Ireland Car Trade

If you have a Ford follower, a Ford fanatic, or simply a person who just adores vehicles, then you certainly are going to love this new book that was created and written by Randall Olson.

This book is titled ‘Ford in Miniature’ and it has just been published and released just this month in the United Kindom. Priced at only £19.99, many car lovers and fans would surely love this one. After all, this literary piece of work has been created with lots of pictures and has been printed out to be a colorful find.

By simply browsing through the book, you would find pictures of various cars and vehicles created by the Ford Motor Company for the American market. The list of vehicles includes not only vehicles and cars under the Ford brand but also vehicles that were marketed and sold under brands like Edsel, Lincoln, and Mercury. There are also pictures and descriptions of trucks offered in the 1920s up until the 1970s which could be now considered as classic. Of course, it would give you a chance to go through and see how you can restore or make your current vehicle look like a classic Ford vehicle by simply using Ford Galaxie 500 parts and other current parts available in the market.

Of course, the pictures and photos of Ford cars and vehicles are not the usual and real models. The Ford cars and vehicles would be miniature models, copied from the real ones. Experts in the automobile world claim that this ‘Ford in Miniature’ book by Randall Olson is the very first of its kind – a book that dwells and only discusses Ford models that were built by hand.

Buying this Ford book would give you some four hundred pages filled with color and with photos of those classic and extremely timeless Ford cars. The book also contains features and specifications of the real production vehicles. It would simply be like having your own car collection but this time, your collection would be so handy and could be used as a coffee table book.

Jason Moore
http://www.articlesbase.com/automotive-articles/ford-models-in-just-one-book-54980.html

Ettore Bugatti born in 1881 in Italy designed Bugatti. His father was an artist as well as a famous sculptor. Due to his fine carpentry work, he earned reputation in Italy and other countries. Ettore Bugatti cleared his education in 1897 and joined an arts academy. There he participated in bicycle manufacture and repair processes. While in the academy, he gained valuable skills, which helped him, progress in the motor industry. At the age of 17, he designed a tricycle and fixed it with a motor. DeDion motors powered the tricycle. Prior to the century ending, Ettore Bugatti participated in motor race using the earliest Bugatti model. In 1901, Ettore Bugatti improved the appearance of the automobile with help of the Gulinelli brothers. This occurred before they presented the automobile in an international automobile exhibition held in Milan. During the exhibition, the automobile scooped the T2 prize offered by the French Automobile Club. This popularized the automobile model all around the world.

By 1911, Ettore Bugatti had developed a couple of Bugatti models used in the racing sports. Many sports drivers preferred Bugatti automobile because it had high speed. It also consumed fuel sparingly thus was economical. In the period of 1914-1918, Ettore Bugatti developed airplane engines used in the First World War. The engines had concepts used by both French as well as Americans in the construction of airplanes. Using this blend, he came up with cost effective engines. His industry expanded and employed hundreds of workers. As time passed by, he developed new Bugatti models, which had new body as well as engine designs.

In 1927, Ettore Bugatti thought of a luxurious model after introduction of Royale luxury model in 1926. Royale model was very expensive and only the affluent afforded it. It had eight-cylinder engine as well as 12.7-liter capacity. Its engine had a 300-horse power. Introduction of Royale in the market was wrongly timed because at that time, the world experienced the Great Depression. Many economies had collapsed therefore only very few people had ability of purchasing this automobile. Since a lot of capital was invested in development of Royale Bugatti model, the company faced heavy losses due to poor sales margin associated with Great Depression.

In 1932, the Bugatti Company stood again after being given a contract to build train engines by the French government. These engines were meant for high-speed trains. Using the same technology, Ettore Bugatti developed new Bugatti models used as railcars. In the twentieth century, more models have cropped up due to an advance in automobile technology. There are several Bugatti models available today. They include racing cars and luxurious cars.

Many motorists, due to its economical fuel consumption prefer Bugatti. Today, Volkswagen AG owns the brand name. Following astute management displayed by this company, many models have been developed. These models have also performed exceptionally in international automobile exhibitions. Bugatti automobile has a long history in vehicle production. This has created a strong foundation for development. Proper management and hard work has also contributed in its success.

