Category: Car

Electric Car Batteries Benefits And Drawbacks

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So youre thinking of getting an electric car? Well, one of the first things you need to do before getting one is to learn a few basic things about these vehicles especially with regards to how they run and where they get their power. And like all things electric, an electric car relies on an independent power source the battery.

A normal car (powered by an internal combustion engine) only needs the battery to start the engine as well as run the air conditioning system and the car stereo. That isnt the case with electric cars. In fact, the battery used in electric cars runs about everything. When electric cars were first introduced, the primary concern was (and still is) the quality and reliability of the electric car battery, i.e. how long can the battery last before it needs to be recharged. Fortunately, the last few decades has produced significant improvements on how electric car batteries are made. Now we already have nickel metal hydride (NiMH), lead-acid and lithium-ion (Li-ion) types that are rechargeable and readily available in the market.

Compared to normal car batteries, how do electric car batteries fare? Heres a look at the benefits:

Cost-effectiveness. For five bucks worth of electricity, your electric car can run for more than 300 kilometers. Now if you do the math and compare that with your current gas costs and equivalent mileage, youll see that going electric can be quite economic in the long run.

Cleaner & Greener. Although you still need to burn fossil fuels in order to generate the electricity needed to recharge electric car batteries, the pollution produced is very minimal compared to the pollution caused by internal combustion engines. Plus, with better power generation sources like nuclear plants, the level of carbon emissions in the process of recharging becomes even lesser.

Re-usability. Electric car batteries can be reused and recycled. So you dont need to worry about how you can dispose of your battery pack.

However, like any new technology, electric car batteries are not perfect. Here are the drawbacks:

Theyre heavy. Because electric car batteries are designed to provide more power, they need to be connected to battery packs to ensure heavy duty performance. And these battery packs are not light. A battery pack can weigh as much as half a metric ton. But dont worry, theres hope manufacturers are designing electric cars with lighter body frames to offset the batterys weight.

Recharging time. Unfortunately, theres no technology available yet for quicker and easier recharging. You still need several hours of downtime before your electric car can run again.

Maintenance. Electric car batteries are still uncommon, which means the number of service stations which can do repairs is still fairly limited, too. And since theyre quite fewer, maintenance costs might be a bit higher, too.

No doubt, electric car batteries are still a work in progress. It has its own set of limitations but theres still plenty of room for improvement. But in a few years, the new generation of batteries will be lighter, more economical and most importantly, more powerful. Thats certainly a comforting thought.

The Worst Cars For Teenagers

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The goal of every American teenager is to procure their own vehicle. After all, it stands testimony that the individual is finally responsible enough to get on the road without parental supervision. It sends a statement stating that the teen is on his or her way to becoming an adult. However, parents should be wary about purchasing certain vehicles for their children. The fact is, some cars on the market are just plain bad news for teenagers. Here is a short list on some of the worst cars for parents to buy for their children or allow them to buy for themselves.

The first type of car on the list would be the sub-compact, such as the Volkswagen Beetle. These cars may look cute, which appeals to many young women, but this particular vehicle has a couple of flaws that could potentially be very dangerous for inexperienced drivers. The elongated windshield creates two blindspots, which when coupled with the low side impact ratings, could be devastating to someone not paying close attention to the road. That said, not all sub-compacts are a bad choice; on the contrary, many small cars are quite safe. You simply have to check with the IIHS (Insurance Institute For Highway Safety) to find out which vehicles have been names as a “Top Safety Pick.”

The second type on the list would be the muscle car, such as the Ford Mustang or Chevrolet Camaro. These types of cars simply have too much power for someone without a lot of road experience. With an extremely fast acceleration, even the slightest loss of traction can cause the driver to lose complete control of the vehicle. Couple that with the average driving tendencies of youth speeding, and this particular type can quickly become an instant death trap for teens.

