Ford's Electric Car

[Flopper]

What kind of an investment is it when the government kicks back thousands of dollars to someone willing to buy an electric vehicle? It helps sales??

The dealer gets his sticker price, the consumer gets a heavily discounted vehicle, and the government is out millions upon millions of dollars.

I'm fine with EV's, PV's, windmills and the like. But subsidies for alternatives and renewables isn't an investment - it's a giveaway. These energy generators have little hope of ever competing in the marketplace with hydrocarbons.

Alternatives/renewables do in their own way affect land, sea, and air and therefor our "quality of life".

And re: oil company "subsidies". I've sunk hundreds of thousands of dollars into deep vertical holes in the ground over the past 20 years and have yet to see a check in my mailbox with an Uncle Sam return address.

Not all subsidies are bad. A subsidy for a new technology that benefits the nation, such as the hybrid car subsidy, which expired in 2010 is a good thing providing it's phased out as sales increase and the technology matures. When hybrid cars first came on the market, they had many deficiencies and only one manufacture willing to build them. Subsides helped increase sales and improvements. Today there are at least a dozen models of hybrids from a number of manufactures.

Electric cars have the potential for reducing our dependence on foreign oil, and decreasing pollution, and greenhouse gases. Subsides can improve sales and profitability and stimulate development of improvements. Greater sales will mean lower prices. The amount of the subsidy decreases each year the model is on the market and is eventually phased out. The hybrid car subsidy worked quite well. I expect the EV subsidy will also be successful.

Takes more energy to build and run a hybrid so that kind of makes it less efficient. The subsidy is because it is not profitable. No profit means its a failure. Always will be.

Of course it takes more energy to build the car because it has a battery and an electric motor in addition to a gas engine. The additional energy used in manufacture is small compared to the energy saved driving the vehicle. The less we rely on internal combustion engines the more energy we will save. Electric motors such as in a hybrid or a manufacturing plant have an efficiency in order of 90% or higher. The internal combustion engine typical has an efficiency in order of 20 to 30%. The more we use electric motors in place internal combustion engines, the more energy the country will save.

The hybrid is a stepping stone to full electric vehicles.

 

[Revere]

Not all subsidies are bad. A subsidy for a new technology that benefits the nation, such as the hybrid car subsidy, which expired in 2010 is a good thing providing it's phased out as sales increase and the technology matures. When hybrid cars first came on the market, they had many deficiencies and only one manufacture willing to build them. Subsides helped increase sales and improvements. Today there are at least a dozen models of hybrids from a number of manufactures.

Electric cars have the potential for reducing our dependence on foreign oil, and decreasing pollution, and greenhouse gases. Subsides can improve sales and profitability and stimulate development of improvements. Greater sales will mean lower prices. The amount of the subsidy decreases each year the model is on the market and is eventually phased out. The hybrid car subsidy worked quite well. I expect the EV subsidy will also be successful.

Takes more energy to build and run a hybrid so that kind of makes it less efficient. The subsidy is because it is not profitable. No profit means its a failure. Always will be.

Of course it takes more energy to build the car because it has a battery and an electric motor in addition to a gas engine. The additional energy used in manufacture is small compared to the energy saved driving the vehicle. The less we rely on internal combustion engines the more energy we will save. Electric motors such as in a hybrid or a manufacturing plant have an efficiency in order of 90% or higher. The internal combustion engine typical has an efficiency in order of 20 to 30%. The more we use electric motors in place internal combustion engines, the more energy the country will save.

The hybrid is a stepping stone to full electric vehicles.

Wrong. The construction of facilities to create energy needed to convert 225 million cars to electric isn't in the cards for the left.

This is about us getting by with less.

 

[mdn2000]

Not all subsidies are bad. A subsidy for a new technology that benefits the nation, such as the hybrid car subsidy, which expired in 2010 is a good thing providing it's phased out as sales increase and the technology matures. When hybrid cars first came on the market, they had many deficiencies and only one manufacture willing to build them. Subsides helped increase sales and improvements. Today there are at least a dozen models of hybrids from a number of manufactures.