Levi Quinn
http://www.articlesbase.com/automotive-articles/the-history-of-bugatti-715461.html

The primary function of a Gauge is to determine distance, dimension, pressure speed and temperature. It can also determine the flow of fuel inside your car. With the help of a pointer, needle and indicator, a gauge calculates all the above factors directly and the efficiency of your car indirectly. They not only calculate but also offer the scope to enhance the efficiency. Leading car gauge manufacturing countries of the world are Germany, US, UK, Japan and China. The gauges available in the automobile market are greddy gauge, trust gauge, vacuum gauge fuel gauge, tire pressure gauge, oil pressure gauge and digital gauge.

In any modern car, you can find tachometer (calculating rotation speed), speedometer, fuel gauge and temperature gauge. They help you to maintain the health of your car properly and increase its efficiency through regular check-ups. These gauges have also several performance boosting kits like digital gauge, analog gauge compression tester performance computers, exhaust temperature gauge, water and oil temperature gauge, turbo boost etc. They offer you updates regarding the performance of your car. And, from these updates, you can easily conclude when your car needs a check-up. Greddy gauges are available in four styles. They are SM Integrate gauges, 60mm mechanical gauges, 60mm electronic gauges, and 52mm electronic gauges.

The advent of internet has brought these performance enhancers to your door step. With few clicks on mouse, you can collate scores of information regarding greddy gauges and trust gauges, their availability, efficiency and price. You can go through the reviews of the users to evaluate the performance of these tools in an impartial manner. Internet has also offered you the scope of price comparison. By comparing price with several online dealers, you can easily have a good deal on these gauges.

Anirban Bhattacharya
http://www.articlesbase.com/cars-articles/greddy-gauges-the-performance-enhancers-678238.html

Obama’s Health Care Plan:

Views of Both Sides

By: Angelina Springs and Samuel Scott

            Barack Obama’s health care plan reaches out to help all people.  The plan is broken down into three parts: quality and affordable, lowering costs in the health care system, and making public health stronger.  Let’s take a look at the good and the bad of each part. 

Obama plans to create a health insurance plan much like Medicaid, except it will be open to people who do not have insurance under an employer and small companies who do not have a private plan of their own.  The government will create a “National Health Insurance Exchange,” which means the government will sell insurance to people who are not able to get insurance through an employer.  It will also be mandatory that parents get full coverage for their children whether the insurance is private or public.  Children will be allowed to be under their parents’ insurance until 25 years of age.  Insurance plans that are already created, such as Medicaid and Chip, will also be expanded and more flexible as far as eligibility.  This quality plan will insure that people can transport their insurance over to the next job, but only when it is purchased through the “National Health Insurance Exchange” or the new public plan that would be created. Unlike McCain, Obama will see that everyone is covered by a mixture of government and private plans, not just by one single plan.

 Americans will be able to choose their own doctor and other insurance companies will be more beneficial without the government getting in the way.  It is understood that not many Americans want to give up their private health care plans, so it is important for Obama to increase the number of private health care plans.  Obama has required that all medium and large companies provide coverage or they have to pay a tax.  He will extend tax credits to people who cannot afford to pay their premiums.  A “Small Business Health Tax Credit” will be created for small businesses.  It guarantees small businesses a refund up to 50 percent in tax credits.  They must offer their employees quality insurance and pay a decent portion of the employees’ health premiums.  Of course with all good things come bad things.  Since Obama’s main concern is to get everyone health insurance, he must spend an ample amount of money a year to ensure that everyone will be able to afford a good private plan or be able to get a public plan.  It would cost Obama $50 billion to $67 billion a year if the plan is implemented fully.  This imposes an important question.  Where will Obama get the money to pay for this if we are already in a huge deficit? 

Obama says that he will control costs, if not reduce costs with his health care plan. The people want to know how?   By expanding government control on health care, he believes that costs will decrease.  If the government reinsures employers health care plans, the costs that employers pay will go down.  The bad thing about this is that the cost is not going away.  It is just being shift from the employer to the government.  How can the government spend money that they do not have?  The government could just keep borrowing money as they’ve done in the past, but sooner or later they are going to have to pay the money back.  The positive aspect of this idea is that Obama is trying to strengthen laws so that insurance companies cannot over charge physicians and lower patient visit costs.  The investment he puts into health information technology also is making progress towards lowering costs.  The process is moving along slowly, but surely. The insurance markets would be made competitive to promote more competition to companies and Obama would set a price floor for insurers. Obama also plans to legalize the import of medications from drug companies. He also wants generics to be competitive on the market.  If Obama encourages the use of generics than it will be harder for drug companies to give generics money to stay off the market. Obama must first control the cost before he can do anything about lowering them.  With these containment ideas, it seems as if Obama is going to do a fine job of just that. It is not going to be easy to get control of the costs.  One way would be to use your political authority to your advantage over the key stakeholders.  Obama does not agree with this because the key is to get the stakeholders on your side not against you.

