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#2 of 330 Re: PLUGIN HYBRIDS [eaa] by gagrice Mar 31, 2006 (3:49 pm)
Replying to: eaa (Mar 31, 2006 2:39 pm) Just like PCs and Digital cameras and Cellphones it will become cheaper and better each month.   They will more than likely get better. I don't think they will get cheaper. They have not gotten cheaper for all other electronic devices. Plug-ins will only be for the gungho hybrid enthusiasts for a long time. Who in their right mind is going to toss out their warranty on a Prius to get a few more miles to the gallon? Replies to this message: jim314 (Apr 06, 2006 9:20 am) rorr (Apr 06, 2006 10:30 am) jim314 (Apr 06, 2006 6:48 pm)
#3 of 330 Re: PLUGIN HYBRIDS [gagrice] by jim314 Apr 06, 2006 (9:20 am)
Replying to: gagrice (Mar 31, 2006 3:49 pm) The risk from spending $10k to make your Prius a plug-in hybrid is small compared to many of the risks that people are taking all over the place. Do you think there is a risk in buying a sports car capable of doing 160 mph? How about bicycling on the same roads as cars? Motorcycling? What about hang-gliding, soaring, or light aviation? Mountain climbing? What about having a pitcher of beer most nights? I won't mention other stuff that's really risky, but that many, many people do all the time just for the thrill. Replies to this message: rorr (Apr 06, 2006 10:30 am) jim314 (Apr 06, 2006 6:48 pm)
#4 of 330 another new plugin hybrid Saab E100 hybrid by eaa Apr 06, 2006 (10:05 am)
Saab ,GM just announced a new plugin hybrid that also runs on 100% ethanol. It's also a convertible. see http://www.greencarcongress.com/2006/03/saab_to_introdu.html
#5 of 330 Re: PLUGIN HYBRIDS [jim314] by rorr Apr 06, 2006 (10:30 am)
Replying to: jim314 (Apr 06, 2006 9:20 am) " I won't mention other stuff that's really risky, but that many, many people do all the time just for the thrill."   Are you saying that people would spend $10k to convert the Prius into a plug-in hybrid for the THRILL of it? I guess some folks DO get some sort of visceral delight out of thinking they're 'screwing' the oil companies.   Imagine - needing to take a long, cold shower after commuting home in your plug-in hybrid..... Replies to this message: jim314 (Apr 06, 2006 6:48 pm)
#6 of 330 Re: PLUGIN HYBRIDS [rorr] by jim314 Apr 06, 2006 (6:48 pm)
Replying to: rorr (Apr 06, 2006 10:30 am) People could get a kick out of having a plug in hybrid in the same vein as people getting a kick out of driving a 400 or 500 hp sports car that can do 1 g turns at speed.   When they got home they wouldn't take a cold shower, but rather one at exactly the optimum temperature with solar heated water coming out of an ultra low flow shower head which can be controlled to emit a near supersonic mist with a nifty white noise hiss.   When they have guests (or if they have had a hard day and think, "Screw the world!") they can switch the head to ordinary ultralowflow, but they don't feel guilty because all the grey water (including the shower) is conducted out to the xeriscaped grounds.
#7 of 330 Prius-2008 will be Plugin by yerth10 Apr 24, 2006 (12:47 pm)
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2006/04/toyota_ratchets.html#more   Prius-2008 will have 9 mile (14.5 km) plugin range. Replies to this message: cs1992 (Apr 30, 2006 1:39 pm)
#8 of 330 Plug in hybrids..the real sloution? by cs1992 Apr 30, 2006 (1:39 pm)
Replying to: yerth10 (Apr 24, 2006 12:47 pm) A 9 mile electric range is a start for the next Prius. Whether or not it can obtain highway speed on the electric motor alone remains to be seen.   If this is possible, it represents about a 25% decrease in the average fuel consumption of a many motorists (someone who travels ~12-13k miles per year).   Think of the possibilities with a range of 40 miles on battery power alone. (40x365=14600 miles). Someone, somewhere has got to be able to achieve this!
#9 of 330 What about photovoltaics? by nomorebenz May 03, 2006 (4:50 pm)
Think about it. Expand the battery capacity add a solar panel on the roof. Commute to work - use the charge. Work your shift - battery charges. Go home - use the charge. And for those rainy cloudy days, you have the ICE.
#10 of 330 100 MPG by bobbymcgee1980 May 15, 2006 (3:50 pm)
I think the 100MPG number for plug-in hybrids is misleading. You may only burn 1 gallon to go that hundred miles, but that one gallon of gas will not be what propels your car that far. Coal will be. Or natural gas. Or Uranium, or wind, or whatever your local electricuty company feeds into your grid. It's like putting a gallon of gas in the trunk of your electric car, and saying you're getting an infinite range on that gallon of gas. You're not. You're using a different fuel source.   Now, on a side note, here's my idea for energy independence. Offer an X-Prize type award, say $20 million, to the first carmaker, foreign or domestic, that brings to market in the US an all electric, battery powered midsize sedan that will run 150 miles 80 MPH on a single charge, can recharge in under 5 minutes, and can sell for a profit under $30,000. Granted, the technology to build this car does not exist today, but dangle a $20 million carrot in front of the carmakers' noses, and you'd be amazed at the innovations they can produce. Replies to this message: gagrice (May 15, 2006 4:44 pm) eaa (May 15, 2006 5:07 pm) gagrice (May 15, 2006 6:25 pm)
#11 of 330 Re: 100 MPG [bobbymcgee1980] by gagrice May 15, 2006 (4:44 pm)
Replying to: bobbymcgee1980 (May 15, 2006 3:50 pm) but dangle a $20 million carrot in front of the carmakers' noses, and you'd be amazed at the innovations they can produce.   Bill Clinton dangled a $2 billion carrot, and we got the EV1 from GM. They are all crushed and stacked in the desert. In all fairness the nickel metal hydride battery was a result of that carrot. As I am sure you know batteries are the key. So far nothing out there is practical for the range and power you are looking for. I imagine several 100 million more will be spent before we see the electric car we want. There are some $100k electric cars that are fast. Just no real range.

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