Electric cars have the potential for reducing our dependence on foreign oil, and decreasing pollution, and greenhouse gases. Subsides can improve sales and profitability and stimulate development of improvements. Greater sales will mean lower prices. The amount of the subsidy decreases each year the model is on the market and is eventually phased out. The hybrid car subsidy worked quite well. I expect the EV subsidy will also be successful.

Takes more energy to build and run a hybrid so that kind of makes it less efficient. The subsidy is because it is not profitable. No profit means its a failure. Always will be.

Of course it takes more energy to build the car because it has a battery and an electric motor in addition to a gas engine. The additional energy used in manufacture is small compared to the energy saved driving the vehicle. The less we rely on internal combustion engines the more energy we will save. Electric motors such as in a hybrid or a manufacturing plant have an efficiency in order of 90% or higher. The internal combustion engine typical has an efficiency in order of 20 to 30%. The more we use electric motors in place internal combustion engines, the more energy the country will save.

The hybrid is a stepping stone to full electric vehicles.

The energy saved is nothing compared to the energy used, I throw enough batteries away as it is, now we get to throw more away. Get rid of the battery I say it sounds great, I have no problem with an electric motor. Still, does it really save energy when you have to recharge the battery. Where is that electricity coming from, today it comes from fossil fuels. Does it take less fossil fuel to make electricity that is than stored into a battery then later used to move a car that weighs a ton. I am actually asking at this point, what is the energy that is used to move one ton.

If we had enough Nuclear power and you do not mind creating more waste, as in an electric car or hybrid does not last as long as a regular car, but still, you got to throw them out more often and if we are to save all our resources I just cannot see how you save money or resources by using more resources.

Keep your old car, you buy a new one even if it runs on laughing gas you have used resources we will not get back.

I say get rid of the battery and let the commuters run electric slot cars. Batteries, my battery is already bad in my three year old truck. I have half a dozen car batteries at home. I cannot throw them away, I have to take them to a special dump, not even the normal dump. Maybe I can pay Auto Zone to take them, but I figure maybe I can sell the lead one day.

Hell, I cannot even sit in one of those tiny boxes let alone risk my life in one. So are people in hybrid hypocrites when they drive over 55?

 

[Flopper]

Takes more energy to build and run a hybrid so that kind of makes it less efficient. The subsidy is because it is not profitable. No profit means its a failure. Always will be.

Of course it takes more energy to build the car because it has a battery and an electric motor in addition to a gas engine. The additional energy used in manufacture is small compared to the energy saved driving the vehicle. The less we rely on internal combustion engines the more energy we will save. Electric motors such as in a hybrid or a manufacturing plant have an efficiency in order of 90% or higher. The internal combustion engine typical has an efficiency in order of 20 to 30%. The more we use electric motors in place internal combustion engines, the more energy the country will save.

The hybrid is a stepping stone to full electric vehicles.

Wrong. The construction of facilities to create energy needed to convert 225 million cars to electric isn't in the cards for the left.

This is about us getting by with less.

When we are able to replace all gas powered cars with electric, America would realize a cost saving $63 billion dollars a year or about 1.2 trillion over 20 years. The actual savings would be more if gas prices rise. At $3 billion/power plant, we could build all the power plants and supporting infrastructure we would need.

Not only would America be energy independent but the billions of dollars we spent polluting our air could be used to rebuild America's infrastructure.

 

[Flopper]

Takes more energy to build and run a hybrid so that kind of makes it less efficient. The subsidy is because it is not profitable. No profit means its a failure. Always will be.

Of course it takes more energy to build the car because it has a battery and an electric motor in addition to a gas engine. The additional energy used in manufacture is small compared to the energy saved driving the vehicle. The less we rely on internal combustion engines the more energy we will save. Electric motors such as in a hybrid or a manufacturing plant have an efficiency in order of 90% or higher. The internal combustion engine typical has an efficiency in order of 20 to 30%. The more we use electric motors in place internal combustion engines, the more energy the country will save.

The hybrid is a stepping stone to full electric vehicles.