Obama emphasizes how important it is to maintain a healthy lifestyle.  He alone cannot make the change.  The people of America must also get involved and realize that health is very important.  They have to know that eating the right foods, exercising, and not smoking is imperative to sustaining a healthy lifestyle.  Employers can help by offering health programs and having nutritious food in the cafeteria.  The school systems can also contribute by making the school lunches healthier.  Obama and Biden will work together to get more health programs and clinical services for the schools.  They also will provide financial support for physical education.  Not only will they provide financial support for schools, but also for the workforce to.  They will increase funding, which will include grants, training to improve working conditions, etc.   

The big question here is how will all of this affect the economy?  The economy will be affected in so many ways.  The rate of health care inflation would actually increase due to the significant amount of money it would take to fund such an endeavor.  This means that the government would have to intervene even more than before. The United States government has already subsidized funding to help rebuild the crashing mortgage situation and is currently being looked to, to repair the financial hits that the automobile industry has endured. Government’s support of these plunging areas of the economy does not leave very much room in support of implementing a “universal” healthcare plan. An immediate outlook for the economy will probably show that Obama’s healthcare plan is one that is much needed but given the many debts the country is already in it will be hard. However, finding a healthcare solution that incorporates a larger portion of United States citizens especially children, will in the long run be an investment that will be advantageous. Increasing the number of people regularly visiting the doctor and taking care of smaller health issues will cause the overall health of society to improve; obesity in children will decrease. Additionally, think of a situation when a mother who has no health insurance has to take their child to the emergency room because of a broken arm. Some families don’t have to worry about this issue as much because they just pay their co-pay, but for a family with no insurance, paying the emergency room bill can make it impossible to pay this month’s rent or pay for the electric bill. Individual families as well will spend less money per year funding healthcare, “The Lewin Group projects that the average savings per family would be $426 per year.” The money that is saved from spending on healthcare is money that can be allocated toward other areas of the market which will stimulate the economy.

Obama’s healthcare initiative is one that is setting the bar extremely high for this country, but also a plan that strives to reach not only those who can afford healthcare but those who deserve it, which is every citizen. As many aspects of the free market are extremely flexible, the medication market has become too focused on money and not what’s in the best interest of the people, Obama states, “In the richest nation on Earth, it is simply not right that the skyrocketing profits of the drug and insurance industries are paid for by the skyrocketing premiums that come from the pockets of the American people.” A healthcare system that incorporates the great majority instead of the minority shows that this system presents many positives. Countries around the world have used some type of publicly funded healthcare system for as many as 100 years. France, for instance, has had an established and well-working universal healthcare system for quite some time and their life expectancy for citizens increases more than three months each year. Additionally, French women have the second highest life expectancy rate in the world. There is evidence that this type of system has proven highly practical and functional in other countries. As the economy is in dismay, Obama’s healthcare plan may seem overwhelming and one that might be temporarily pushed to end of the “to-do” list in his first year in office, but an initiative that should be pushed in the limelight because it will eventually become a solution for the many short-comings that America faces as far as finance, health and general livelihood.

Angelina Springs

Ford is one of the most successful automobile manufacturers of the world. Almost in every country its vehicle is found. Ford has manufactured several cars and trucks which are world famous. Now when we think about the lights of any Ford car then there are two things which strike our mind and these are tail lights and the headlights. Both these things serve important purposes. Headlights and tail lights not only enhance the look of a vehicle but also serve important purpose related to safety of passengers. Headlights are important because they work as an eye of the vehicle and during the night drive them extremely important. On the other hand tail lights are important because they tell the backward people about when you are applying brake. So, both of them are important. But because are important we cannot install any type of headlights and taillights. It cannot be done so because they can affect the look of the vehicle also.