The third type we will discuss is the SUV, especially open cabin ones such the Jeep Wrangler. The main issue with vehicles like the Jeep Wrangler is the high roll-over rate. SUV’s simply have too high of a center of gravity, causing them to roll easily if a turn is taken too sharply. That and the Jeep Wrangler has a low side impact score if it isn’t equipped with side airbags, which makes this vehicle extremely dangerous for teens.

All in all, parents looking to buy their teen their first car should first do the research to find out exactly what the ratings are from both NHTSA as well as IIHS. Once parents research this information, they should then couple that knowledge with the overall cost of the vehicle. This way, parents can buy a vehicle that isn’t too expensive for a teen to lightly damage, as well as ensure the safety of their children as much as possible.

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Car Hire Tips

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Car Hire Tips For Driving In South Africa

South Africa is a beautiful country and popular tourist destination. With an excellent road infrastructure and numerous attractions spread far and wide, it is also better to self drive than making use of public transport. If you follow the car hire tips provided below you will be able to save money and have a safe as well as pleasant journey.

Major Cities

The best pick-up and drop-off locations for car hire in the country are the airports. Major airports are located in Johannesburg, Nelspruit, Cape Town, Durban, George, East London, and Bloemfontein.

Car Hire Tips for Safety

The roads are relatively safe, but be vigilant, especially when driving at night or on small roads. Dont stop for picnics at the roadside picnic spots, unless at one of the fuel station and refreshment centres. Beware of potholes also in the city areas and dont engage in conversation with people at the intersections. You will find street vendors and beggars at many of the intersections. Be careful as some of them are involved in smash and grab attempts and hijackings and simply use the begging or hawking to disguise their real intentions. Keep your windows rolled up and dont leave any valuables in sight. Drive with vehicle doors locked and be sure to let someone know where you are going.

Driving In South Africa

Driving is done on the left side of the road and both manual gear and automatic drive vehicles are allowed. If you are not used to manual gear, rather rent one with automatic gears. You must be in possession of a valid South African drivers license or a recognized international drivers license. The drivers age will have a big influence on the rental price as will the drop-off location. South Africa has strict regulations regarding drinking and driving and it is recommended that you refrain from any form of alcohol usage before driving in the country.

The speed limit on highways is 120 km per hour and mileage is measured in kilometres. In the mid-city and residential areas you can expect the speed limit to drop to 50-70 km per hour while other roads have a speed limit of generally between 80 and 120 km depending on the road conditions. Two types of fuel are used that of diesel and unleaded petrol. Make sure that the fuel station attendant fills the tank with the correct type.

Although hooting is prohibited unless to prevent an accident, you will find that the taxis hoot all the times. It can be a bit nerve wrecking at first as one is never sure whether someone is hooting for you or potential passengers.

Car Hire Tips for Payment

The vehicle rental companies require credit card payments. Visa, MasterCard, Diners, and Amex cards are generally accepted. If you will need a vehicle roof rack, cycle rack, child seat or a tow bar you must specify so when enquiring about quotes. Note that rentals cost more if you only rent the vehicle for a day or two. To get the best deals book for a week or more and drop the vehicle off at the same place as where you have picked it up.

Types of Vehicles

Hire a car with aircon as your windows will be rolled up most of the time. In addition, South Africa has a warm climate and humidity levels in the eastern parts of the country are high. If you plan to only visit the city areas, a small economical car will help to navigate in the traffic and safe you money on fuel. For outer city travelling along dirt roads, book an SUV or 4×4. The country has several stunning off-road routes to remote wildlife destinations.

Car Hire Tips for Saving Money

The best way to get cheap car rental packages in South Africa is to book ahead. This can be done online ensuring that your booking is made before arrival in the country. By making use of central online booking facilities, you will be able to do price comparisons and shop for the vehicle of choice.

Documents Required

Apart from the license already mentioned in one of the car hire tips, you will also need valid identification. This can be a South African ID or a passport if you want to rent a car. If more than one person will drive, both will have to show proof of identification and drivers licenses. You must also have your credit card on you when collecting the vehicle.

