There seems to be no stopping the oil companies, as the price at the pumps continues to rise to astronomical heights for a myriad of reasons, valid or not. Civil wars in Nigeria, international conflicts in Iraq, hurricanes and other storms at home and abroad are all reasons gas companies posit to defend their outrageous gouging.

In the face of rising gas costs, many consumers are beginning to consider the option of a hybrid vehicle- one which operates on both gas and electricity. All of the models of hybrid car will save money in terms of gas expenditures, but are they really effective when all of the costs of maintenance and other considerations are factored in?

Right off the bat, consider the cost of buying a hybrid vehicle. Depending on the model, hybrid vehicles can cost anywhere from $2,000 to $5,000 more than the equivalent non-hybrid model. These prices need to be stacked up against the savings that a hybrid car owner would gain in gas, factoring in the mileage needed. One report by Edmunds, for example, shows that huge price increases in the cost of gas would need to take place, or the vehicle owner would need to put on some serious mileage, in order for the hybrid models to gain a sufficient price saving advantage when stacked up against initial purchases. The one exception in the study was the Toyota Prius, which compared very effectively in terms of initial cost with the Toyota Camry model. The consumer watchdog points out, however, that as the hybrid cars become increasingly more available as a reflection of demand the prices can be expected to drop, making them more cost effective when it comes to an initial investment.

Also important to keep in mind is the fact that the hybrid cars have a much more specialized system than the standard vehicle, and will therefore require a more specialized mechanic when it comes time for any repairs. Most consumer report features consider hybrid cars to require an investment of at least five years in order to break even as far as initial costs go, and do not take into account the possibilities of damage that requires fixing to the power train of the vehicles.

It seems as though, at least for the time being, the purchase of a hybrid vehicle for the average consumer may not be the best option when it comes to saving money. It is important to keep several things in mind, however, when considering purchasing a hybrid model. Many consumers are choosing to purchase these cars because they represent a significant development in terms of environmental concerns over standard models. They also mean that as a whole, Western nations will become less dependent on oil as the sole means of power.

Finally, it is imperative to keep in mind that the hybrid car is a very new technology. Developed only within the last few years, the technology is still in the infant stages, where costs will continue to be high. Hybrid cars also have only a small percentage of the market right now as well. As time passes, the development of the hybrid technology will begin to push prices down to the point where hybrids are more than competitive with the traditionally fueled models of the past.

Toyota said Tuesday it will produce hybrid cars in Australia, whose Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is trying to battle spiralling fuel prices and revive the country’s ailing auto industry.

Rudd met with Toyota Motor Corp. chief Katsuaki Watanabe at the auto giant’s headquarters in central Japan, as the two announced the company would build the Toyota Camry Hybrid by 2010 at an existing factory in Melbourne.

Toyota, which plans annual production of 10,000 vehicles, will benefit from a 35 million Australian dollar (37 million US) subsidy from Canberra to be used in research and development.

Rudd said increased popularity of the hybrid would help Australia cut back on emissions blamed for global warming.

“This hybrid will use one-third less petrol than a standard car, one-third less emissions and therefore for an average family … savings of up to 1,000 dollars a year,” Rudd told a joint news conference with Watanabe.

“Australia must do whatever we can to assist Australian motorists who are faced with the challenge of rising fuel prices and also… in our overall efforts to bring down greenhouse gas emissions,” he said.

Toyota, poised to overtake General Motors this year as the world’s top automaker, was the pioneer of hybrids, which deliver power by switching between a regular engine and an electric motor.

It primarily produces the hybrid in Japan but also in the United States and China. Toyota is expected to announce it will also build the vehicles in Thailand.

Rudd has called for a transformation of Australia’s auto industry, which has shed more than 11,000 jobs since 1996, by launching a 500 million (Australian) dollar fund to assist the development of green cars.

Australians buy one million cars a year and only 5,000 are hybrids, Rudd said.

“Australia needs to do better and more on the question of fuel-efficient vehicles,” he said.

The popularity of Hybrid vehicles in the United States continues to rise.

According to a report by the Green Car Congress in Washington, D.C., sales of hybrids in the U.S. rose 10 percent in March 2008 compared to 2007 sales in the same month.

The total sale of all hybrids in U.S last month was the second-highest ever, falling only behind the May 2007 total. The total pushed hybrid to a total sales share of 2.8 percent.

Toyota reported 20,635 sales of the Prius in March 2008, an increase of eight percent over March 2007 and the model’s second-best month’s results to date.

The Camry Hybrid sold 6,930
units, up 35 percent, and representing 17.1 per cent of all Camry sales.

The Highlander Hybrid sold 2,239 units, down 10 per cent from March 2007, and representing 20.7 per cent of all Highlanders sold.

The Lexus RX400h sold 1,570 units, up seven percent, and representing 20.3 percent of all RX models sold. The GS450h sold 65 units, down 64 percent, while the LS600h sold 113 units.

