Hybrid cars?

[GRUNHERZ]

Does anyone think the might get one of these soon? Up to now they have mostly only offered this technology on little librarian's cars but now there are plans to put them on normal cars, trucks and SUVs.

Anybody driven one? What you think about it?

[ra]

I've never driven one but I've looked into it and I don't think it's the best solution.  I'd been thinking of buying the Escape hybrid when it becomes available,  but after learning more about hybrids I am no longer very impressed.  I would prefer turbo-deisel as a fuel efficient power source.  The Germans make great turbo-deisels that give good performance and good fuel economy.   The electric hybrid only provides marginally better all-around fuel economy (better in the city, about the same on the highway)  but you have the complexity of the hybrid.  Also, there's about a $6500 repair bill waiting when the time comes to replace the NiMH battery pack.  That means greatly reduced resale value as the car gets older.  IMHO hybrid development is primarily motivated by the auto manufacturers' political concerns, not by the consumers' needs.  The auto companies know that one day the greens may put deeper restrictions on fossil fuels, and these hybrids bring them one step closer to the all-electric car.    In other words, the cars are developed to make government bureaucrats happy, not to give you the best possible car.  

If all the money spent to develop hybrids had been put into turbo-deisel we'd all have better options available now.

ra

[StabbyTheIcePic]

Eurpeon car makers are going to be releaseing a wide selection of turbo diesels in america once again. Might want to check those out. Also, Honda will have a hybrid accord and with toyotas help ford will have a SUV that is a hybrid for those that need good gas milage and a big car to make up for a small noodle.


The cars are being developed because we will be running low on dino juice in a couple of decades.

[strk]

I saw a electric s-10 or some such in the late 90s which I drove a few miles and I gotta say the hybrids today are far better than that thing was.  I'd get one if I was buyin a car but I will wait until they are few years old before I do

[FUNKED1]

They probably could get better fuel economy gains from reducing weight and drag, and you could still have a normal reliable engine.

[Chairboy]

Originally posted by StabbyTheIcePic
with toyotas help ford will have a SUV that is a hybrid for those that need good gas milage and a big car to make up for a small noodle.

Since the SUV in question is a Ford Escape, there's no real danger of it making up for any size noodle.

[GRUNHERZ]

So which company makes the best hybrid car today?

[FUNKED1]

Honda Insight

[mietla]

what's the deal with veggie oil diesels. Suposedly you can get a converter for $800 and run diesel on veggie oil?

Is viable?
Is is cheaper than gas?

[deSelys]

I drive a Mitsubishi 1.9L common rail injection turbo diesel.

115 HP, higher torque at lower rpms than a modern 2.0L gas car. It's a delight to drive, much better than my previous Nissan 2.0L 90HP turbo-diesel.

(Acceleration and speed figures are better than a Golf III 2.0L GTI 115HP.)


And the best is....39 mpg with automatic air conditioning permanently on.

The problem with diesel are the fine particles released in the atmosphere, but the new catalytic mufflers make the exhaust gases much cleaner.

Mercedes and BMW make great turbo-diesel engines. The common-rail injection has a better reliability IMO than the direct injection developed by VW and Audi.

[beet1e]

Originally posted by ra
The Germans make great turbo-deisels that give good performance and good fuel economy.

They certainly do, and I'm delighted with mine - Golf GTi with a 1.9TDi engine. Turbo+Diesel was a marriage made in heaven. On many journeys, mine returns 50mpg or more (Imperial gallon = 4.546 litres). Manual gearbox, with automatic climatisation always on.

Highest gearing of any car I've ever had - 70mph = 2000rpm in 6th gear.

But whatever the fuel source, be it diesel fuel, batteries or rain water - the government will always see to it that we pay as much tax per mile as they believe we should.

[Gixer]

When gas is $5 a gallon everyone will be looking at Hybrid Cars, oil won't last at current stocks forever people will have to move over to some other alternative eventually.

Probably they'll gradually force hybrid cars onto people my making exhaust emmisions tougher.



...-Gixer

[Ghosth]

History channel's "tatical to practical" did a bit on hybrid vehicles.

Start with subs in WWI, desel engines running generators.  Took a good look at the Prius.

Showed a prototype of a miltary scout vehicle that was desel/elec hybrid.
impressive performance & a 20 mile "Stealth" range with the desel off.


He also talked about  a prototype of a pure elec vehicle that would do 200 miles on a 1 hour charge at freeway speeds.


Had a drag race between an all elec car useing laptop batterys that simply SMOKED a 500 hp Dodge viper in the quarter.

Yes they are coming, question of when & how.

[Nilsen]

Diesel/turbodiesels in stationvagons are the most popular cars here. They give great mileage and are very strong and reliable (many need their stationwagons to to take them to their cottages in the mountains in our cold winters and need the power that diesels give.)

Organic diesels are great, but they have one major drawback....they take up valuable farmland even if they can make bio-diesel from plants that will grow where crops will not. If eveyone used this fuel then we would be even more hunger in the world and higer food prices.

[lazs2]

slow and complicated.   only balding guys with pony tails, librarians and little rich kids with lefty parents should have em...

they may or may not get better but let the above group work out the bugs and get the price down first... shy be a sucker?

if you absolutely must have the milage.. get the turbodiesel  and get out of my way.  

lazs