Car Accident Claims

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It has been estimated that two in three people who are involved in road traffic collisions will end up suffering the effects of whiplash through experiencing problems in their neck and surrounding area. These symptoms usually develop within a few hours but the nature of the symptoms that they suffer can often vary.

The most common symptoms that are associated with whiplash include the following:

Pain and stiffness of the neck, which can often extend up to the head and down to the shoulders Headache Numbness or tingling in the arms, which extends down into the hands Low back pain Dizziness Problems such as poor concentration, memory or mental performance Tiredness Ringing in the ears or tinnitus Blurred vision

These symptoms usually develop a few hours after the road traffic accident and most people usually recover from the symptoms of whiplash within a few weeks but in extreme cases the symptoms can often worsen and go on to cause further problems that will affect people for years to come.

When it comes to whiplash many people don’t realise the fact that a car only has to be driving at a low speed of even 10mph to cause the on set of whiplash. Even the slightest, smallest bump to a car can cause whiplash. This is surprising to many people as they only think whiplash happens when a car is travelling at high speed.

Whiplash most commonly occurs after a road traffic accident where a car collides with another car or a structure. So what exactly does whiplash do? It stretches and tears the soft tissues of the neck, affecting the tendons, ligaments and muscles. It also may damage the nerves and other structures in the area. This soft tissue damage is known as a whiplash injury, or cervical sprain as well as hyperextension injury.

The way in which whiplash is diagnosed is by looking at a patients history as well as a head and neck examination. Also x-rays are also used purely to rule out any potential fractures. It is important that you seek medical help after a road traffic accident as you may feel fine but aspects such as whiplash take a few hours to diagnose. By gaining medical help after a road traffic accident you will have the peace of mind that your injuries are being treated in the right way and you will also have a record of your injuries in case they are needed for future use.

The standard treatment that is usually given to a patient who is suffering the effects of whiplash includes encasing the neck in a soft collar to prevent movement that could worsen the symptoms. As well as this you will often be advised to apply an ice pack to the affected area and to take regular pain relief.

Sadly there aren’t many things that people can do to prevent the onset of whiplash, however certain head restraints may prevent some whiplash injuries such as they may stop the head jolting backwards.

If you are suffering from the affects of whiplash then you could be entitled to put in a claim for compensation. If you do want to put in a claim for compensation then it is important that you speak to a professional solicitor who will be able advise you on what to do next.

Repair Fabric Car Seats

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A tear in car upholstery is not always easy to repair, but with time and patience, most people can repair small holes without having to pay for expensive materials and tools. You can take your car to an upholsterer to be repaired, but they tend to be expensive and often end up recovering the whole seat. Frequently they cannot match the original fabric, so you end up with seats that do not match and a big bill.

It is easier to repair fabric seats, than vinyl seats. All you need is a strong needle and good thread, both of which you can buy from your local arts and craft shop. Match the colour of the thread to your car seat carefully a good match is key to getting a reasonable result. Make sure that the needle you buy can cope with thick fabric, but has a small enough eye to pass through the fabric without leaving holes. Check that the thread can pass through the eye too. Upholstery thread is thicker than sewing thread.

Do not to be tempted to stitch the tear together as you would a tear in an item of clothing. If you stitch the tear like this, it will be too tight and another tear will appear alongside the original tear. The seat fabric must still be able to give a bit when someone sits on the seat.

Create a grid of stitches along the length of the tear. Those initial stitches are not designed to pull the tear together in any way; they are there to add strength and structure. Now you are ready to put in the stitches that will repair the tear, along its length. Do this as you would for any normal tear but do not tighten the stitches as much as you would normally. The repaired fabric needs to have some give built into it.

The stitching you have made needs to be protected from the friction that occurs when people sit in the repaired chair. A layer of fabric gel should provide adequate protection; periodically renew this protective covering.

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