The energy saved is nothing compared to the energy used, I throw enough batteries away as it is, now we get to throw more away. Get rid of the battery I say it sounds great, I have no problem with an electric motor. Still, does it really save energy when you have to recharge the battery. Where is that electricity coming from, today it comes from fossil fuels. Does it take less fossil fuel to make electricity that is than stored into a battery then later used to move a car that weighs a ton. I am actually asking at this point, what is the energy that is used to move one ton.

If we had enough Nuclear power and you do not mind creating more waste, as in an electric car or hybrid does not last as long as a regular car, but still, you got to throw them out more often and if we are to save all our resources I just cannot see how you save money or resources by using more resources.

Keep your old car, you buy a new one even if it runs on laughing gas you have used resources we will not get back.

I say get rid of the battery and let the commuters run electric slot cars. Batteries, my battery is already bad in my three year old truck. I have half a dozen car batteries at home. I cannot throw them away, I have to take them to a special dump, not even the normal dump. Maybe I can pay Auto Zone to take them, but I figure maybe I can sell the lead one day.

Hell, I cannot even sit in one of those tiny boxes let alone risk my life in one. So are people in hybrid hypocrites when they drive over 55?

I don't know the amount energy it takes to move one ton. However, I do know the amount energy used by an electric motor to move that ton is approximately one third of what an internal combustion engine uses.

Your points about batteries are valid, however battery technology is improving and costs are going down as economies of scale have their effect.

Electric power plants are very efficient at convert fuels to electricity, either nuclear or fossil fuels. Also the pollution control in power plants are far better than automobiles.

Regarding the pollution problem of fossil fuels versus nuclear fuels, I would rather have the byproducts buried in metal containers than have to breath them.

 

[mdn2000]

What difference does it make if emmissions are coming from a tailpipe or a smokestack?

None.

True. But there aren't alot of emissions from these things.

Not while they are operating but making them creates a crapload of emissions. And not just of CO2 but of some real noxious gases.

Taking them down also requires a tremendous amount of energy. The worlds largest electrical power plant in material size that produces a fraction of energy becomes the worlds largest pile of garbage after twenty years if not sooner.

Piles of garbage are not pollution, no CO2 produced, its clean, even as garbage it gives to the environment.

 

[mdn2000]

Of course it takes more energy to build the car because it has a battery and an electric motor in addition to a gas engine. The additional energy used in manufacture is small compared to the energy saved driving the vehicle. The less we rely on internal combustion engines the more energy we will save. Electric motors such as in a hybrid or a manufacturing plant have an efficiency in order of 90% or higher. The internal combustion engine typical has an efficiency in order of 20 to 30%. The more we use electric motors in place internal combustion engines, the more energy the country will save.

The hybrid is a stepping stone to full electric vehicles.

The energy saved is nothing compared to the energy used, I throw enough batteries away as it is, now we get to throw more away. Get rid of the battery I say it sounds great, I have no problem with an electric motor. Still, does it really save energy when you have to recharge the battery. Where is that electricity coming from, today it comes from fossil fuels. Does it take less fossil fuel to make electricity that is than stored into a battery then later used to move a car that weighs a ton. I am actually asking at this point, what is the energy that is used to move one ton.

If we had enough Nuclear power and you do not mind creating more waste, as in an electric car or hybrid does not last as long as a regular car, but still, you got to throw them out more often and if we are to save all our resources I just cannot see how you save money or resources by using more resources.

Keep your old car, you buy a new one even if it runs on laughing gas you have used resources we will not get back.

I say get rid of the battery and let the commuters run electric slot cars. Batteries, my battery is already bad in my three year old truck. I have half a dozen car batteries at home. I cannot throw them away, I have to take them to a special dump, not even the normal dump. Maybe I can pay Auto Zone to take them, but I figure maybe I can sell the lead one day.

Hell, I cannot even sit in one of those tiny boxes let alone risk my life in one. So are people in hybrid hypocrites when they drive over 55?

I don't know the amount energy it takes to move one ton. However, I do know the amount energy used by an electric motor to move that ton is approximately one third of what an internal combustion engine uses.

Your points about batteries are valid, however battery technology is improving and costs are going down as economies of scale have their effect.

Electric power plants are very efficient at convert fuels to electricity, either nuclear or fossil fuels. Also the pollution control in power plants are far better than automobiles.

