Hybrid Electric
Let me set the record straight; the hybrid does not yield disappointing gas mileage! My Honda Civic in real world highway driving, with traffic at moderate speeds of 55 or so, yields 50 mpg or slightly better. At aggressive driving speeds of 65 to 75, it gets 47 mpg, in town about 43.7 and that includes a steep hill of over 800’ both ways from home.
Because I read in many places an assertion that the hybrids are not worth the extra cost and don’t get the economy promised, I have asked every Prius and Honda owner I meet what their experience has been and I get the same answer. In every case, the mileage has been as good as or better than expected.
I can believe that car salesmen, who do not know or that have no hybrids to offer, would spin such misinformation, but I believe that it goes deeper than that. The oil monopolies, cartels and multinationals are understandably desperate to maintain their market position. The history of petroleum, suppressing technology, which would enhance economy as well as electric based public transportation is no secrete. What happened to California’s electric cars? If many of us drove electrics, the price of gas would come down, would it not?
Despite our country’s desperate need to advance beyond fossil fuel, first for the political expediency of energy independence and secondly, because of the energy scarcity and thus high price that future supply and demand for petroleum dictates, our entire petroleum based energy infrastructure will try to keep us from changing out of petroleum until the bitter end.
It is once again a matter of disruptive technology, in this case, a strategic necessity. If we cannot influence our leaders to act, we must act ourselves and to our own self advantage. The car salesman does not know about the hybrid’s significant money savings on the cost of break pads and the wear on the brakes, resulting from its regenerative breaking. The salesman too will be ignorant of the lower cost of electricity, running that electric motor, compared to the cost of fuel for an internal combustion engine. Whether the electric energy comes from the grid, solar, wind or fuel cells, (utilizing propane, methane, hydrogen or one of the halogen reactions,) the electric engine remains enormously more efficient than the internal combustion engine. The thermo dynamics are complex but the results are astounding, and the cost of electricity is far less, at least from the grid, than for an equivalent use of fossil fuels.
The hybrid advances the evolution and serves as a stepwise transition away from internal combustion towards some form of electric. What the Japanese version of the Prius and Honda offer, is a button on the dashboard that allows the car to run on pure electricity. The Prius does this rather better for a couple of reasons, but the point is, we are moving in the right direction. Think what it would be like to run out of gas, press the all-electric button, and cruise into the nearest filling station. The electricity gained by the regenerative breaking while driving to town, down West Hill Road, about 800 feet, is almost enough to power the car back up the hill. Think about that.
The auto manufacturers seem bent on feeding us yet bigger and bigger engines. The small hatchback, really a town car, now comes with a 300 hp V8. It would be unsafe without its stability control. My Honda will not make 60 in 4.5 sec but it has plenty of low-end torque. I do not miss the power. The Honda Civic handles like a dream. The interior easily justifies the modest price of $22,000. The regenerative breaking alone further justifies the added cost, less than $1800. (I calculate the pay back at 4 years or less with $3 gas if gas were the only consideration.) I could spend that much on a navigation system, which would not work anyway in Alaska. And, speaking of Alaska, I don’t worry about cold starts. There is enough soup in the battery and starter to start a hundred cars. The only problem last winter was road clearance with deep snow. The Ford Hybrid Escape solves that one, but I like my Honda. I will be circumspect on deep snowy days until the driveway gets plowed.
What I would like to see, is a 4WD sedan or hatchback with hybrid electric stronger on the electric, with an option of driving pure electric, a plug in version that only needs gas on long road trips. A small engine, more of an APU should sufice for long range power, and I would give it a solar panel as well. No, I don't think a wind generator would give added boost, but I don't think it will be long before we see an electric on the race track. Too, there seems a rapid advance in lithium ion cell phone and i-pod batteries. That wave of advancing technology will be interesting to watch, once we get past the recall.
FYI
Because I read in many places an assertion that the hybrids are not worth the extra cost and don’t get the economy promised, I have asked every Prius and Honda owner I meet what their experience has been and I get the same answer. In every case, the mileage has been as good as or better than expected.
I can believe that car salesmen, who do not know or that have no hybrids to offer, would spin such misinformation, but I believe that it goes deeper than that. The oil monopolies, cartels and multinationals are understandably desperate to maintain their market position. The history of petroleum, suppressing technology, which would enhance economy as well as electric based public transportation is no secrete. What happened to California’s electric cars? If many of us drove electrics, the price of gas would come down, would it not?
Despite our country’s desperate need to advance beyond fossil fuel, first for the political expediency of energy independence and secondly, because of the energy scarcity and thus high price that future supply and demand for petroleum dictates, our entire petroleum based energy infrastructure will try to keep us from changing out of petroleum until the bitter end.
It is once again a matter of disruptive technology, in this case, a strategic necessity. If we cannot influence our leaders to act, we must act ourselves and to our own self advantage. The car salesman does not know about the hybrid’s significant money savings on the cost of break pads and the wear on the brakes, resulting from its regenerative breaking. The salesman too will be ignorant of the lower cost of electricity, running that electric motor, compared to the cost of fuel for an internal combustion engine. Whether the electric energy comes from the grid, solar, wind or fuel cells, (utilizing propane, methane, hydrogen or one of the halogen reactions,) the electric engine remains enormously more efficient than the internal combustion engine. The thermo dynamics are complex but the results are astounding, and the cost of electricity is far less, at least from the grid, than for an equivalent use of fossil fuels.
The hybrid advances the evolution and serves as a stepwise transition away from internal combustion towards some form of electric. What the Japanese version of the Prius and Honda offer, is a button on the dashboard that allows the car to run on pure electricity. The Prius does this rather better for a couple of reasons, but the point is, we are moving in the right direction. Think what it would be like to run out of gas, press the all-electric button, and cruise into the nearest filling station. The electricity gained by the regenerative breaking while driving to town, down West Hill Road, about 800 feet, is almost enough to power the car back up the hill. Think about that.
The auto manufacturers seem bent on feeding us yet bigger and bigger engines. The small hatchback, really a town car, now comes with a 300 hp V8. It would be unsafe without its stability control. My Honda will not make 60 in 4.5 sec but it has plenty of low-end torque. I do not miss the power. The Honda Civic handles like a dream. The interior easily justifies the modest price of $22,000. The regenerative breaking alone further justifies the added cost, less than $1800. (I calculate the pay back at 4 years or less with $3 gas if gas were the only consideration.) I could spend that much on a navigation system, which would not work anyway in Alaska. And, speaking of Alaska, I don’t worry about cold starts. There is enough soup in the battery and starter to start a hundred cars. The only problem last winter was road clearance with deep snow. The Ford Hybrid Escape solves that one, but I like my Honda. I will be circumspect on deep snowy days until the driveway gets plowed.
What I would like to see, is a 4WD sedan or hatchback with hybrid electric stronger on the electric, with an option of driving pure electric, a plug in version that only needs gas on long road trips. A small engine, more of an APU should sufice for long range power, and I would give it a solar panel as well. No, I don't think a wind generator would give added boost, but I don't think it will be long before we see an electric on the race track. Too, there seems a rapid advance in lithium ion cell phone and i-pod batteries. That wave of advancing technology will be interesting to watch, once we get past the recall.
FYI
posted by Clancy Hughes | 9/03/2006 03:08:00 PM
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