Auto Insurance : Saving Money When Every Penny Counts

With the current state of the economy, no one can afford to pay more than they need to for anything, especially auto insurance. Many auto insurance companies are taking note of the decline in the economy, and trying to help their customers as best they can to save as much as possible. By offering additional savings to current customers, auto insurance companies are hoping to avoid losing those customers, which will cost them more than the additional discounts in the end.

However, the economic crisis isn’t faced by consumers alone. Many companies are struggling, and you can see this by watching the news and reading about job layoffs, companies merging, and even companies closing their doors because they can’t stay afloat. Insurance companies aren’t immune to this financial crisis, and they are experiencing just as much effect from the economy as everyone else. State Auto, a property and casualty company out of Columbus, Ohio, is one of many companies losing money as of late. They reported a $14.7 million third-quarter loss of income, which is a big loss for a company like this. It’s great that insurance companies are willing to help out consumers, but what will it cost them to do so?

Many companies who don’t want people to cancel their policies are offering additional discounts to consumers, but can’t keep it up for long. If they are losing income by lowering rates and feeling the effects of the week market, it won’t take long for insurance companies to begin sinking in their own quicksand. How can insurance companies help consumers to better afford auto insurance without jeopardizing their own well being? In all honesty, they can’t. Auto insurance companies need all the help they can get in the current economic state, and losing money is not in any of their agendas.

When will it end? It’s like a vicious circle of loss for everyone. People lose money so they need to save more, then insurance companies offer discounts and rate cuts to help out, but that causes them to lose money. Industries as large as auto insurance impact the financial well-being of the economy directly when they lose money. It’s a rough time for the United States, but if everyone just holds on a little bit longer, things should start looking up, and saving money on auto insurance will once again be a good thing.

California Auto Insurance Information

The General® s pleased to provide auto insurance in California. We offer low cost auto insurance online even if you have a less than perfect driving record, have never been insured before, have let your policy lapse, or have had your coverage suspended or revoked.

We've provided some information below that we hope will be helpful in answering some of the more common questions we've received from our customers.


Mandatory Minimum Level of Coverage
California's Compulsory Financial Responsibility Law requires every driver and owner of a motor vehicle to be financially responsible for their actions. The statutory minimum limits of liability insurance are:

Bodily Injury- $15,000 for the death or injury of any one person, any one accident
- $30,000 for all persons in any one accident
Property Damage
- $5,000 for any one accident


Consumer Rights/Protections Related to California Auto Insurance
California Proposition 103: In November of 1988, Proposition 103 (Prop.103) was enacted into law by the voters of California. It provides many consumer protections related to purchasing and maintaining auto insurance.

View the California Proposition 103 Fact Sheet for more information.


Frequently Asked Questions Regarding California Auto Insurance

What Happens If I Don't Carry Auto Insurance?
In California it's mandatory to have Proof of Insurance at all times. Not providing Proof of Insurance when it's requested may result in a fine or suspended license. The General can provide instant Proof of Insurance for California drivers.

What Are the Penalties for Driving Without Liability Insurance?
Judges can impound the vehicles of frequent, flagrant violators. If you provide false evidence of auto insurance coverage and your driver's license is suspended, the suspension cannot be lifted until you demonstrate genuine Proof of Insurance.

When Must You Show Proof of Insurance?
The Legislature passed a law requiring motorists to produce Proof of Insurance before the Department of Motor Vehicles renews vehicle registration. The legislation also requires motorists to display Proof of Insurance when stopped by a police officer for traffic violations.

How Do I Prove I Have Insurance?
Your insurance company will send you a Proof of Insurance card listing the covered automobiles and drivers and showing the policy number and expiration date. Your policy or a temporary binder is also acceptable evidence of insurance.

Honda Researching Advanced Hybrid Drive with Rankine Cycle Co-Generation

Honda Researching Advanced Hybrid Drive with Rankine Cycle Co-Generation
14 February 2008
by Jack Rosebro

Outline of Honda’s Rankine cycle waste heat recovery system. Click to enlarge.
Honda is exploring the use of a Rankine cycle co-generation unit to improve the overall efficiency of a hybrid vehicle by recapturing waste exhaust heat from the internal combustion engine and converting it to electricity to recharge the battery pack. Honda engineer Kensaku Yamamoto presented an overview of the work in a paper at the 2008 SAE Hybrid Vehicle Technology Symposium in San Diego.

Test results showed that in 100 kph (62 miles/hour) constant-speed driving, the use of the Rankine cycle improved the thermal efficiency of the engine by 3.8%. In the US highway cycle, the Rankine cycle system regenerated three times as much energy as the vehicle’s regenerative braking system.

Layout of the system components in the test vehicle.
The Rankine cycle is a simple closed thermodynamic cycle that converts heat from an external source into work. Variants of the Rankine cycle have been explored by others as a mechanism for waste heat recovery. Cummins, for example, is exploring the use of a Rankine Bottoming Cycle system to boost the performance of its heavy-duty diesel engines.

Honda also looked at the possibility of incorporating a gas turbine or a Stirling engine before settling on the Rankine cycle system as the best solution. The temperature range of an internal combustion engine’s exhaust corresponds favorably with a Rankine cycle.

Honda’s test vehicle was a hybridized version of the Honda Stream compact crossover vehicle, which uses a 2.0L gasoline direct injection engine. The Stream is sold in Japan as well as parts of Europe. Elements of the Honda Rankine cycle system include:
A modified cylinder head with insulated exhaust ports;
Evaporator built into the catalytic converter;
High-pressure water unit (water is the working fluid for the Rankine system);
Expander/generator; and Condenser

The high-pressure water pump forces water into the evaporator, which converts the water into steam using the reaction heat of the catalyst. The steam is then passed to a volumetric expander that uses the steam to rotate an electric generator, which produces a current that is utilized to charge the vehicle’s battery pack.

The volumetric expander is an axial piston swash plate type, which is similar in construction to some automotive air conditioning compressors. The steam is then routed from the volumetric expander to a condenser mounted in the air stream at the front of the car. The condenser returns the steam to a liquid state before passing it along the high-pressure water pump.
Honda developed an automatic steam’s control system for the Rankine unit to keep the steam in a target range of 400-500° C and at a pressure ranging from 7-9 MPa, depending upon the load on the engine. The control system allows optimized use of the Rankine cycle in transient driving conditions.

Maximum power available from the volumetric expander is as much as 32kW (43hp), and maximum thermal efficiency of the unit is 13% at 23kW (30hp). In comments following the presentation, Yamamoto indicated that Honda would need to see higher efficiencies achieved with the system if it is going to be considered for production. A paper on the system will be presented at SAE World Congress 2008.

Japan Report: Honda Announces Plans for Prius Fighter

Japan Report: Honda Announces Plans for Prius Fighter

It was at Honda’s year-end press conference that the ground rules for the coming hybrid war with Toyota were laid down. Honda’s worst kept secret is that it will roll out its own version of the Prius in 2009, coupled with the hybrid-powered CR-Z sports coupe.
This so-called “Honda Prius” will be previewed this year – maybe at the Paris or L.A. Auto Show – and a source who has seen the car says it looks uncannily like the Prius.
The CR-Z will appear as a toned down version of the 2007 Tokyo show car. But in terms of battery supply, Honda will continue buying from Sanyo Electric and Matsushita Electric Industrial, Honda president Takeo Fukui told reporters.

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