Regarding the pollution problem of fossil fuels versus nuclear fuels, I would rather have the byproducts buried in metal containers than have to breath them.

I am not an expert on Hybrids. I will most likely take a little time to look into them. Improved batteries are great and all but seems like building high rise housing in downtown Los Angeles would save much more energy than if everyone drove Hybrids. To drive a hundred miles into LA for me can take three or four hours.

Housing on top of the industry. Biggest energy savings we could ever dream of.

I am all for cleaning things up, I have seen the difference between night and day in my life time. I just cannot see hybrids as anything more than a passing fad.

 

[mdn2000]

I was not looking for this but saw it on MSN when I signed out of my account. It seems Hybrid vehicles do suck.

Porsche Is Back - MSN Autos

Porsche 918 RSR
Click to enlarge picture

Porsche 918 RSR
Click to enlarge picture

Porsche 918 RSR
What is it? An extreme hybrid supercar
What makes it special? Everything. Porsche refers to the car as a racing laboratory, and it's obvious why. The chassis is made from carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic. The direct-injection V8 gasoline engine alone is good for 563 horsepower at an ear-splitting 10,300 rpm. When combined with the two 75-kilowatt electric motors — one for each front wheel — total vehicle power leaps to an incredible 767 horses. These motors also give the car the benefits of an all-wheel-drive system complete with advanced torque-vectoring capabilities. Then there's the flywheel accumulator. Using regenerative braking technology, the futuristic-looking device allows the vehicle to use stored energy to enhance its performance. Rather than the avant-garde interior of the recent 918 Spyder concept, Porsche has opted for a more functional cockpit, complete with gear information shown directly on the steering wheel and an energy recuperation display on the steering column.

 

[Flopper]

The energy saved is nothing compared to the energy used, I throw enough batteries away as it is, now we get to throw more away. Get rid of the battery I say it sounds great, I have no problem with an electric motor. Still, does it really save energy when you have to recharge the battery. Where is that electricity coming from, today it comes from fossil fuels. Does it take less fossil fuel to make electricity that is than stored into a battery then later used to move a car that weighs a ton. I am actually asking at this point, what is the energy that is used to move one ton.

If we had enough Nuclear power and you do not mind creating more waste, as in an electric car or hybrid does not last as long as a regular car, but still, you got to throw them out more often and if we are to save all our resources I just cannot see how you save money or resources by using more resources.

Keep your old car, you buy a new one even if it runs on laughing gas you have used resources we will not get back.

I say get rid of the battery and let the commuters run electric slot cars. Batteries, my battery is already bad in my three year old truck. I have half a dozen car batteries at home. I cannot throw them away, I have to take them to a special dump, not even the normal dump. Maybe I can pay Auto Zone to take them, but I figure maybe I can sell the lead one day.

Hell, I cannot even sit in one of those tiny boxes let alone risk my life in one. So are people in hybrid hypocrites when they drive over 55?

I don't know the amount energy it takes to move one ton. However, I do know the amount energy used by an electric motor to move that ton is approximately one third of what an internal combustion engine uses.

Your points about batteries are valid, however battery technology is improving and costs are going down as economies of scale have their effect.

Electric power plants are very efficient at convert fuels to electricity, either nuclear or fossil fuels. Also the pollution control in power plants are far better than automobiles.

Regarding the pollution problem of fossil fuels versus nuclear fuels, I would rather have the byproducts buried in metal containers than have to breath them.

I am not an expert on Hybrids. I will most likely take a little time to look into them. Improved batteries are great and all but seems like building high rise housing in downtown Los Angeles would save much more energy than if everyone drove Hybrids. To drive a hundred miles into LA for me can take three or four hours.

Housing on top of the industry. Biggest energy savings we could ever dream of.

I am all for cleaning things up, I have seen the difference between night and day in my life time. I just cannot see hybrids as anything more than a passing fad.

I use to think hybrids were a fad and would be replaced by EV's but not anymore. I doubt the EV's will ever replace trucks, SUV's, and higher performance vehicles. They just don't develop the torque and I don't see how they ever will. On the other hand, hybrid versions of SUV'S, small trucks, sports cars and full size cars are now on the market. Within 5 years, I think we will see hybrid versions of just about ever car on the market. With the improvements in battery technology, I would bet that it will difficult to find a new card that isn't a hybrid in 10 years.