Ford tail lights give a fine look to the vehicle and almost for every Ford vehicles various types of tail lights are available. Adding a fine taillight to your Ford vehicle, just give a striking look to it. It is the tail light who gives makes a fine impression of your vehicle from the backside of your vehicle. So you should always choose it precisely. There are many types of Ford tail lights available such as black, smoked and LED tail lights, but this is not the end of the list. Now, tail lights made up of carbon fiber are also available in the market. And chrome tail lights which have awesome look are also available. There are many more which you can find over the internet just search by Ford tail lights. Some common Ford tail lights are:

-         Ford Escape Euro Smoke Tail Lights 3D (01-06) — $220 – $240.

-         Ford Econoline Excursion Altezza Tail Lights (00-04) — $120 – $130.

-         Ford Expedition Euro Chrome LED Tail Lights (07-08) –$360 – $370.

-         Ford Explorer Altezza Tail Lights Smoke Jdm (98-01) — $70 – $80.

-         Ford Ford F150 Black Altezza Tail Lights (04-07) — $130 – $140.

-         Ford Focus ZX5 ZX3 Black Tail Lights Light (00-04) — $140 – $150.

-         Ford Mustang GT Euro Black LED Altezza Tail Lights (05-07) — $240 – $250.

-         Ford Ranger Euro Black Altezza Tail Lights (01-04) — $100 – $120.

-         Ford Super Duty Smoke LED Tail Lights OEM (08-09) — $380 – $400.

All of these tail lights are for different models of Ford. These tail lights give a unique look to your vehicle. And these tail lights are different in shapes and sizes. You can see here that similarly like models of cars tail lights are also classified in years. As the model changes a lit bit in every year the tail lights also changes a little bit after every year. So while buying it always checks for which year model it is made. These tail lights are not that much strong that it will never break but these tail lights are definitely made up of fine quality materials. So never worry about the quality but always check it for its genuine quality. One thing you can try and that is to buy Ford tail lights over the internet. It can save a good amount of money because they are genuine and you have to pay very fewer taxes over the internet and showroom price is not added in it. And you will have more choices also because latest launched things are uploaded their quickly.

abicarsy
http://www.articlesbase.com/automotive-articles/ford-tail-lights-made-for-upgrading-the-vehicles-725251.html

Whether OPEC likes it or not, hybrid owners are changing the landscape for car sales and automobile ownership. The process has been slow. Many people were not and are still not ready to pay the extra money to buy a hybrid. Some fear that technology will bypass the hybrid in the next couple of years, making their purchase a bad investment. Many people do not want to be the first one to buy a strange, new technology, just like when the regular car came into existence. Others have found that tax incentives and saving money on gas are the best reasons to go hybrid. For most hybrid buyers, however, the environmental reasons to buy one have outweighed any other reasons or any negative fallout that is present now or foreseeable in the future.

1. Emissions: With all the news about high gas prices and people across the country feeling the effects in their pockets, having a hybrid sounds like a great idea. Hybrids are super-efficient with their use of gas because they rely on electricity for some of their power. This has made it possible for hybrids to get great mileage. The environmental impact is phenomenal. Hybrids use less gas sending fewer emissions into the air. Chemicals from dioxide, to nitrogen oxide all get into the air with gas cars. Although hybrids still emit some fumes and toxic elements, they are performing so well that the EPA has made special ratings for them because they are putting about 90% fewer emissions into the air.

2. Getting Gas: Acquiring gas has become a major concern for the entire world. Having to build more refineries to produce gas will only put more chemicals into the air. Finding places to get oil are also becoming harder to find. Many have objected to the government’s desire to drill in the protected parks of Alaska. Depending less on oil helps contributes to less destruction of our natural resources.

3. Effects on the Human Environment: When emissions get churned into the air, the environment is not the only place that suffers. The human body does not take well to the excessive amounts of carbon dioxide, lead and other chemicals that gas-guzzling cars use. Sitting in traffic, one experiences the odors alone that carry the cancer causing agents. All of the chemicals produced by emissions have been linked to cancer, birth defects and a number of other preventable conditions.

4. Ride the Environmental Wave: Many people say that buying a hybrid is a great idea, but not everyone buys one. It is hard to blame people, since the cost is thousands of dollars more than for a regular car, but for those who are taking the first steps, they are contributing to environmental awareness. Choosing a hybrid helps the market get the price down, which allows for more people to buy them. Buying a hybrid is one of the best ways to get the environmental domino effect moving.

