Car Tech: Poll: Would you consider buying a hybrid or alternative-fuel car?
- 5/3/07 11:55 AM
Poll: Would you consider buying a hybrid or alternative-fuel car?
by Lee Koo (ADMIN) - 5/3/07 11:55 AM
Would you consider buying a hybrid or alternative-fuel car?
-- Yes (Which one?)
-- No (Why not?)
-- Maybe someday (What's holding you back now?)
-- I already own a hybrid or alternative-fuel car (Which one, and what do you think of it?)
On our second hybrid.
by R. Proffitt - 5/2/07 6:29 PM
In reply to: Poll: Would you consider buying a hybrid or alternative-fuel car? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
In 2002 we chose the 2003 Honda Civic Hybrid. It turned out to be out of Honda's best efforts to date. We sent our son to college with that car last year and since Honda did so well on the 2003 we picked out the 2006 Civic Hybrid. I can only say I wish Honda has done as well as they did in the 2003 to 2005 models.
While it's a hybrid, in northern climes you will notice it's mileage to be within a handful of MPG to it's non hybrid model. The magic is gone and I regret not doing more research. Don't bother with the 2006 or 2007 Honda Civic hybrid till they correct the software. You can find out more on other forums about this issue.
Today you'll want the Prius.
--> If that Chevy Volt was for sale we'd get that next.
Bob
Hybird Cars
by ws6vivi - 5/3/07 4:28 AM In reply to: On our second hybrid. by R. Proffitt
I know that the trend is going towards people buying hybrid cars. My husband and I own 2 Corvettes, we belong to a corvette club here in Chattanooga and I am from era where hotrods where the big thing and we raced them up and down the street. We just sold our 62 chevy street rod that I raced here at the racetrack. It had 535hp. We have 2 cars and a motorcycle that takes premium gas. I personally love this! I would not change this for anything.
Another person misled by the big oil companies :(
by stephmipar - 5/5/07 10:04 AM In reply to: Hybird Cars by ws6viviTo the lady complaining about owning two Corvettes and old school muscle cars, I have good news! Sure the current trend toward hybrid technology is low powered vehicles or in the case of some bigger vehicles, improved gas mileage with the same power. Electric and Electric Fuel Cell cars do have far more efficiency and are far more powerful than any gasoline engine period! In fact, electric motors have far more torque than any gas or diesel engine. Because electric motors are 70-80% efficient and gas engines are only about 30-35% efficient, much more of the power gets used in moving the vehicle. The problem has been so far that a pure electric vehicle using only battery technology is very difficult because battery technology is still stuck in the Stone Age. Fuel cells are the only real way to supply the power needed for long distances and plenty of horsepower. These vehicles do exist, GM builds Fuel Cell trucks for the military and Iceland has a huge amount of Fuel Cell vehicles due to their geographic advantage to generating the hydrogen cheaply. If we can just convince the oil companies to switch over to hydrogen production using electrolysis from places like Lake Meade and Lake Powell in the Southwest where they could use solar power to separate the water into hydrogen and oxygen, maybe we can get away from their resistance to getting rid of oil! And before any environmentalists start going off about destroying water, the fuel cell process produces electricity giving off water as the by product. So all you are doing is changing the water into its separate elemental components for use in the vehicle which combines them back together as water again. No harm no foul! The plant can either release the oxygen back to the environment or use a little for medical use, which mostly gets released back in the atmosphere anyway, since people don't convert all of the oxygen they breathe to carbon dioxide.
>>
Hybird Cars
by ws6vivi - 5/3/07 4:28 AM
In reply to: On our second hybrid. by R. Proffitt
I know that the trend is going towards people buying hybrid cars. My husband and I own 2 Corvettes, we belong to a corvette club here in Chattanooga and I am from era where hotrods where the big thing and we raced them up and down the street. We just sold our 62 chevy street rod that I raced here at the racetrack. It had 535hp. We have 2 cars and a motorcycle that takes premium gas. I personally love this! I would not change this for anything.
>>
Another person trying to mislead people
by Andy77e - 7/8/07 2:07 PM In reply to: Another person misled by the big oil companies :( by stephmiparTo the guy who makes up stuff not found in other peoples posts.
Read the young women's post carefully, where was she "complaining"? It's not there. Since you clearly didn't read her post, perhaps I can make a highlight of it: "I personally love this! I would not change this for anything." How, exactly, do you pretend this clear expression of enjoyment of ones vehicle of choice, is a complaint?
Where do you see her say "I got this pamphlet from the oil companies and realized, yes my gas engine is the best thing on the planet!"?
Get a grip. Not everyone is always unhappy with what they have. Not everyone is complaining about everything in life. Not everyone cares about efficiency ratings and "who killed the electric car". Some people are happy with what they drive. Some people are satisfied with their lot in life. Some people are not consumed with what "big oil" "big three" "big whatever" is doing, nor do they blame them for every insignificant thing that happens in their lives.
You want to talk about new technologies that are out there? Great. But I have a huge problem with you dumping on a young women who is enjoying her car. You have no right to try and steal someone else's joy just because you have some personal problem with the thing they are enjoying.
To the young women, enjoy your husband, your family, and your corvettes and your club, and do not ever let any sniveling weasel try and take that away. This is America, we have freedom, and that is all there is to it.
Keep an open mind
by MiaDoraMeiners - 12/20/07 4:08 PM In reply to: Another person trying to mislead people by Andy77eToday is great. Tommorrow will also be great. The day after that will most likely be great too. In 50 years you and I will be dead, that won't be so great. But I have a 2 year old daughter, and she, good Lord willing and the creek don't rise, will have a family. I would be so happy for her if her days were like my days, great. But what will the world be like in the future? How can we set goals for a time that will not include us? It's easy actually. Take care of the planet now and the planet will take care of you. Your comments were closed minded because you are only thinking about the "here and now". Well, that is your right. But those of us with children can't help but to consider all things, "the here and now", the future for our children and our children's children.
