a case for hybrids..urban driving
There are two primary reasons for the push for hybrids. One is, they feature regenerative braking, which gives them better mileage in stop and go traffic, plus the engine shuts off at stops and at low speeds, reducing pollution, they don't sit there idling wasting fuel and dumping pollution in traffic jams.
The other is, with the introduction of plug in hybrids, the ability to go a fair commuter distance and not run the ICE at all, meaning they can be charged from the grid or your own say solar panel and battery bank array system (which some guys have done, like with the electric Rangers they got to keep).
They are really trying to eliminate the heat and smog island effect in densely populated areas. They really have made a difference in densely populated areas with the dreaded smog controls on engines just in general terms. I remember before any smog controls and inside cities the air quality was really really bad. It still sucks today, but it has gotten a lot better. Hybrids just take that concept to the next step. Hybrids are a *transitional* stage in automotive development. They are the best we can do right now with semi affordable tech.
With that said, I am not much in favor of hybrids like we have now, because of the engineering, having two motive sources and the fuel storage for both in a single vehicle. Too much weight and complexity crammed into a small package. It works, but....
I prefer-just theoretically-a pure electric for light commuting vehicles, then an add-on generator-holding trailer for long distance driving, say for that weekend ride to gram maws or whatever. I call it the "modular hybrid" approach. You get the best of both worlds then, plus, having a heavy duty generator kicking around your garage is good anyway, for a host of obvious reasons. And for folks living in apartments or townhomes, they could always be just rented for the occasional trip.
From what I have read, the average commute in the US is 33 miles, meaning a range of say 50-100 miles is more than enough for a ton of driving that is done in the US, using tech that is out there right now. No real need for a three hundred mile range on batteries, when you could just hook up the genny trailer for that long trip on the weekends.
I'm talking sedans now, not the dudes who simply must have a v-8 diesel and haul and carry tons of stuff everyday. I mean folks who go work in offices and shops, etc and just need to haul themselves and kids and groceries around. Small sedans fit that niche, that's why we have them. Giant Canyoneros ain't for everyone or for every reason. Even sedans that get good mileage still dump their pollution inside the "urban island" area at stops and stuck in traffic jams or moving real slow, so anything running on batteries then is at an advantage. Plus, electric motors have instant maximum torque, meaning they are better suited for stop and go driving. Go, it works, stop, it is completely shut off. makes a huge difference in what is dumped into the atmosphere right there.
Yes, it is just moving the pollution over to the local coal plant or whatever, but it is easier to run one big sophisticated scrubber as opposed to the complexities they have had to add on to ICE powered vehicles to get them to the still pitiful 30% or so efficiency/conversion stage. A generating plant car run upwards of 90% efficient, some big number like that anyway.
I would also like said genny trailer for the modular hybrid concept to be diesel for the ICE part. It's just more efficient.
Heck, I'd love a pure electric truck right now meselfs. The farm is only 800 acres, meaning I could work all over it all week, for what I might use my truck for, and not run the batts down ever, with just a fifty mile range say on the batts,. and my once a week round trip to town and back for supplies at the most is 35 miles for me, so again, even just a fifty mile range would give me a nice cushion and not beat on the batteries bad. I'd only have to use a generator trailer two-three times a year at the most, given my current driving needs. Most of the time I could keep the truck charged with my modest solar array, and not even use any grid supplied power at all, meaning free to me fuel, or so cheap now as to be free, my rig is long ago paid off and paid for itself and still cruising right along just fine.
I just *dig* the idea of energy independence.
Right now I can't even afford one of the kits for small trucks for an electric conversion (they run 9-20 grand for a ranger or s-10 kit), so the point is moot for me.
I *would* like one though..maybe after they are well on the market and hit the used lots I might be able to get one-or snag a used electric sedan for the parts and build my own. As it is, I drive a four cylinder diesel truck that gets close to 40 MPG with my normal driving, call it mid 30s to be conservative.
. If you need a truck with a powerful engine that gets 10 MPG that's fine, but hybrids do have their place.