5. Encourage the Government: Buying a hybrid car is beginning to get some encouragement from the government. Known for being dependant on foreign oil for years, the Federal government is beginning to see the benefits of hybrid cars being on the market and is offering tax credits through the end of 2006. Each person that buys a hybrid can be eligible for up to a $2,000 credit on their tax return. When more and more hybrids are purchased, it is likely that the government will consider the environment in its decisions.

Numerous other reasons to buy hybrids are being offered by the makers of hybrids, those who have already purchased one, and by dealerships. To many, any issues that makers are having with the production of hybrids seem like less of a problem than finding real ways to stay green. Emissions and efficiency have come to the forefront of people’s minds more and more as gas prices rise. People are starting to be more concerned about the effects of high emissions on their health, and their future grandchildren. Choosing a hybrid makes a huge statement to the government and to other consumers. More and more people are beginning to “choose green” when they buy a vehicle, which encourages more people that doing so is the right way to go.

Gregg Hall
http://www.articlesbase.com/automotive-articles/environmentally-friendly-reasons-to-choose-a-hybrid-15703.html

The perfect car is an electrical vehicle that can replenish its own energy while in motion (non-stop), has zero gas emissions, seats 5 people, has no fuel cost, and would cost between 20,000 to 40,000 USD depending on its features. Such a car, should be less complicated to built than our current combustion engine cars that have more than 7,000 parts. Most of the technology for the perfect car has already been built and tested as of 2008. But, the difficult part will be to overcome the special interest groups protecting their current status quo, and creating all types of obstacles for manufacturing this perfect automobile. This article proposes the creation of small wind turbines to generate the power when the car is in motion, to replenish its battery supply.

Automobile companies and the US government seem to believe that the hybrid automobile, gasoline/electric, that yields up to 150 miles p/gallon, is the next logical step to reduce our carbon dependency and green house gases. This hybrid automobile has both components: the gas combustion engine plus the electrical and battery gear. It may reduce gas emissions and the use of fossil fuels, but it does not eliminate carbon dioxide altogether.

The Toyota Prius is an example of a current hybrid, that has been in operation since 1997. It is adequately priced, seats 5 passengers, but only delivers 48 miles p/gallon. On the contrary, the new Tesla Roadster is a 100% electrical vehicle that can reach 60 mph in 3.9 seconds, has a top speed of 125 mph and a range of 244 miles on its electrical charge. However, the Tesla Roadster only seats 2 people and is priced for a niche market at 109,000 USD. This price established by the company, is about 6 times the cost of what its manufacturing cost should be. One of the reason that the manufacturer established this high price is probably because they only produced 150 vehicles in 2008 and plan to built 1,200 in 2009. The manufacturing cost for an electrical vehicle should not be more than 10,000 to 20,000 US dollars if it was massively being produced. However, with Tesla’s insufficent projected production, and their 2 seater car offering apt for a small fraction ot the total market, they do not seem to be a serious automobile supplier. .

The ideal automobile for families should have the Tesla electrical technology, plus the Prius regenerative brake technology, plus a new wind power turbine technology placed on the car, to replenish batteries while the car is in motion. The power generation from one or several small wind turbines on the car, should produce the same amount of electricity as the vehicle uses, making the car go indefinably, non-stop. This would be a dramatic improvement on Tesla current per charge range of 244 miles. This would also eliminate the argument from its defractors that the electrical car is only good for playing golfing and not for street everyday use.

The Tesla and Prius technologies are already available, and with time they can be improved and perfected. However, the existing wind turbines technology uses very long blades to capture open field winds. Instead, the new wind turbines for automobiles need to be small, compact and discrete, to be placed in the front part of the car, and equipped to capture high speed winds. It is logical these wind turbines would be more efficient than their open field counterparts, since the car in motion is already producing a displacement wind moving at the speed of the car. The wind would be funneled through to turn the electrical power generator that creates the electricity. With several small and discrete wind turbines, sufficient energy should be generated to replenish the electricity that is being used.

The combustion engine has been in effect for little more than a century, and people are accustomed to it. However, the combustion engine is a non-sustainable component in our lives that needs to be replaced, because it consumes non-renewable resources and generates gases. New turbines that run on wind, solar, heat exchange need to be designed to replace these combustion motors, and battery driven tools need to make deeper strides to eliminate the gas piston portable tools.

