Would you buy a hybrid car?

[KLB]

For those who are considering buying a new car, one stop in researching your car buying decission should be http://www.fueleconomy.gov.

 

This site is by the EPA and it has lots of great information about all makes and models of cars sold in the U.S. It will help you choose the most fuel efficent vehicle for the class of vehicle you are interested in buying and help you compare the amount of emissions and green house gasses each vehicle produces. One thing I discovered is that within one car model there may be several different emissions standards the car is being designed to meet. This site will tell you how to tell which emissions standards the individual car you are buying is designed to meet. You can even do side by side comparisons of different vehicles and links are provided to the NTSA crash test ratings from the side by side comparisons. This is a really useful site.

[SquarePeg]

My answer to efficient transportation

[Norman Albers]

Very cool concept of this zippy little three-wheeler. Is it an hydraulically active suspension tilt that counteracts the otherwise tipping instability of tricycles???

[SquarePeg]

That's correct! More information here.

[Norman Albers]

Nice system, makes me nostalgic for my BMW R-600 motorcycle, which I gave up after getting piano tuning tools and appointments (thirty years ago). Don't high speed rail cars do a similar swing so diners don't? I never thought about the old motocycle sidecars' suspension; were they pivoted at least so the driver can lean?

[zyncod]

Atheist -

Other. I´m quite happy without a car till now.

 

Second: you don't realize what an incredible hassle a car is until it's gone. At least if you've owned a Geo Storm, which, while fuel-efficient, is a piece of crap. It takes longer to get around, yes, but the peace of mind is sooo worth it. Plus you get to read instead of sitting in traffic.

[ed84c]

Ye who charges me less insurance for a hybrid car can have my babies. I dont see why that should be the case though.

[SquarePeg]

The Clever Car is cheaper to buy *and* has better fuel economy than a hybrid car.

[AL]

The Clever Car is cheaper to buy *and* has better fuel economy than a hybrid car.

The Clever Car I've heard of runs on natural gas, so fuel economy isn't really comparable, unless we compare prices. Bear in mind that there aren't too many natural gas service stations either (at least not in the U.S., but maybe in other parts of the world), and you pay a premium in inconvenience to boot.

[GeneG83]

I would by a hybid car if they finally come up with one that a) doesnt look like a hybrid car and b) offers some performance features.

[Norman Albers]

Twenty years ago I kept a Honda Civic in tune and three of us drove a thousand km. and back. We went with a tailwind and returned against it. Mileage on the way down was 43 mpg, and back, 41-42. That engine (like a sewing machine inside) had CCCV, namely, a third valve to inlet a richer mixture right near the sparkplug. It was a smaller intake valve. This was a small, competent sedan.

[tomgwyther]

I wouldn't buy one for this very simple reason:

 

Hybrid, electric and hydrogen powered cars are BAD for the enviroment.

 

HYBRID CAR

While you drive the engine burns fuel not only to power the car but has to burn extra fuel to charge the battery,

When you switch to battery power, the total amount of energy output is less than the energy you inputed

you've burned extra fuel,

a hybrid does about 40mpg, a small diesel engine car will do 60mpg with fewer emissions (Buy a Diesel!)

 

ELECTRIC CAR

the vehicle itself is clean, but the electricity needed comes from burning fossil fuels, coal or gas mainly, which are far more polluting than Petrolium spirit based fuels.

 

HYDROGEN CAR

The easiest way to get a steady source of hydrodgen is through electrolosis, again we'd be using electricity produced from dirty fossil fuels.

coal is about 90% innefficient, petrol (gasoline) about 30%

Diesel engine operate at a much lower RPM so burn less fuel per mile too.

 

Be good to the enviroment and buy a Diesel, or better still, buy a horse and use it's 'exhaust' as compost!!!

[FriedChicken]

I would rather buy a volkswagen Jetta TDI, and pump it with biodiesel.

[Mokele]

Well, I'd only buy a hybird if it was a sturdy car; I'll willingly admit that I'm not a very good driver and as a result I conisder major accidents to be a large possibility, and I'd prefer to live through them.

 

That said, in spite of my car burning gas, I'd not get rid of it because it's more efficient not to: I drive approximately 3 miles a week, and if I sold my car and bought a new one, I'd probably go through 3 years worth of gas in the process.

 

Oh, that and I refuse to ever, ever buy a new car. They're a total waste of money. Best to wait for about 5-10 years and buy them then, if it's a good brand and hasn't fallen apart by then.

 

Mokele

[Norman Albers]

Yes, the small diesel sounds good. A young friend once made some here and it is pretty cool, except he spilled enough that went rancid and smelled up my downwind space. Not to mention open fire in the middle of fire season, so I had to boot him out. It is a great idea in the right place, industrially, and you really do smell french fries, it's cool!

[Thales]

In terms of concern about performance I believe Chrysler and Smart have created purely electric (lithium-ion) motors and retrofitted them to the crossfire and that small smart car. They have managed to yield better acceleration because the mass of the car is significantly reduced by replacing the heavy mechanical engine with a lighter composite electric one.

 

I haven't got time to google it but I think it was a brain child of MIT...

[J77]

Absolutely no need for a car - although I have one sitting in my gf's drive in England...

[Norman Albers]

ELECTRIC CAR

the vehicle itself is clean' date=' but the electricity needed comes from burning fossil fuels, coal or gas mainly, which are far more polluting than Petrolium spirit based fuels.

 

HYDROGEN CAR

The easiest way to get a steady source of hydrodgen is through electrolosis, again we'd be using electricity produced from dirty fossil fuels.

coal is about 90% innefficient, petrol (gasoline) about 30%

Diesel engine operate at a much lower RPM so burn less fuel per mile too.

 

Be good to the enviroment and buy a Diesel, or better still, buy a horse and use it's 'exhaust' as compost!!![/quote']

Tom, I agree with much of what you say, but isn't methane the best fossil fuel, since CH4 burns to one CO2 and two water molecules? Also, you need to complete a comparison of efficiencies by noting the optimization of the motor. Basically I do agree with your conclusion, though, that hybrids are not that much gain yet.

[Norman Albers]

In terms of concern about performance I believe Chrysler and Smart have created purely electric (lithium-ion) motors and retrofitted them to the crossfire and that small smart car. They have managed to yield better acceleration because the mass of the car is significantly reduced by replacing the heavy mechanical engine with a lighter composite electric one.

 

Are you describing an electric 'plugin' with lithium-ion batteries?

[RichF]

My diesel would put a Accord Hybrid to shame! Not to mention that I'm running off of 20% biodiesel and could run 100% if state regulations would allow it. Imagine that, running your car off of home grown crops, getting 40+ mpg, negligible emissions and helping out your fellow farmer! I've thought about setting up a reactor to convert used veggie oil into biodiesel but I haven't had the time or patience.

 

Now if you start talking hybrid diesel, my ears will perk up but the EPA has made that impossible for a few years....70-90mpg is what I've read. Here's to 2008!

 

Gas hybrid..big woop, lots of cash not that great of a return but I guess it's better than the alternative. Michelin holds an event every year if anyone is interested...."The Bibendum Challenge"....vehicle entries below.

 

http://gestdoc.webmichelin.com/repository/DocumentRepositoryServlet?codeDocument=2116&codeRepository=CHALLENGE&codeRubrique=docs_2006

[boxhead]

neither hybrid nor oil, wont buy at all.

[bob000555]

As soon as the make a hybrid sports car i'll drive it