My wife got me to buy a hybrid last year. I had my doubts but after driving it for a year on long and short trips, I love it. It's got lots pickup, great gas mileage, and it's fun to drive. It also has some advantages over gas vehicles. When running in electric mode, it's so quiet you can't hear it. When it switches back and forth between electric and gas, it's so smooth you don't even notice. You get great mileage out of the brakes because it uses the brakes to help charge the high voltage battery. The electric motor is maintenance free. Since the electric motor and gas engine each run about half the time, they should last a long time. If the gasoline engine or the electric motor fails you still drive the car using the other engine or motor.

 

[mdn2000]

I don't know the amount energy it takes to move one ton. However, I do know the amount energy used by an electric motor to move that ton is approximately one third of what an internal combustion engine uses.

Your points about batteries are valid, however battery technology is improving and costs are going down as economies of scale have their effect.

Electric power plants are very efficient at convert fuels to electricity, either nuclear or fossil fuels. Also the pollution control in power plants are far better than automobiles.

Regarding the pollution problem of fossil fuels versus nuclear fuels, I would rather have the byproducts buried in metal containers than have to breath them.

I am not an expert on Hybrids. I will most likely take a little time to look into them. Improved batteries are great and all but seems like building high rise housing in downtown Los Angeles would save much more energy than if everyone drove Hybrids. To drive a hundred miles into LA for me can take three or four hours.

Housing on top of the industry. Biggest energy savings we could ever dream of.

I am all for cleaning things up, I have seen the difference between night and day in my life time. I just cannot see hybrids as anything more than a passing fad.

I use to think hybrids were a fad and would be replaced by EV's but not anymore. I doubt the EV's will ever replace trucks, SUV's, and higher performance vehicles. They just don't develop the torque and I don't see how they ever will. On the other hand, hybrid versions of SUV'S, small trucks, sports cars and full size cars are now on the market. Within 5 years, I think we will see hybrid versions of just about ever car on the market. With the improvements in battery technology, I would bet that it will difficult to find a new card that isn't a hybrid in 10 years.


My wife got me to buy a hybrid last year. I had my doubts but after driving it for a year on long and short trips, I love it. It's got lots pickup, great gas mileage, and it's fun to drive. It also has some advantages over gas vehicles. When running in electric mode, it's so quiet you can't hear it. When it switches back and forth between electric and gas, it's so smooth you don't even notice. You get great mileage out of the brakes because it uses the brakes to help charge the high voltage battery. The electric motor is maintenance free. Since the electric motor and gas engine each run about half the time, they should last a long time. If the gasoline engine or the electric motor fails you still drive the car using the other engine or motor.

Do you live in a cold climate, just wondering if there is any effect on the battery in the cold. Like I said I do do not know too much about them. Hope you have good luck with the maintenance. If people can keep their cars a long time that will make a big difference as far as the amount of raw material we use.

Its good to conserve.

 

[Mr. H.]

I've got a couple of cold-climate hybrid-owning friends. Yes the mileage plummets in winter.

 

[Flopper]

I've got a couple of cold-climate hybrid-owning friends. Yes the mileage plummets in winter.

The efficiency of internal combustion engines are lower when they are cold. This applies to both hybrids and non-hybrids.

 

[Flopper]

I am not an expert on Hybrids. I will most likely take a little time to look into them. Improved batteries are great and all but seems like building high rise housing in downtown Los Angeles would save much more energy than if everyone drove Hybrids. To drive a hundred miles into LA for me can take three or four hours.

Housing on top of the industry. Biggest energy savings we could ever dream of.

I am all for cleaning things up, I have seen the difference between night and day in my life time. I just cannot see hybrids as anything more than a passing fad.

I use to think hybrids were a fad and would be replaced by EV's but not anymore. I doubt the EV's will ever replace trucks, SUV's, and higher performance vehicles. They just don't develop the torque and I don't see how they ever will. On the other hand, hybrid versions of SUV'S, small trucks, sports cars and full size cars are now on the market. Within 5 years, I think we will see hybrid versions of just about ever car on the market. With the improvements in battery technology, I would bet that it will difficult to find a new card that isn't a hybrid in 10 years.