Car manufacturing companies like GMC, Ford and Chrysler, as well as government should reconsider their development thrust. They should evaluate going directly into electrical cars, without the Hybrid step, because America replaces its entire car population every 10 years, if all manufactures are producing the elecrical vehicle. People can get accustomed to good things immediately. We, the people, also need this electrical technology to evolve into trucks, to reduce transportation cost from all products we currently use and consume, making man’s life more economical and enjoyable. Also see for a new electricity generating model  http://www.articlesbase.com/environment-articles/solar-power-generation-for-a-new-world-order-673242.html

Juan Trevino
http://www.articlesbase.com/cars-articles/the-perfect-car-740680.html

When donating your car to your favorite charity, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) wants you to be aware of certain pitfalls. After December 31, 2004, taxpayers planning their charitable giving, donors should understand the way that the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 will alter the rules for the contribution of used motor vehicles, boats and planes.

When the claimed value of the donated motor vehicle exceeds $500 and the item is sold by the charitable organization, the taxpayer is limited to the gross proceeds from the sale. Under the rules in effect for 2004, taxpayers will be able to deduct the fair market value of the contributed property.

Here is what IRS officials recommend to people donating their cars:

Check the qualification of the Charity. Taxpayers should make sure that they contribute their car to an eligible organization, else their donation will not be tax deductible. They can use the IRS Website to check that an organization is qualified by searching Publication 78. Publication 78 contains a list of most organizations that are qualified to receive deductible contributions. Publication 78 is also available in many public libraries. If in doubt, you can call IRS Tax Exempt/Government Entities Customer Service at 1-877-829-5500.

You should take into the many factors into consideration to establish the fair market value of the car. Many used car buying guides contain step-by-step instructions so that readers can make adjustments to the value of a car for accessories, mileage and other indicators of its general condition. Publications like Publication 526, Charitable Deductions, and Publication 561 provided such details.

Taxpayers cannot take a deduction for car donations if they do not itemize deductions on their personal tax return. The decision to itemize is determined by whether their total itemized deductions are greater than the standard deduction.

Taxpayers must document the automobile donation and its fair market value. IRS Publication 526 details requirements for the types of receipts taxpayers must obtain and the forms they must file.

Some used car donation programs mistaken that donors can deduct the highest value listed in a used-car buyer’s guide regardless of the donated vehicle condition. The IRS only allows a deduction for the fair market value of the car. Fair market value takes into account many factors, including the vehicle’s condition.

Contact state charity and IRS officials when in doubt. You can call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 or for TTY/TDD help, call 1-800-829-4059. IRS forms and publications can be found at IRS website www.irs.gov. A list of state charity official offices can also be found online.

Joshua Poon
http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/donating-a-car-what-irs-want-you-to-know-50270.html

It would be easy to figure out which of the current automobiles today were ranked with the best energy efficiency ratings in gasoline powered car engines, model design, and those rated with the best safety features per car class. There is a wide opinion spread of rankings that can be provided by most major automobile manufacturers’ reviews.

It would probably be difficult, if not impossible to find same rankings for the dual-powered hybrid automobile that is emerging like gangbusters on the automobile market today. It would also be near impossible to figure out which of these models would be considered or ranked as the best hybrid car available on the market today because with the energy saving features that save people money at the gas pumps, all of these hybrid car models are a winner.

The best hybrid car would provide versatility and style to the consumer. With mild hybrid and full hybrid car models available, there is a good selection of features that consumers can choose that will meet their individual driving needs and styles. Some of these hybrid car varieties have the capability of driving from a dead start on electrical power, while others require the gas powered motor feature to engage first to perform this part of the drive train operation.

There are three components in all of the hybrid cars that are manufactured today. To be considered a hybrid car, the automobile must have a gas powered automobile engine, an electrical motor and a car battery or battery pack underneath the hood. The manner that these components work together or singularly to move your car further down the highway depend greatly on the type of hybrid it is. The best hybrid vehicle would be one that used all three, but if that is not typical of your driving style, you will receive better fuel usage through the mild hybrid style which would render the car more economical.

The ease in use would also qualify a hybrid car into being considered one of the best on the market today. The keyless operation option is a highly valued feature that most consumers would prefer not to do without. These hybrid automobiles do not have a regular ignition switch, but feature state-of-the art technology in a push button ignition switch. All hybrid cars that have this feature built into their consoles will definitely be considered on the best hybrid automobile list that anyone creates.

Another feature that would be hard to vote on, in this best hybrid dual-powered car list would be the hybrids that give you a touch screen with interactive displays that give you a realm of information at your fingertips. The energy efficient power cars give multi-dimensional information across the console of the automobile, where you can tell at a glance what the climate control temperature is, or the radio settings are.