A manual transmission car will do the same job
by opus11 - 5/3/07 3:54 PM In reply to: On our second hybrid. by R. Proffitt
A car equipped with manual transmission will do the same MPG job as a hybrid with auto transmission.
Why pay the higher price for hybrid. Just a little trainning on driving skill, you will have the greener car, and save the firefighter from the headache of hybrid car accident.
I don't think so!
by john_zocco - 5/3/07 11:31 PM In reply to: A manual transmission car will do the same job by opus11I had a Honda Civic with a 5-speed manual. The best I could do is 28 mpg, mostly 70% city/30% freeway. I know this guy who had an old Daewoo Daihatsu with a manual; he got around 40 mpg. I just bought a new Toyota Prius. I had it for only a month. I just filled it up and got 43 mpg, about 70% city/30% freeway. The Prius is classified as a midsized car, and believe me it is very roomy inside. It drives like a regular car, and while I won't win any races, I have no trouble passing or merging on the freeway. Even little cars like the Toyota Yaris and Honda Fit with a manual don't come close to the fuel efficiency of the Prius. Unless you have a little subcompact with a 1.0 liter engine and 60 horses, and you drive like a turtle, maybe you can come close to getting 40 mpg. Read Consumer Reports. They rated the Prius as the most fuel efficient car in North America, followed by the Honda Civic Hybrid, the Toyota Camry Hybrid, the Toyota Yaris (manual) & the Honda Fit (manual). What do you drive?
Uh, no it won't
by Mactrekr - 5/4/07 8:04 AM In reply to: A manual transmission car will do the same job by opus11That's just about the most rediculous thing I've ever heard. Do you work for Shell Oil??
I don't think so.
by feelinjunky - 5/5/07 1:55 PM In reply to: Uh, no it won't by MactrekrDo you even know how a hybrid works? Read up on HEV's before posting possible nonsense.
If you're convinced that manuals and hybrids are in the same ballpark regarding gas mileage, name any manual car, equivalent to the Toyota Prius, that gets anywhere near its gas mileage and is roughly the same size (not some 1 seater 1 liter engine, 1 cubic meter intertior space turtle shell of a car...).
manual tranny vs hybrid
by beninabox - 5/4/07 1:28 PM In reply to: A manual transmission car will do the same job by opus11Good in theory, but there are very few cars out there that have manual transmissions these days, sad to say.
maybe in the US
by cb_anthony - 5/4/07 7:12 PM In reply to: manual tranny vs hybrid by beninaboxIt does seem that the number of manual transmission cars in the US has dropped in recent years, but I believe they are still in huge numbers abroad. One country, the Philippines, has a tremendous number of manual transmission vehicles and I would not be surprised if the case is similar in other countries where the price of an automatic transmission is too high a premium or where fuel conservation is a high priority.
That being said, I have heard that CVTs or Continuously Variable Transmissions can give very close efficiency numbers when compared to manual transmissions. I have also heard that they are easier to service when compared to regular automatics, but I'm not sure whether it is true or not. Perhaps some other knowledgeable person can weigh in on the how beneficial CVTs are and why most of the hybrids I have read about seem to use them.
I do not understand it.
by Andy77e - 5/4/07 7:52 PM In reply to: maybe in the US by cb_anthonyCVT are easier to service on motorbikes and other small motorized crafts. They are not so much on cars. Parts are hard to find, and difficult to install. CVTs also have worse efficiency numbers than automatics.
In other countries, I understand that CVTs are the norm. But as of yet, I have not found a reason to why. I'm still looking. There MUST be a reason to use them, but currently a regular automatic would have better MPG, and cheaper manufacturing, easier maintenance.
But there MUST be a reason they are using them... I just haven't found any yet.
wikipedia says...
by cb_anthony - 5/4/07 8:20 PM In reply to: I do not understand it. by Andy77eI still don't know anything definitive about the pros and cons of CVTs but Wikipedia has some information. Apparently, Infinitely Variable Transmissions are a type of CVT and they are more efficient than the standard sort. Of course, due to Wikipedia's flexible nature, I am never sure if what I read there is actually true. He's a link to the article for the more technically inclined. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continuously_variable_transmission
Several types of CVTs
by albizzia - 5/27/07 5:46 PM In reply to: I do not understand it. by Andy77eThe reasons for using Continuously Variable Transmissions are many, including being able to keep the engine near its most efficient RPM, maximizing fuel economy even when the road speed varies. There is no gearshift hesitation, so acceleration is smooth and uninterrupted. There are usually fewer moving parts, and CVTs can be less expensive than other transmissions. CVT is inherent in the hybrid designs of Toyota, Ford, and Nissan.
There are several different types of CVTs. The two most commonly used in cars are the "cone and belt" type, and the "planetary geared electric" type.
Cone and belt CVT is like a pully belt, with 2 sets of cones used for pullys. The cones can be moved in or out to vary the effective pully diameter, thus varying the speed. Friction, wear, and belt slippage under high torque loads are a problem, though the use of steel belts have made it reliable enough for light duty automotive use.
The planetary geared electric CVT has a planetary gearset and two motor/generators to vary the speed. There is no clutch, no torque converter. There is little friction or wear, and the torque is limited only by what the motors can produce. This CVT type is extremely reliable, with fewer moving parts than other transmissions. This design is used by Toyota, Ford, and Nissan. The GM "two mode" CVT is similar but more complicated, with two planetary gearsets and some clutches.
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