Posted on 06/17/2008 6:13:49 AM PDT by Moseley
Hybrid car technology has the potential to cut America’s total consumption of gasoline by 30% within as little as 3 – 5 years. Hybrid cars, generally speaking, can get double the miles per gallon of a comparable old-style car. If half of America’s vehicles were replaced by hybrids getting double the gas mileage, U.S. oil consumption would fall by roughly 30%. (Note that this is not a mini-car...but the same size car with the same strength, safety, and sturdiness).
Hybrid cars (and soon buses) use the same type of power train as a diesel-electric locomotive: A diesel engine generates electricity, which then powers the train. However, more importantly, hybrid vehicles also recapture energy. A lot of fuel is used by cars stopping and starting. In a hybrid, the brakes are actually electric generators, which recapture energy while slowing down the car. Thus, there is much higher efficiency, as less energy is lost. Hybrids also minimize wasted fuel when the engine is only idling by shutting off the gasoline engine.
The result is that hybrids use roughly half as much gasoline as the same size regular automobile. However, these are not necessarily small cars. Ford has been selling a hybrid SUV for more than three years – the Ford Escape. Saturn now has a hybrid SUV, the Saturn Vue Hybrid. Mercury now sells the Mariner Hybrid SUV. Toyota sells the very popular Toyota Highlander SUV in a hybrid version. All of these rugged hybrid SUV’s are available in four-wheel drive.
The University of Delaware has been researching a hybrid version of massive city buses for more than three years. The stop-and-go routine of enormous city buses is perfect for the hybrid energy-recapture innovation.
(Excerpt) Read more at newmediajournal.us ...
Yeh...Now tell me the bad news....The cost of one of these cars!!
Ping
Libtards are always eager to commit someone else’s money for the actualization of their socialist goals.
The reality of hybreds is that ALL AMERICAN VEHICLES would have to be dumped and replaced with new ones before such “economies” could be actualized.
As always, the Libtards are showing their communist core desire to destroy America.
Hybrid cars don’t cut down on energy consumption as much as advertised. They take more energy to produce than a normal car. We priced them a couple of months ago and they were about $6000 more than the same vehicle powered by gasoline and the mileage was only marginally better. It would take a lot of driving to recoup that $6000.
Sure hope the GM Volt is reasonably price. That concept is a true leap forward in design and economy.
The bad news is you would get worse mileage in a Prius than you would in a new BMW turbo diesel....and you would get that mileage having a whole lot less fun.
Why can’t American factories build hybrid cars? Ford has been building a hybrid SUV for years.
What happens when one of those $5000 batteries starts to fail? Does it lose power gradually over, say 5 years, losing half of it’s capability in 2 or 3 years? What happens when it can no longer hold a charge? Does the owner just keep driving his 5 year old car around with a big heavy deadweight battery, burning more fuel than a similar 5 year old non-hybrid? Or does he spend more than the car is worth to replace it?
The projected price is in the range of $30000 to $40000. Not exactly an economy car.
People should be free to buy whatever car they want, including a turbo diesel. However, diesel is selling for almost $5.00 per gallon right now. And I think it is not accurate that a diesel gets better mileage.
All products when first introduced cost more than after they have been in production for a while. Economies of scale — and falling prices — come with increased quantity and experience in production.
The first automobiles were prohibitively expensive. Only the rich could afford automobiles. Then as quantities went up, and the process was streamlined through experience and constant improvement, prices fell to where the average person could afford to buy one.
The same will happen with hybrids. American factories can convert to building mostly or entirely hybrids. At that point, both price and efficiency will improve.
I will wait to see a hybrid Kenwood haul 80,000 pounds up the Tehachipi loop. 79,000 pounds of the tare would be its own overheating batteries.
Maintenance on these cars will eat up any money saved on gas.
What about disposing of the dead batteries?
This is a dirty little long-term secret about some of these cars, hybrid or electric, etc, that the whackos ignore.
Then they’ll be complaining that we’re filling up too many precious green acres with toxic waste due to so many batteries.
My Shovelhead stroker is a hybrid motorcycle, it burns gasoline AND rubber!
Notice that the left always shows a preference for reduced lifestyle, living at a lower level than you could, instead of increasing our means.
I agree it would be great if all these things work well and are, thus, efficient.
However, IF and until the technology is all worked out, it’s not very efficient in truth.
The problem with many EnviroMentals is they seem to have a Pollyanna attitude about technology - if you think it, it will come into being, and be everything it’s supposed to be. (Or is that the Music Man attitude?)
Reality is, just dreaming up a possible solution doesn’t make it a good solution, or a solution at all. It’s not workable just because you envision it working. Take it from an engineer.
Soon as you buy one for me I’ll drive it. I promise!
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