The simplistic pampering that these hybrid cars offer can give car owners back the control that they have in their cars. Drivers can now stay informed on the flow of power that goes through the electrical components and can now tell when this flow is affecting fuel consumption. With so many modes of operation to keep you informed and entertained, the hybrid automobile is hard to separate if you are trying to identify which one of the many manufactured brands are the best car in its class.

anonymous
http://www.articlesbase.com/automotive-articles/best-hybrid-car-96921.html

Many Americans rely on their automobiles to get to work. No automobile means no job, no rent or mortgage money, no food. A single parent, struggling to make ends meet in the suburbs with 100,000 miles on the odometer, would presumably welcome the guaranteed opportunity for low-priced insurance that would take care of every possible repair on her auto until the day that it reaches 200,000 miles or falls apart, whichever comes first. Especially if the insurance is valid regardless of whether she even changes the oil in the interim.

So why aren’t the auto insurance companies writing such coverage, either directly or through used auto dealers? And given the importance of reliable transportation, why isn’t the public demanding such coverage? The answer is that both auto insurers and the public know that such insurance can’t be written for a premium the insured can afford, while still allowing the insurers to stay solvent and make a profit. As a society, we intuitively understand that the costs associated with taking care of every mechanical need of an old automobile, particularly in the absence of regular maintenance, aren’t insurable. Yet we don’t seem to have these same intuitions with respect to health insurance.

If we pull the emotions out of health insurance, which is admittedly hard to do even for this author, and look at health insurance from the economic perspective, there are several insights from auto insurance that can illuminate the design, risk selection, and rating of health insurance.

Auto insurance comes in two forms: the traditional insurance you buy from your agent or direct from an insurance company, and warranties that are purchased from auto manufacturers and dealers. Both are risk transfer and sharing devices and I’ll generically refer to both as insurance. Because auto third-party liability insurance has no equivalent in health insurance, for traditional auto insurance, I’ll examine only collision and comprehensive insurance – insurance covering the vehicle – and not third-party liability insurance.

Bumper to Bumper

The following are some commonly accepted principles from auto insurance:

* Bad maintenance voids certain insurance. If an automobile owner never changes the oil, the auto’s power train warranty is void. In fact, not only does the oil need to be changed, the change needs to be performed by a certified mechanic and documented. Collision insurance doesn’t cover cars purposefully driven over a cliff.

* The best insurance is offered for new models. Bumper-to-bumper warranties are offered only on new cars. As they roll off the assembly line, automobiles have a low and relatively consistent risk profile, satisfying the actuarial test for insurance pricing. Furthermore, auto manufacturers usually wrap at least some coverage into the price of the new auto in order to encourage an ongoing relationship with the owner.

* Limited insurance is offered for old model autos. Increasingly limited insurance is offered for old model autos. The bumper-to-bumper warranty expires, the power train warranty eventually expires, and the amount of collision and comprehensive insurance steadily decreases based on the market value of the auto.

* Certain older autos qualify for additional insurance. Certain older autos can qualify for additional coverage, either in terms of warranties for used autos or increased collision and comprehensive insurance for vintage autos. But such insurance is offered only after a careful inspection of the automobile itself.

* No insurance is offered for normal wear and tear. Wiper blades need replacement, brake pads wear out, and bumpers get dings. These aren’t insurable events. To the extent that a new car dealer will sometimes cover some of these costs, we intuitively understand that we’re ‘paying for it’ in the cost of the automobile and that it’s ‘not really’ insurance.

* Accidents are the only insurable event for the oldest automobiles. Accidents are generally insurable events even for the oldest autos; with few exceptions service work isn’t.

* Insurance doesn’t restore all vehicles to pre-accident condition. Auto insurance is limited. If the damage to the auto at any age exceeds the value of the auto, the insurer then pays only the value of the auto. With the exception of vintage autos, the value assigned to the auto goes down over time. So whereas accidents are insurable at any vehicle age, the amount of the accident insurance is increasingly limited.

* Insurance is priced to the risk. Insurance is priced based on the risk profile of both the automobile and the driver. The auto insurer carefully examines both when setting rates.

* We pay for our own insurance. And with few exceptions, automobile insurance isn’t tax deductible. As a result, the fear of increasing insurance rates due to traffic violations and/or accidents changes our driving behavior and we sometimes select our automobiles based on their insurability.

