Hybrid interest article

[M A V I C]

Is it just me, or are Hybrids hard to drive? More often than not, when I'm doing the speed limit on the freeway I come across a hybrid doing 10-15 under. Do they have a max speed of 45 or something? I literally see this almost every time I drive my car.

They also seem to have a hard time accelerating. They'll pull away from a stop sign it often takes several blocks to get up to speed. I've seen quite a few hybrids almost get crushed over their lack of acceleration (and the fact the drivers often pull out without realizing a car is coming.)

So much of the bad press may be due to their extremely poor performance, or the extremely bad drivers these cars attract. I'm not sure which it is.

[Pat]

[quote BigGuynRusty]I meant to say low-sulfur.
Low Sulphur Diesel is what was introduced in the 90s, <500ppm. We now have Ultra Low Sulphur Diesel, <15ppm. It's not nitpicking, they are very different fuels.

[quote BigGuynRusty]Small, efficient flat electric motors are here, please don't compare a small diesel hybrid to a 6 trillion ton earthmover.
OK, but the diesel part of it remains the same. So don't try to say that size is going to revolutionize the internal combustion engine. The requirement for an engine supplying power to a drivetrain is different than that of one driving a genset. Especially if we're talking efficiency and durability.

[quote BigGuynRusty]You work for GM? They almost killed off diesel engines in the 1980's.
Let's just say I've never owned anything with a 'bowtie' on it.

As for the Euros just waiting for the new fuel, if that was the case, they could have just used their existing Euro models since they have already adopted ULSD. If you notice the '07 diesel options are quite scarce for a reson. Our emissions standards are more strict than the Euros. They now have to meet the new emissions standards, keep the mileage up AND competitively price the vehicle. Since the demand for diesel powered passenger vehicles is small in the US, that's not an easy task.

On the other hand, the Big 3 make lots of money off of their diesel powered pickups. With those same engines being used in other vehicles, the cost gets spread across a much larger base. Plus, that's a completely different market. Most consumers aren't going to pay an extra $7k for a diesel option in their car like someone looking for a tow vehicle will. Even though you will never recoup that cost at current diesel prices.

[Racer X]

I don't have any clue as to the power recuirements for the electric drive a vehicle like I postulated might need. But I do know that it takes 1 HP to generate 22.5 amps out of a 12 volt automotive alternator, so we can go on up from there as to the engine requirements. There are plenty of auxilary power diesels in the marine industry in sailboats that weight under 500 lbs and can generate about 50 HP, and just sip fuel. No clue about their emissions standards.

[davester]

[quote Racer X]
However, the standard automotive gasoline drive train usually gets only about 35% of the total available energy out of that gallon of gas, and puts it to the road.
Dream on! If you do a little research you'll find that a gasolline drive train only extracts about 15% of the energy out of gasoline. The rest is heat. This is why it is dirt cheap to run an electric car....much higher efficiencies in generating electricity at central plants.
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/atv.shtml

[SteveJobs]

Why do so many engine losses leave via the driver's-side front wheel?

[Dik2]

12Volts x 22.5 amps = 270 watts
1 horsepower = 746 watts

Automotive alternator efficiency ~ 35%?