On Dec 3, 2007 9:27 AM, Gruss Gott <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > On hybrids - overall, I just can't understand how running 2 engines > would ever be more efficient than one, and one that already exists and > is capable of relatively high mileage.
Well, the electric motor is only charged/recharged by braking and by running the electric motor in reverse (effectively) when you engage braking mode going downhill. So the whole system is closed and doesn't draw in external energy beyond the gasoline. It's really just a matter of getting better gas mileage and that's where the "efficiency" comes from. > And if you go completely electric then you still have to get the > energy from someplace which, at least for the next 10 years or so is > going to coal (investment tip: peabody) That's a completely different beast to a Hybrid tho'. But check out Honda's FCX Clarity project which is a car powered by hydrogen gas that takes in air, makes fuel, and expels only water. Hydrogen refueling points are scarce (which is why the Summer 2008 trials of the car will be limited to lease only within the Southern California area) but Honda is working on home energy points - hydrogen refueling systems for the consumer that, in addition to providing hydrogen to refill your FCX, will also generate electricity for the house. Go read the Honda site for more details. It's an interesting project. > So, for me, Hybrids seem like a red herring: something that sounds > good, seems to make sense, but when you look at the numbers doesn't. It makes sense from an energy point of view but for consumers the additional cost of a hybrid propulsion system is unlikely to be recouped over the lifetime of the car. Consumers buy the hybrids more out of a desire to be green. The reduced mileage cost is good but the TCO is usually no better than a gas-only equivalent. -- Sean A Corfield -- (904) 302-SEAN An Architect's View -- http://corfield.org/ "If you're not annoying somebody, you're not really alive." -- Margaret Atwood ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| ColdFusion 8 - Build next generation apps today, with easy PDF and Ajax features - download now http://download.macromedia.com/pub/labs/coldfusion/cf8_beta_whatsnew_052907.pdf Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/message.cfm/messageid:247586 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.5
