by Gabrielle DeSantis

Road trips are all the rage this summer. Purple mountain majesties, spacious skies, and amber waves of grain set the tone for unforgettable drives in the United States. However, when the sun sets, or you are too tired, you will have to rest for the day. As a perennial car traveler, you’re probably familiar with the discomfort that comes with having to sleep in the back seat. However, it’s easy to fix that problem. You can use accessories like an air mattress, making sleeping in your car more comfortable and protecting you against back injuries. 

Benefits of an air mattress

An air mattress is designed to fit on top of the rear seat and offer a more comfortable area to catch a nap. According to The Drive, the following are some reasons why you should consider buying one: 

• It’s cost-effective and convenient. You can save a few bucks when traveling by opting to sleep in your car rather than paying for a hotel room. All you need to do is find a safe area where you can park, pump your air bed on the back seat and get the rest you need in the comfort of your own truck.  
• Children adore them. Children can lower your moods during a fun trip when they get cranky because they are uncomfortable. You can avoid this by getting an air mattress to ensure that they get better sleep when you are out driving on an adventure or to visit a relative out of town. 
• It’s superb for camping. Many experienced campers know the benefits of having an air mattress as part of their gear. When you are out in the jungle, one of the most effective ways to ensure that you wake up feeling refreshed is by getting a good night’s rest. Therefore, you should use one of the best car air beds.  
• It comes in handy when you are transporting fragile commodities. Other than just being a place you can sleep on when traversing the US, a car air mattress has added benefits. When you are transporting precious cargo, you can place the air bed underneath to offer some protection and cushioning.  
• Pets love them. When your pet is your loyal travel buddy, you want to ensure that they are as comfortable as they can be throughout the journey. One of the ways to do this is by setting up an air bed to offer ample cushioning when the animal relaxes on the road. 

Some air mattresses are snugger than others, and sometimes it can be difficult to choose just one with so many options on the market. This is why we compiled a buying guide to help you narrow down the decision. 

HAITRAL Car Inflatable Bed

The HAITRAL Car Inflatable Bed found on Amazon is certainly a superb pick when you need an affordable but versatile air mattress. It features a packed oxford PVC material, and you can choose from one of the three distinct colors. Its sturdy construction makes it more durable, considering that it is ideal for outdoor and camping activities. Since it is a universal fit, you can use it on the back seat of a small car, SUV, or truck. It goes for $18.98 on Amazon. 

FBSPORT BSport Car Travel Inflatable Air Mattress  

With long-lasting, lightweight materials, the FBSPORT BSport Car Travel Inflatable Air Mattress found on Amazon is a quality option for your small car or SUV. It is a 3″ thick, sturdy air bed with a 12V pump, which takes only a minute to fill up with air. It goes for $33.99 on Amazon. 

Olivia & Aiden Inflatable Car Air Mattress

Designed for vans, SUVs, and cars, the Inflatable Car Air Mattress from Olivia & Aiden found on Amazon has a peculiar design that helps it retain a flat shape. It has a tender and breathable top, but the air mattress itself is manufactured using sturdy and durable PVC. Its ribbing offers the necessary support for a passenger’s legs, neck, and back. On Amazon, it is priced at $33.99 comes with two pillowcases and a portable air pump at purchase.  

RELATED: Mini Reveals 2 Cooper Models Perfect for Summer Camping

The post 3 Best Air Mattresses for Your Car, Truck, or SUV appeared first on MotorBiscuit.

by Gabrielle DeSantis

In the past 25 years alone, the automobile has been given a major rethink. Hybrids and electric cars started entering the scene in the late 90s but snowballed into popularity due to climate concerns. Yet even as they become mainstream, all the acronyms and abbreviations can get confusing. So let’s decipher the different eco-friendly automobiles, BEVs, HEVs, and PHEVs, in order to decide which is best for you.

BEV: Battery Electric Vehicle

Commonly known as the electric car, a battery-electric vehicle gets all of its power from a battery. The maximum range of a BEV depends on the battery size and the motor’s power usage. You charge your BEV by plugging it into a 120v or 240v power source. These are known as Level 1 and Level 2 charging speeds. Some EVs can handle 350v chargers too, which are known as Fast Chargers.

Pictured above is a Volkswagen ID.3, an electric hatchback capable of over 300 miles per charge if equipped with the larger battery pack. But the only electric VW available in the states (as of right now) is the Volkswagen ID.4, a crossover SUV. Both are fully electric BEVs, and the main benefit of owning one is that they require no gas and produce zero emissions.

But even with more charging power, EVs take longer to “fill up” than a gas-powered car. Both HEVs and PHEVs serve as a happy middle ground, a segue between pure gas and pure electric.

HEVs: Hybrid Electric Vehicles

Shortened to hybrids, HEVs are gasoline-powered cars with a small battery and electric motor inside. Sounds pretty simple, but there are different kinds of hybrids, and each one manages their gas-electric powertrains differently.

In a parallel configuration, the motor and the engine both connect to the transmission. This allows the car to swap between power sources as needed (or use both). In a series configuration, the electric motor drives the car while the gasoline engine recharges the battery. And in a power-split configuration, the car can switch between parallel and series at will, maximizing the car’s efficiency.

All cars, from large SUVs and minivans to compact sedans, can benefit from a hybrid powertrain, but the Toyota Prius is the car that popularized it, especially here in the states. This is an example of a parallel hybrid, which meant that on the first generation Prius, the 70 hp gas engine and 44 hp electric motor made a 114 hp car.

That battery in HEVs, however, isn’t charged by plugging it into a station. Hybrids rely on regenerative braking, which converts the heat generated from braking into electric power. Most hybrid and electric vehicles utilize regenerative braking to increase range.

PHEVs: Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles

As mentioned, HEVs are the segue between ICEs and BEVs. But PHEVs, or plug-in hybrids, are the segue between HEVs and BEVs. Like an HEV, PHEVs rely on both gas and electric power, but the battery in PHEVs is significantly larger.

The batteries in HEVs can power the car for only one or two miles. PHEV batteries, on the other hand, can go anywhere from 10 to 40 miles on electric power alone. In order to fully charge the battery, PHEVs can be plugged in just like a BEV. In other words, PHEVs can be refueled by gas and recharged by electricity.

There are newer Priuses, such as the Prius Prime, that utilize this plug-in technology. But the first mainstream plug-in hybrid was the Chevy Volt. First introduced in 2011, it could go 35 miles on pure electricity (53 miles after the 2016 redesign), and had an 88 horsepower engine that sipped fuel (averaging 40mpg).

Deciding which of these is best for you all depends on the lifestyle you lead. If you live in a city and drive under 200 miles a day, BEVs are an excellent choice. They’re cheap to operate and produce no harmful emissions. HEVs and PHEVs, however, have a range more akin to gas-powered cars, able to handle 600-mile road trips with ease. Regardless, each technology is a step in the right direction to create a greener tomorrow.

Related: How to Make Your Gas-Driven Car More Eco-Friendly

The post What are BEVs, HEVs, and PHEVs? appeared first on MotorBiscuit.