The Future of Hybrid Technology

1335 messages, Last post on Oct 07, 2009 at 4:45 AM

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What is this discussion about? Hybrid Cars

What does the future hold? What breakthroughs are just around the corner? The current hybrids are just the starting point. Let's hear your thoughts on what automotive power is going to look like in the years to come!

Outline

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#1276 of 1335 Re: Hybrids R Us (Meet'g The Needs Of Today!) [railroadjames] by falconone Jul 12, 2005 (4:31 am)
Replying to: railroadjames (Jul 11, 2005 8:03 pm) I agree with you! I bet in less than five years there will not be a premium on hybrid versions of cars. I even think if diesel is embraced there won't be a premium on those engines either.
#1277 of 1335 Hydrogen research marches on......... by larsb Jul 12, 2005 (6:43 am)
Very interesting article about the cutting edge of Hydrogen research for hybrids: http://www.labusinessjournal.com/article.asp?aID=995462202.8723971.1166529.5821916.2852667- .116&aID2=89724
#1278 of 1335 Hydrogen Batteries by li_sailor Jul 12, 2005 (8:11 am)
I applaud the advance of hydrogen as an energy storage device...we will certainly need this technology in the future when "easy" on-board fuel is no longer economically viable (we run out of oil). But it's only a stepping stone...the real holy grail is to come up with a clean, abundant, economic soure of energy that can be tapped to be placed into storage. Burning oil to create hydrogen (less efficiently than if it were just made into gas and placed in the tank) gets us nowhere by itself. The vast majority of folks that have heard of hydrogen fuel have no clue about this. At least the LABJ story actually mentions it.
#1279 of 1335 The Hybrid Volta Concept Car revisited - by larsb Nov 09, 2005 (12:41 pm)
We have discussed that car before - WHEW !! 31 MPG for a 408 HP sports car, are you kidding me ?!?!? The "midlife crisis sports car" for Generation Xers in 2012 - The Alessandro Volta !!! ( the oldest Generation Xers will turn 47 in 2012 ) PS I think this belongs in "future hybrids" forum - I'm moving my post...
#1280 of 1335 Hybrid batteries are the future by eaa Nov 09, 2005 (9:51 pm)
Replying to: mirth (May 04, 2005 12:01 pm) EVworld shows that lithium batteries are the next step in hybrids. They are lighter , with more power and last longer. A123 is a new type with 5x capacity and 10x the life. These will also make the plugin hybrid more affordable and they are coming next year from calcars.com and Edrive. Can you save 100+ mpg ? Jim Replies to this message: falconone (Nov 10, 2005 4:59 am)
#1281 of 1335 Re: Hybrid batteries are the future [eaa] by falconone Nov 10, 2005 (4:59 am)
Replying to: eaa (Nov 09, 2005 9:51 pm) Thia may be why Toyota purchased an interest in Fuji Heavy(Subaru). GM divested themselves of ownership (probably needed the cash). Now Toyota has a small piece of a company that is working on those same type of LIon batteries.
#1282 of 1335 Ethanol/Gas combination means 30% more efficiency by larsb Oct 25, 2006 (12:56 pm)
This is an interesting development: MIT Geniuses at it again Researchers at MIT say they can boost mileage in cars by as much as 30 percent, depending on the car, by a carefully planned injection of ethanol in the cylinder. The engine, which is only about half the size of a conventional gas engine, could be on the market in about five years and could add about $1,000 to the cost of a car. That's less than the $3,000 to $5,000 added by a hybrid engine. Thus, consumers will recover the cost more quickly (because the engine uses less gas) and get about the same mileage as a hybrid. If all of today's engines had the technology, MIT estimates, it could cut U.S. auto fuel consumption from 140 billion gallons to 110 billion gallons annually. The ethanol injection suppresses the spontaneous combustion inside the cylinder. Spontaneous combustion creates an aggravating knocking sound, but with the knock eliminated, engine manufacturers can then adopt two design conventions common in diesel engines. With one, the engine can be highly turbocharged, which means that more air and fuel can be squeezed into the chamber. Replies to this message: tpe (Oct 25, 2006 3:42 pm)
#1283 of 1335 Re: Ethanol/Gas combination means 30% more efficiency [larsb] by tpe Oct 25, 2006 (3:42 pm)
Replying to: larsb (Oct 25, 2006 12:56 pm) You want to give anything coming out of MIT some credibility but I don't buy this one. Diesels get better mileage primarily because the diesel fuel contains a greater amount of energy. Injecting more air and fuel will produce greater horsepower but that doesn't create better mileage. Someone could argue that with this ability to generate more power you can now use a smaller displacement engine. Smaller engines don't equate to 30% greater mileage. At least not with today's modern ICE's.
#1284 of 1335 GM plans 11 hybrids, Toyota up to 14 by the early 2010s by larsb Oct 27, 2006 (7:17 am)
How GM plans to keep up with Toyota's "green-ness" In addition to the Saturn Vue, GM plans 11 other hybrid models over the next few years, including full-size SUVs such as the Chevrolet Tahoe and pickups such as the GMC Sierra, both redesigned this year. Toyota sold 235,000 hybrids worldwide last year, and said in June it plans to double its hybrid models to 14 by early in the next decade and sell 1 million of them annually as early as 2010. GM's first true hybrid, the Saturn Vue Greenline, went on sale this month. Looks like the "hybrid war" is ON BABY !!! Replies to this message: terry92270 (Oct 27, 2006 8:12 am)
#1285 of 1335 Re: GM plans 11 hybrids, Toyota up to 14 by the early 2010s [larsb] by terry92270 Oct 27, 2006 (8:12 am)
Replying to: larsb (Oct 27, 2006 7:17 am) Unless it is home loans, through its Ditech unit, I really wonder if GM has the ability to compete anymore, in a serious way....