Can Toyota Keep The Leads in Hybrid Tech?

How far does Toyota have to go to get the title of number 1 automaker in the world? Maybe not much. Based on its recent sales worldwide, industry insiders are forecasting that the title may come sooner than expected. And in view of all the problems faced by the major American automakers, it may not be a long time before the Toyota Way becomes the top way. In the meantime, Toyota is spreading its way all over the world and specially in the United States. Well, it seems that Toyota's competitors are not going to play roll over just like that. They will make the Japanese automaker work for it. Based on the recent speech by Bill Ford of Ford Motor company, Toyota's world domination may be delayed. It is a fight for the survival of the fittest. In a recent article in an automotive magazine, Ford has already accused Toyota of withholding battery production in hybrid technology. General Motors, Ford and Chrysler have a few punches under their sleeve too. E85 also called flex-fuel is found in millions of these companies' vehicles. Now they just have to wait and see whether E85 will be largely used by the mass.

What Toyota may soon find out is that once you become the top dog, you can get challenged or picked on. Korean automakers Hyundai and Kia are attacking Toyota. Have you seen the recent vehicles these companies put out? Imitation is such a flattery for Toyota. There is trouble in paradise when it comes to the selection of Hyundai Azera over Toyota Avalon.

High Gas Prices Force Consumers to be Creative: Going on a Cross-country Ride Gas Free!

Summer has not arrived yet, but a gallon of gas at any local gas station is already sky high. Many families will probably not take this annual trip to see the country. Many employers are taking measures to limit their driving. But goods have to be delivered. Parents have to go shopping, take their kids to school and practice. We have been conditioned to buy gas no matter how high it is. What if there was an alternative to gas?

Well, Brazil is way ahead with its sugar cane-based fuel. People may be laughing about eating a piece of cane while feeding the rest to their cars. In the case of misbehaving cars, drivers can blame it on the high content of alcohol that is in the reservoir or tank. What is clear is that Brasil is way ahead of many countries with gasoline problems. Instead of relying on the pricey gas from the Middle East, Venezuela and other petroleum-rich countries, Brasilian government has taken matters into their own hands. At one point, they subsidized farmers who planted huge sugar cane fields. Now, they are harvesting enough cane to produce the much needed fuel that is in most flexible vehicles. Flex cars are common over there.

The Rallying Cry to High Gas Prices: Time to Search for Fuel Economy

Petroleum engineers, Geologists and Geosciences Graduates Are Offered Lots of Money and Signing Bonus

Looking for the last drops of oil in remote places

Big Oil is coming to your campus. If your college or university confers degrees in petroleum exploration, geology and geosciences, then you do not have to lift a finger to get the big bucks this graduation year. According to geoscience programs such as Texas, Massachussets Institute of Technology, Jackson School of Geosciences and Colorado School of Mines, there is a high demand for graduates coming from the big oil companies. Exxon Mobil Corporation and Royal Dutch Shell PLC will continue to have a hiring binge in the next 10 years. They have to recruit new employees because their workforce has reached the age of retirement. Petroleum engineers average $63,3400 a year. New graduates are making more than $56,000 a year. A lot of these new graduates do not have a master's degree yet. So a geoscience degree may be worth more than a computer science one. The needs of the current market must be met. High prices (up to $70 per barrel), demographics, aging workforce and a small pool of trained workers cause the petroleum industry to look for talent. So this is a good field to enter right now.