Posted on 08/14/2005 2:26:28 PM PDT by BurbankKarl
CORTE MADERA, Calif. - Politicians and automakers say a car that can both reduce greenhouse gases and free America from its reliance on foreign oil is years or even decades away. Ron Gremban says such a car is parked in his garage.
It looks like a typical Toyota Prius hybrid, but in the trunk sits an 80 miles-per-gallon secret a stack of 18 brick-size batteries that boosts the car's high mileage with an extra electrical charge so it can burn even less fuel.
Gremban, an electrical engineer and committed environmentalist, spent several months and $3,000 tinkering with his car.
Like all hybrids, his Prius increases fuel efficiency by harnessing small amounts of electricity generated during braking and coasting. The extra batteries let him store extra power by plugging the car into a wall outlet at his home in this San Francisco suburb all for about a quarter.
He's part of a small but growing movement. "Plug-in" hybrids aren't yet cost-efficient, but some of the dozen known experimental models have gotten up to 250 mpg.
They have support not only from environmentalists but also from conservative foreign-policy hawks who insist Americans fuel terrorism through their gas guzzling.
And while the technology has existed for three decades, automakers are beginning to take notice, too.
So far, DaimlerChrysler AG is the only company that has committed to building its own plug-in hybrids, quietly pledging to make up to 40 vans for U.S. companies. But Toyota Motor Corp. officials who initially frowned on people altering their cars now say they may be able to learn from them.
"They're like the hot rodders of yesterday who did everything to soup up their cars. It was all about horsepower and bling-bling, lots of chrome and accessories," said Cindy Knight, a Toyota spokeswoman. "Maybe the hot rodders of tomorrow are the people who want to get in there and see what they can do about increasing fuel economy."
The extra batteries let Gremban drive for 20 miles with a 50-50 mix of gas and electricity. Even after the car runs out of power from the batteries and switches to the standard hybrid mode, it gets the typical Prius fuel efficiency of around 45 mpg. As long as Gremban doesn't drive too far in a day, he says, he gets 80 mpg.
"The value of plug-in hybrids is they can dramatically reduce gasoline usage for the first few miles every day," Gremban said. "The average for people's usage of a car is somewhere around 30 to 40 miles per day. During that kind of driving, the plug-in hybrid can make a dramatic difference."
Backers of plug-in hybrids acknowledge that the electricity to boost their cars generally comes from fossil fuels that create greenhouse gases, but they say that process still produces far less pollution than oil. They also note that electricity could be generated cleanly from solar power.
Gremban rigged his car to promote the nonprofit CalCars Initiative, a San Francisco Bay area-based volunteer effort that argues automakers could mass produce plug-in hybrids at a reasonable price.
But Toyota and other car companies say they are worried about the cost, convenience and safety of plug-in hybrids and note that consumers haven't embraced all-electric cars because of the inconvenience of recharging them like giant cell phones.
Automakers have spent millions of dollars telling motorists that hybrids don't need to be plugged in, and don't want to confuse the message.
Nonetheless, plug-in hybrids are starting to get the backing of prominent hawks like former CIA Director James Woolsey and Frank Gaffney, President Reagan's undersecretary of defense. They have joined Set America Free, a group that wants the government to spend $12 billion over four years on plug-in hybrids, alternative fuels and other measures to reduce foreign oil dependence.
Gaffney, who heads the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Security Policy, said Americans would embrace plug-ins if they understood arguments from him and others who say gasoline contributes to oil-rich Middle Eastern governments that support terrorism.
"The more we are consuming oil that either comes from places that are bent on our destruction or helping those who are ... the more we are enabling those who are trying to kill us," Gaffney said.
DaimlerChrysler spokesman Nick Cappa said plug-in hybrids are ideal for companies with fleets of vehicles that can be recharged at a central location at night. He declined to name the companies buying the vehicles and said he did not know the vehicles' mileage or cost, or when they would be available.
When they come out with a nice sized powerful 4x4 then I will jump on board. Until then I just have to deal with my 350 GMC Sierra. You do what you gotta do.
When they finally build a hybrid with a V-8 Hemi, than maybe I'll reconsider.
How much are you willing to pay?
So that gives the car an extra 2 KWH of power.
I'd say the guy is lying, trying to raise money for him to pi$$ away.
Stirling engines would be cheap to produce in mass quanities and really don't require that much material. Every new technology is expensive, but once it is accepted and mass produced it becomes relatively inexpensive.
My response was to all the negative comments. You can have a stronger lightweight hybrid car using new (or soon to be invented) composites. These cars would could zip along rather nicely, charge superfast using nano-technology batteries, and with solar powered Stirling engines not need to be plugged in for trips to work, mall, and food shopping.
The future is coming whether we like it or not.
looked up this today,thought it was cool
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4076811.stm
if their not lying about the 300Hp claim,steam might be the way to go
talked about this on a earier thread http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1462760/posts?page=83#83
looked up this today,thought it was cool
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4076811.stm
if their not lying about the 300Hp claim,steam might be the way to go
Electricity plants are several times more efficient at energy usage a car. That being said, the charging of batteries to drive a car has it's own inefficiencies. I'm not sure whether this technique is more or less efficient in the end.
Although if we got the power from nukes, then we may not actually have better energy efficiency, we may though reduce oil usage.
How many "D" size batteries do you think a teenager goes through simply for entertainment in 10 years?
150?
That the size and number of "cells" in my 2003 Prius.
The current cost of replacement is 60% less than the numbers listed in the article, and dropping.
Time to stop being silly.
Tips for better gas mileage:
1. Take care of your vehicle. Clean oil, fresh spark plugs and a well-tuned motor are more efficient than a run-down system.
2. Check your air filter. If dirty or old, replace it.
3. Run your air conditioner less.
4. Use the correct gasoline. Most cars run well on an octane rating of 87. Mostly it's just high-performance and turbocharged engines that need higher octane. If your engine is pinging on acceleration or up hills (sounds like shaking uncooked popcorn in a glass jar) use a higher octane gasoline. Check the owner's manual for your vehicle's requirements.
5. Keep your tires inflated properly. Incorrect inflation leads to rolling resistance from the tires. Most car tires should be inflated to 32 PSI.
6. Drive at an even speed, whenever possible. It's more efficient than rushing to the next traffic light and then stopping.
7. Use cruise control on the highway.
8. Choose the route with the flattest terrain and fewest stops, if you can.
9. Drive on highways instead of city streets, where practical. A vehicle moving at constant speed is more efficient than one that slows and speeds up, stops and starts.
10. Do all your driving errands at once. A cold engine consumes more gas than a warmed up engine.
11. Read the label the federal government requires on new cars the next time you shop for a vehicle. It tells a model's estimated city and highway mileage so that you can compare mileage figures for all the vehicles you consider.
12. Eliminate unnecessary cargo. Hauling heavy loads in the trunk or inside the car will lower your gas mileage.
13. Drive at 55 MPH. It saves gas.
14. Keep track of your car's mileage: if it changes drastically, follow the above steps and then go see your mechanic if you can't figure out why.
Not true for hybrids.
Driving up and down San Joaquin Valley, average MPG: 48
Driving over the mountains to San Francisco and back, average MPG: 54.
Consistently. Can't explain it.
Stirling engines are making a comeback. LOL
http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/003285.html
I believe everything they've built in the last 20 or so years as been natural gas. They've converted many to natural gas as well.
As long as it has very good acceleration and can tow a trailer, I'm all for it. I also need to know the total costs vs. mpg.
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