Hybrid vehicles

[MadImmortalMan]

Turbo Diesels love the Earth the most.

Best mpgs, no evil lithium, lighter weight, don't burn coal. If you live in a place that gets most of your residential electricity that way, your Chevy Volt may as well be running on coal.

[Iormlund]

Total car weight != powerplant/battery weight. There are a lot of ways for engineers to compensate for the weight of batteries (reduced range, performance, faster degradation of batteries, more expensive materials, etc). None are free.

If the engineers compensate for the weight of the battery, why does it matter if we're talking battery weight over car weight? When it comes to pushing the car forward, total weight is what counts. Seems a non-issue.

There's a rather big difference between something being possible, and being a non-issue.

[Iormlund]

Best mpgs, no evil lithium, lighter weight, don't burn coal. If you live in a place that gets most of your residential electricity that way, your Chevy Volt may as well be running on coal.

Yes. Though ICEs have typical efficiencies in the low tens. Power plants, even accounting for transmission losses are much better. However even despite that coal is still the worst way of obtaining energy when it comes to pollution.

[merithyn]

I like the idea of encouraging alternative energy options. Even if the hybrids aren't The Best (r) at the moment, I like that by buying a hybrid, I'm paying into the idea that people are interested in finding alternatives to petroleum products. It may cost a bit more, and may not be all that much better at the moment, but it's paying into research for something better next time around.

[Admiral Yi]

My dad's Prius has plenty of space but shyte pickup.

[Iormlund]

Electric drives are already ubiquitous (and much more efficient than ICEs) and have been for over a century.

As for batteries, buying 70 kg of ancient NiMH doesn't really help that much. That tech is just nowhere near good enough, and I doubt a further evolutioned product will be. Fortunately there are more than enough incentives for advanced battery/supercapacitor research, not just for transportation, but for anything from consumer electronics to medical or military applications. Whoever ends up cornering the market with a revolutionary design is going to be absurdly rich.

[Ed Anger]

My dad's Prius has plenty of space but shyte pickup.

He does alright in the legroom department? I tried a Prius a few moons ago and thought I was squeezed in the legroom department.

[Admiral Yi]

He does alright in the legroom department? I tried a Prius a few moons ago and thought I was squeezed in the legroom department.

I feel fine in the passenger seat, and I'm a big strapping buck.

Feels like I'm sitting up kind of high though.

[lustindarkness]

Meri, the question is, why hybrid?
If it is to save the planet, it is worst for the enviroment than a non hybrid car.
MPG? There are better options.
Can't think of any other reason why someone would want one. 

Esplain to me, please.

I'm sorry I don't have time right now to search for it, but I read an article of how the carbon footprint to build a hybrid was crazy, the batteries are terrible for the environment, and you still end up paying more for a vehicle that gives you the same MPG than other vehicles available. All they are selling you with current tech and prices is feelgoodism.

[Ed Anger]

Enjoy!

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R41709.pdf

[sbr]

Fuck Hybrids.

Yes, let's continue to throw money at the Arabs for their oil.

[CountDeMoney]

Make sure you put a stick-figure family on the back window. That always delights passers-by who have a genuine interest in your private life.