Hybrid vehicles

[dieselboy]

Prius or other hybrids, do they really live up to their name and return savings over the cost of the vehicle? Are they worth it in the long run? Not taking into account Congestion Charge zone.

[Predictable Bob]

In a word - NO !!!

The ecological cost of production is massive due to the batteries. In addition the batteries will need to be replaced around the 8 year point at a cost of around £8k ...

Would anyone pay over £8k for an 8 year old Prius ???

PS
It's possible that the figures above are incorrect as they are at least 3 years old (But I'll be amazed if things are cheaper now)

[shokenore]

This is what you want.
http://www.water4gasstore.com/

[J i m s t e r]

Last taxi I took was a Prius. So quiet, "Taxi Tourrettes" was inevitable.

Dude was getting 72mpg (in the real world) and was happy as Larry with it. I guess in 8 years it would have space shuttle mileage anyway. He'd had it a year and nothing had gone wrong with it. Smallish boot but he's not doing airport runs with it.

[dieselboy]

Last taxi I took was a Prius. So quiet, "Taxi Tourrettes" was inevitable.

Dude was getting 72mpg (in the real world) and was happy as Larry with it. I guess in 8 years it would have space shuttle mileage anyway. He'd had it a year and nothing had gone wrong with it. Smallish boot but he's not doing airport runs with it.

See thats interesting.. Imagine the weekly fuel bill on the work trip. I heard real life figures of around 40mpg which is why I asked. Although the little Audi A2 Diesel boasts figures of around MPG 60's..

And nope, I wouldn't buy a knackered Prius and then spend 8k on batteries!

[dieselboy]

This is what you want.
http://www.water4gasstore.com/

What?

[Maverick]

If I was going down the hybrid route I would wait until the diesel hybrids came out, failing that the Volt which only uses the petrol engine as a generator when needed.

P.s. I've halved my yearly fuel bill, by riding a road bike to work. nearly killed me when I started last year, but now it only takes me 5 to 10 minutes (depends on if I race or feel lazy) more than the car, and on ocasions I take the odd 30 mile detour on the way home just because I feel like it, without worrying about fuel.

[dieselboy]

I've thought long and hard about motorbikes to work. But, I don't like being rained on

[BUSHWHACKER]

I don't like being rained on

You should be used to that by now, you've been on here a few years.

[Maverick]

I've thought long and hard about motorbikes to work. But, I don't like being rained on

I didn't say motorbike.

When I rode motorbikes I did the journey in 10 minutes less than the car (speed limit was higher then).

[markp2]

Vehicle running costs are a strange thing.
Our 2009 Skoda Octavia diesel recently met with a sticky end so I did some calculations comparing a replacement Octavia with a Gen 3 Surf over 10,000 miles per year.
As you all know, depreciation on a modern car is the biggest ownership cost and when taking dealer servicing, tyre wear and fuel costs into account, a Surf cost £800 per year less to run than a 2-3 year old Octavia diesel which averaged 48mpg.

So.... I am now the proud owner of another Gen 3 Surf.

Of course if the cylinder head lets go, the year 1 savings will be zero, but this may not happen.

Who needs a Hybrid - just run an old Surf!

Cheers,
Mark

[Apache]

Trouble with hybrids that use conventional rechargeable battery technology is that the batteries lose capacity over time, pretty much with every charge cycle. I reckon you'd lose half capacity in much less than 4 figures recharge cycles.

Hybrids and battery powered vehicles are a step in the right direction - good proving / test beds for the power control systems and motors, but I feel they are a dead end which will be replaced by hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

In my job I've seen some of the tech which will find its way onto production vehicles in time. Stuff like motors the size of a 2.5 litre paint can which will produce 200BHP+ (two of which will power a supercar project by one of the big European manufacturers), fuel cells which will power the next generation of London buses, and have no local emissions aside from air and water, and power controllers the size of a large paperback book which will control the thousands of instantaneous amps it will require to get from 0-60 in 3 seconds.

Interesting stuff, and a bright future. A lot of this stuff is being designed and built here in the UK.

[shokenore]

In my job I've seen some of the tech which will find its way onto production vehicles in time. Stuff like motors the size of a 2.5 litre paint can which will produce 200BHP+ and power controllers the size of a large paperback book which will control the thousands of instantaneous amps it will require to get from 0-60 in 3 seconds.

.

Were these for motor in wheel applications or using "drive shafts"?

[Apache]

The form factor would suggest drive shaft, though I've seen some 'pancake' type motors for that application.

[dieselboy]

Thanks all and thanks Andy for the insight Nice to know.

I see Jay Leno saying pretty much the same thing regarding Hydrogen and how it "will be the saviour of petrol / Diesel engines as there will ultimately be less demand for petrol allowing us to own fossil fueled vehicles as hobbies".
That coming from a bloke that has a car that consumes more fuel on tickover than what comes out of the pump on fill up