lead the way for other US retailers.

Administrator — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 03:04:44 +0000