The Hybrid Argument (fuel economy vs upkeep)
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Silverchild:
Do you drive in the city? Is your driving 60%+ city driving? Then current hybrids make sense for you, if you don't fit those two terms, then it doesn't.
Just buy a small-displacement TDI. Diesel burns cleaner, and 1l of diesel has more BTUs than 1l of gasoline, you're getting about 15% more out of each liter. Keep in mind that diesels don't rev to 6000 rpm, they make torque and peak power sooner. The torque sooner means that they don't need to rev to 3000 rpm to get going from a red light, so you only rev to 1200. That's a fuel savings right there. Diesels also have this curious quality of producing more and hotter exhaust gasses when under load. Guess what that does with a turbo? The turbo spools up when you get under heavy load, nice, eh?
I've had a couple turbo diesels here, They're awesome. My next car will be a turbo diesel honda.
Do you drive in the city? Is your driving 60%+ city driving? Then current hybrids make sense for you, if you don't fit those two terms, then it doesn't.
Just buy a small-displacement TDI. Diesel burns cleaner, and 1l of diesel has more BTUs than 1l of gasoline, you're getting about 15% more out of each liter. Keep in mind that diesels don't rev to 6000 rpm, they make torque and peak power sooner. The torque sooner means that they don't need to rev to 3000 rpm to get going from a red light, so you only rev to 1200. That's a fuel savings right there. Diesels also have this curious quality of producing more and hotter exhaust gasses when under load. Guess what that does with a turbo? The turbo spools up when you get under heavy load, nice, eh?
I've had a couple turbo diesels here, They're awesome. My next car will be a turbo diesel honda.
LS_VTEC
you get the BRAKE
It would actually make more sense if he was more of a highway driver, being you get much better gas mileage highway than you do city.
It would actually make more sense if he was more of a highway driver, being you get much better gas mileage highway than you do city.
Uh, hybrids use the gasoline engine when you get on the highway. In the city, you can get away with using the electric engine exclusively, thus negating the emissions. It doesn't make more sense.
I drive about 160km to work and back every day, all highway. I tried out a civic hybrid, and it used less fuel than my civic, but it was always using the gasoline engine, as the electric engine could not keep the highway speed up. (130km/h or 85mph) Getting a hybrid only makes sense if you drive a lot of city miles, where the electric engine is used exclusively.
Dude, I'm no moron. I've driven a hybrid to work for a week, and the gasoline engine was always running, except when stopped. I was able to drive around the parking lot at work with just the electric engine, but that was it.
If you drive long distances, a hybrid won't help as much as it will in the city. It didn't help me much, but who am I to say it won't help someone else.
If you drive long distances, a hybrid won't help as much as it will in the city. It didn't help me much, but who am I to say it won't help someone else.
LS_VTEC
you get the BRAKE
A month ago I was sent from my job, to a community college to take a class on Hybrids. To make this as simple as possible, not ALL hybrids work the same, Sure, they are electrically assisted engines, but they do not all run the same way, period.
Your basic hybrid, similiar to Toyota's, will recharge when your either slowing down, or applying the brakes.
Now as for the Honda Insight, which helps in many ways with their electric assist, will also supply electrical power, as well as power from the engine, when climbing hills or accelerating. Keep in mind, this electric motor (design and structure) makes its most power at lower rpm's, 3,000 rpm to be exact and runs at 10 kilowatts at this rpm, which is around 12.5 hp.
The main purpose of Hybrid (gas/electric) cars/trucks isnt to run them on electric in general, it is to improve gas mileage and make them burn fuel more efficiently. If you look back in time, 60 years ago, and see throughout the years that our world advances with time, the engines become more efficient.
Now im not calling you a moron, I am just stating the facts. When you were driving your hybrid on the highway, you say your electric motor was not running the vehicle... your correct, your vehicle was running both electric motor and gasoline engine when driving at those highway speeds. If you were to run electric only at those speeds, you would have to recharge the batteries 20 times more frequently as you would put gas in your car.
Your basic hybrid, similiar to Toyota's, will recharge when your either slowing down, or applying the brakes.
Now as for the Honda Insight, which helps in many ways with their electric assist, will also supply electrical power, as well as power from the engine, when climbing hills or accelerating. Keep in mind, this electric motor (design and structure) makes its most power at lower rpm's, 3,000 rpm to be exact and runs at 10 kilowatts at this rpm, which is around 12.5 hp.
The main purpose of Hybrid (gas/electric) cars/trucks isnt to run them on electric in general, it is to improve gas mileage and make them burn fuel more efficiently. If you look back in time, 60 years ago, and see throughout the years that our world advances with time, the engines become more efficient.
Now im not calling you a moron, I am just stating the facts. When you were driving your hybrid on the highway, you say your electric motor was not running the vehicle... your correct, your vehicle was running both electric motor and gasoline engine when driving at those highway speeds. If you were to run electric only at those speeds, you would have to recharge the batteries 20 times more frequently as you would put gas in your car.
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Indeed. I guess I'm behind the curve on that one...
MadMaXXX
Mad Man
They say their getting 50mpg highway on that with that aerodynamic body and and a slightly lean fuel mixture.
If it only were so simple and cost effective to put these new high efficient engines into the old light bodies.
Right, yeah, that's what I read in HondaTuning. They said 48mpg I think, and that's with A/C and P/S attached still...
Celerity
Well-Known Member
Watch out son, I was almost lynched for saying this about MetalStorm.
That company is the bomb-diggity, with a long list of big clients and contracts. "They can't fail" I said.
Penny stocks.
I haven't researched the company and their position in the market so I'm not familar with the specifics. Just be sure that if you're going to play a risky move that you've diversified well enough that your losses can be offset in other less risky sectors. You have a ton of time until you retire, so a risky play now that may pay off millions (if the company is as good as you think - I would be looking at their financials and comparing their ratios to the rest of the industry, along with their own stated position in the market and where the analysts say they are positioned) could be feasible.
Green companies are becoming bigger and bigger plays lately, but none have really paid out as of yet. Something has got to give and either oil will fall back down or alternative energy sources are going to become more and more available. my .02 cents.
Citizen_Insane
Senior Member
Getting good gas mileage in a hybrid is all about how you drive it. You have to drive a completely different style. You can't accelerate fast or it'll kill you mileage and you need to pulse and glide. You use gas to get up to speed and then keep your speed up w/ the electric motor.
You also can't mess up the aerodynamics on a hybrid or you mileage will plummet. Forget about putting a bike on it, you mileage will drop below a normal car because of how little torque you have.
You also can't mess up the aerodynamics on a hybrid or you mileage will plummet. Forget about putting a bike on it, you mileage will drop below a normal car because of how little torque you have.
Man, back in 2000 they were worth up to almost $25 a share, now they're a fraction of a cent.