My wife got me to buy a hybrid last year. I had my doubts but after driving it for a year on long and short trips, I love it. It's got lots pickup, great gas mileage, and it's fun to drive. It also has some advantages over gas vehicles. When running in electric mode, it's so quiet you can't hear it. When it switches back and forth between electric and gas, it's so smooth you don't even notice. You get great mileage out of the brakes because it uses the brakes to help charge the high voltage battery. The electric motor is maintenance free. Since the electric motor and gas engine each run about half the time, they should last a long time. If the gasoline engine or the electric motor fails you still drive the car using the other engine or motor.

Do you live in a cold climate, just wondering if there is any effect on the battery in the cold. Like I said I do do not know too much about them. Hope you have good luck with the maintenance. If people can keep their cars a long time that will make a big difference as far as the amount of raw material we use.

Its good to conserve.

I don't believe there is any significant effect on the battery, however the gas engine uses more gas when it's cold but that applies to any gas engine. My gas mileage runs 39.6 in warm months and 38.5 in cold months. I have a Ford Fusion which has a 2 liter gas engine, larger than the Prius gas engine, so I would expect that the Prius gas mileage which is near 50 mpg would drop less in winter.

 

[Old Rocks]

I don't know the amount energy it takes to move one ton. However, I do know the amount energy used by an electric motor to move that ton is approximately one third of what an internal combustion engine uses.

Your points about batteries are valid, however battery technology is improving and costs are going down as economies of scale have their effect.

Electric power plants are very efficient at convert fuels to electricity, either nuclear or fossil fuels. Also the pollution control in power plants are far better than automobiles.

Regarding the pollution problem of fossil fuels versus nuclear fuels, I would rather have the byproducts buried in metal containers than have to breath them.

I am not an expert on Hybrids. I will most likely take a little time to look into them. Improved batteries are great and all but seems like building high rise housing in downtown Los Angeles would save much more energy than if everyone drove Hybrids. To drive a hundred miles into LA for me can take three or four hours.

Housing on top of the industry. Biggest energy savings we could ever dream of.

I am all for cleaning things up, I have seen the difference between night and day in my life time. I just cannot see hybrids as anything more than a passing fad.

I use to think hybrids were a fad and would be replaced by EV's but not anymore. I doubt the EV's will ever replace trucks, SUV's, and higher performance vehicles. They just don't develop the torque and I don't see how they ever will. On the other hand, hybrid versions of SUV'S, small trucks, sports cars and full size cars are now on the market. Within 5 years, I think we will see hybrid versions of just about ever car on the market. With the improvements in battery technology, I would bet that it will difficult to find a new card that isn't a hybrid in 10 years.


My wife got me to buy a hybrid last year. I had my doubts but after driving it for a year on long and short trips, I love it. It's got lots pickup, great gas mileage, and it's fun to drive. It also has some advantages over gas vehicles. When running in electric mode, it's so quiet you can't hear it. When it switches back and forth between electric and gas, it's so smooth you don't even notice. You get great mileage out of the brakes because it uses the brakes to help charge the high voltage battery. The electric motor is maintenance free. Since the electric motor and gas engine each run about half the time, they should last a long time. If the gasoline engine or the electric motor fails you still drive the car using the other engine or motor.

I have a very large 1 ton van. Were I to pull the engine, transmission, and the guts out of the third member, and put high torque hub motors on the back wheels, the amount of batteries I could put in the engine compartment, and underneath, would probably give me a longer range than the present double tanks. If they can get the price of batteries down, that would be the way to go. A company that makes hub motors did this a few years ago.

Electric Mini: 0-60 in 4 Seconds: It Has Motors In Its Wheels : TreeHugger

A British engineering firm has put together a high-performance hybrid version of BMW's Mini Cooper. The PML Mini QED has a top speed of 150 mph, a 0-60 mph time of 4.5 seconds. The car uses a small gasoline engine with four 160 horsepower electric motors — one on each wheel. The car has been designed to run for four hours of combined urban/extra urban driving, powered only by a battery and bank of ultra capacitors. The QED supports an all-electric range of 200-250 miles and has a total range of about 932 miles (1,500 km). For longer journeys at higher speeds, a small conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) is used to re-charge the battery. In this hybrid mode, fuel economies of up to 80mpg can be achieved.