The Honda Civic Hybrid sold 3,769 units, up 34 percent and representing 11.5 per cent of all Civic sales. The Honda Accord Hybrid, now discontinued, sold 53 units, down 86 percent and representing 0.1 per cent of all Accord models sold.

Combined sales of the Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner hybrids dropped 20 percent to 2,008 units, representing 9.0 of all Escape and Mariner models sold.

The Nissan Altima Hybrid sold 832 units, an 80 percent increase and 2.6 percent of all Altima models sold.

The all-new W221 was introduced in the autumn of 2005 at the Frankfurt International Motor Show, with export to other markets beginning in 2006. The W221 S-Class made its North American premiere at the 2006 North American International Auto Show in January. The latest S-Class is slightly larger in all dimensions than its predecessor, and it features a more luxurious, Maybach like appearance, as well as three newly developed engines with up to 26% power increase. The interior is completely new, all materials have been upgraded and make for a more luxurious ride, and the center-mounted transmission has been replaced with a column-shifter.

Models sold in North America are the S450 (2008-,SWB and Canada only), S550, S600, S63 AMG and S65 AMG; other models to be sold outside North America include the S350, S300, S420 CDI and S320 CDI. The first W221 model released in North America and Japan was the S550 (called S500 outside North America and Japan), with the S600 arriving in the following spring. Notable features on the W221 include: the 7G-TRONIC seven-speed automatic transmission (standard, except on V12 engines, where the 5-speed Sequentronic is used as the 7-speed cannot handle the power of the AMG V12). 4MATIC four wheel drive arrived in the fourth quarter of 2006.

The brakes continue to become more advanced with the new Brake Assist Plus system monitoring for an impending collision and increasing braking if needed, while the Distronic Plus cruise control can now bring the car to a complete stop.
This system works in outdoor conditions; a test demonstration by Mercedes-Benz in a crash-test hall resulted in embarrassment for the company when a new S-Class crashed into the back of a stationary W220 S-Class, an incident later attributed to radar-confusing steel in this hall.

In 2007, Automobile Magazine named the W221 S-Class as one of its 2007 “All-Stars” over rivals from Lexus and BMW,and Car and Driver selected the S550 as the winner in a five-way comparison test of flagship luxury sedans.The W221 S-Class was also the recipient of several other motoring awards.
Engines
The W221 S-Class features a similar number and variety of engine choices as the previous generation W220 S-Class. The current lineup of gasoline engines includes a 3.5L V6 with 268 hp in the S350, and two V8 selections: the 4.6 L, 335 hp V8 in the S450, and the 5.5, 383 hp V8 in the S500/S550. Turbo diesel V6 options include 3.0L 235 hp and 4.0L 310hp variants in the respective S320 and S420 CDI models.

The twin-turbo V12 S600 returns with the W221 generation, and features a 5.5L twin-turbo V12 with an output of 510 hp. Two high-performance S-Class AMG models are currently offered: the S63 AMG with a 6.2L, 525 hp V8, and the chart-topping S65 AMG with a 6.0L, twin-turbo V12 producing 612 hp.

Safety
Mercedes Benz has traditionally introduced its safety innovations in the S-Class. For instance, the S-Class was the first car in Europe to incorporate airbags. S-Class safety features include the following innovations in active safety (accident avoidance), passive safety (collision protection), and holistic safety (integration of both active and passive safety features):

Active safety: ABS braking in 1978 (acts to reduce braking distances and improve stopping control; co-developed with Bosche); traction control and Electronic Stability Program (ESP) in 1995 (improves driver control during difficult road conditions); and Brake Assist (provides full braking power during emergency stops). In 2005, a new infrared night vision feature was introduced (improves visibility during nighttime conditions). Despite the popular misconception, the S-Class was not the first car fitted with ABS braking technology, although some credit can be given for popularizing this now largely standard feature (ABS was initially an option on most models of the W126 S-Class).

Passive safety: crumple zones in 1957 (vehicle body structure absorbs the force of impact); three-point seatbelts in 1965 (provides additional torso/body protection); collapsible steering column (prevents the steering column from protruding into the cabin during accidents), strengthened occupant cell enhanced occupant protection during severe impacts, rollovers); pre-accident seatbelt tensioning (tightens seatbelts prior to impact), and sandwich platforms (allows the engine the slide under the occupants in a head-on collision).

PRE-SAFE, Mercedes-Benz’s holistic safety feature, was introduced on the S-Class in 2002. PRE-SAFE integrates multiple active and passive safety features for a “safety net” approach to vehicle safety by attempting to prevent accidents; if accidents do occur, PRE-SAFE aims to reduce occupant injury. In the latest version of this pre-collision system, PRE-SAFE will prime the brake assist system, lock the doors to prevent accidental opening during the accident, adjust the seats, close the windows and sunroof, and tighten seatbelts during certain types of collisions. In the event an accident results in a roll over, the “PRE-SAFE” feature unlock the doors and lower the windows approximately one half an inch to allow you to exit or safety workers to gain access easily.