Each of the above principles is supported by solid actuarial theory. Although most Americans can’t describe the underlying actuarial theories, most everyone understands the above principles of auto insurance at the intuitive level. For sure, as indispensable automobiles are to our lifestyles, there is no loud national movement, accompanied by moral outrage, to change these principles.

Unsustainable Market

In contrast, similar principles are routinely violated in health insurance. To demonstrate this, let’s return to the same suburban mother from the opening paragraph. She’s busy working, driving to and from work, and driving her kids to school and activities. She ends each day exhausted, sitting on the couch with fast food. She’s obese, has a sedentary life, a bad diet, and hasn’t taken the time to go to the doctor in years. After a simple injury doesn’t heal for weeks, she turns up at the emergency room and learns she has type II diabetes. Although type II diabetes is controllable, changing diet and exercise habits and properly tracking her condition takes time and effort and she’s never quite successful in implementing the necessary lifestyle changes.

So the initial emergency room visit is only the first of a long list of health care related to non-controlled diabetes and other problems associated with obesity. Whether she has individual or group insurance, her insurance pays for each episode of care, without singling her out for a premium increase, and without charging her any more cost sharing than is charged to the healthiest and most medically diligent insureds. Her coverage continues until she voluntarily changes insurance companies and/or employers or becomes eligible for Medicare. If she’s covered under group insurance she may not even pay any premium. Her insurance continues unabated, even though the disease was caused by neglecting her body and she maintains her poor lifestyle even after the disease becomes known.

This just wouldn’t happen in auto insurance. This scenario is the auto insurance equivalent of guaranteed access to low-priced auto insurance that takes care of every possible repair, including damage already done, until the day the car falls apart so completely it’s unsalvageable (death) or reaches 200,000 miles (Medicare), regardless of whether she even changes the oil (takes care of herself) in the interim.

As a society, we don’t expect this in private-market auto insurance, but we expect it in private-market health insurance. Furthermore, there’s a chorus of national and state interests, which continuously pushes us further away from the auto insurance principles.

The current private health insurance market isn’t sustainable. Prices have been consistently increasing faster than inflation for decades. Each year, insureds use more health care than ever before and more people have no insurance at all. Most actuaries and other people in the private health insurance market don’t want national health insurance with its bureaucracy and one-size-fits-all benefits. Yet, we’re trying to sustain a private insurance system, which violates the very principles we know are necessary for private insurance markets.

Yes, health insurance involves the sacredness of human life and is therefore different from auto insurance. But if we’re to sustain a private-market solution to health insurance, actuaries need to explain to the larger society, in terms that society understands, the rationale for the following principles:

* As sacred as health care is, it’s still an economic transaction that has to be balanced by individuals and societies, against other economic choices. It can’t be unlimited. Sometimes it will be secondary to other choices. On a given day, for example, the mother in our scenario may value her car more than her health.

* Insurance premiums should be paid by the individual and tied to controllable risk factors. This will provide the best incentive for the control of risk factors.

* Although it’s hard to draw the line between abuse, neglect and ignorance, self-abuse shouldn’t be insured and we need to draw that line somewhere.

* The private market can’t provide unlimited, self-directed health insurance.

* Routine care and ongoing treatments of chronic conditions can be pre-funded, can even be subsidized, but they don’t constitute ‘insurable events.’

* Insurance can’t be expected to keep every human body in pristine condition. No amount of health care will prevent everyone’s ultimate death.

* Comprehensive, unlimited, non-subsidized private-market coverage isn’t possible for people with severely impaired health.

* The private health market can provide limited non-subsidized health insurance, such as protection from accidents, to even health-impaired individuals.

* Individuals who can afford to do so and who take good care of themselves should be able to ‘buy up’ to better coverage. People have the option of buying up for everything else in life.

Discussion of these principles is lacking from most of the current health insurance debate. If society can intuitively understand how similar principles apply to health insurance, then they should be able understand the principles in the health insurance context. We need to initiate the debate.

This commentary is solely the opinion of its author. It does not express the official policy of the American Academy of Actuaries; nor does it necessarily reflect the opinions of the Academy’s individual officers, members, or staff

Contingencies, Jan/Feb 2007

Melih Oztalay
http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/auto-insurance-principles-should-apply-to-health-insurance-110015.html