Explains Martin Boughtwood, PML’s MD: “Until now, most electric vehicles have been little more than souped-up milk floats, limited by range and speed, with compromised performance. For those with a green conscience who also value an enhanced motoring experience, there is still something missing.

“Working in partnership with our customer, Synergy Innovations, we set out to demonstrate what our electric wheel technology is capable of. We simply took a standard BMW Mini One, discarded the engine, the disc brakes, the wheels, and the gearbox. These components were replaced by four of our electric wheels, a lithium polymer battery, a large ultra capacitor, a very small ICE with generator (so small it almost fits alongside the spare wheel), an energy management system and a sexy in-car display module.”

 

[chikenwing]

Its a good start,they are spendy now and out of reach for most,but as with anything electrical/electronic they will come down in price. It will be a long time before they replace big trucks and such develop a mini nuke plant for your car then you will have something.The sun and the atom are our energy future,for that matter the sun always has been anyways.

 

[mdn2000]

Its a good start,they are spendy now and out of reach for most,but as with anything electrical/electronic they will come down in price. It will be a long time before they replace big trucks and such develop a mini nuke plant for your car then you will have something.The sun and the atom are our energy future,for that matter the sun always has been anyways.

They already developed the mini-nuke, they even had a Nuclear powered airplane.

Nuclear powered Aircraft Carriers get refueled once every 20 years, just a guess, but its pretty amazing.

Nuclear power is the only way to go. Problem is if we went that route we would be the strongest country forever and the Liberals will just not allow that.

 

[Flopper]

Its a good start,they are spendy now and out of reach for most,but as with anything electrical/electronic they will come down in price. It will be a long time before they replace big trucks and such develop a mini nuke plant for your car then you will have something.The sun and the atom are our energy future,for that matter the sun always has been anyways.

That long time is getting a lot shorter.

Hybrid Truck Unveiled by Kenworth

Hybrid Truck Unveiled by Kenworth : TreeHugger

 

[westwall]

I've got a couple of cold-climate hybrid-owning friends. Yes the mileage plummets in winter.

The efficiency of internal combustion engines are lower when they are cold. This applies to both hybrids and non-hybrids.

Yes but the ICE vehicles' efficiency drops by maybe 2-3% Whereas the hybrid will drop by up to 30%. A pure EV will drop by more than 50% in some cases. The technology however is improving all the time so within the next ten years or so I think we will see a reasonably efficient EV that the average person could afford and actually want. Currently it's not there.

 

[Old Rocks]

We have had efficient hybrids hauling major tonnage since before WW2. They are call diesel locomotives.

Walleyes, you made a statement about the efficiency dropping 30% on hybrids on cold days. Care to back that up? I don't think most regard you as a trusted source here.

 

[Old Rocks]

Electric Gullwing: Mercedes Previews a Shockingly Awesome Sports Car | Popular Science

After a week of rumor-mill musings online, Mercedes-Benz and its high-performance specialist division AMG offered a first look at a prototype all-electric sports car. And by "first look" we mean "better use your imagination." The company released some details on a version of its upcoming SLS AMG roadster with an electric drive system. Propelling the concept car are four in-wheel electric motors providing 526 horsepower and a maximum torque of 649 lb-ft. That means, when the SLS AMG electric hits the streets -- rumored to happen in 2015 -- it'll likely be quite a performer.

Why the in-wheel motors instead of wheel-hub electric motors, as in some prototypes? Mercedes says it's all about reducing unsprung mass. The company says it's also engineered the car to have the same low center of gravity and balanced weight distribution as the gasoline-powered model. Also, a software-controlled all-wheel-drive system, dubbed AMG eDrive, micromanages torque delivery down to the individual wheel. The first prototype will get a liquid-cooled 48 kWh, 400-volt lithium-ion battery that can be charged by a plug-in system as well as regenerative braking. More details to be announced.