48 Volt Hybrids Coming In Just Over A Year!

[NSTG8R]

Hmmmo_O....Read the entire thread, not one mention of fuel cell technology, or Hydrogen cell generators to assist the ICE. Hydrogen cell generators have been around awhile for diesel engines (trucks for sure, considering one for my F250), and claim to increase mpg from 40% to 60%. Only draws a dozen amps or so, and although I haven't dug into it too far, the generator systems are getting smaller (okay...now I've got to look into it. Might have one that would fit under an Elio hood!) "Theoretically" that could boost your ICE Elio to 117 to 134 mpg! Fuel cells are still a little ways off infrastructure and technology-wise, but Boeing is flying an electric motor/prop driven aircraft with one...experimental at this stage, but once they get their mind set on something, they'll drop billions on it to make it happen.

 

[CrimsonEclipse]

O


Why don't you just admit that no matter what anyone brings up you are set on electric cars? They are not the answer at this time. You dismiss anything brought up as drivel.
Once again here is another report about the pollution outputs
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/new...ys-british-study/story-e6frg8y6-1226073103576
Or
http://www.slate.com/articles/techn...rs_environmental_impact_depends_on_where.html

Or
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/15/a...on-where-you-plug-in.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

I know these articles do not matter in your words "it's bunk".

Set? It's a good solution. The best one so far,

I dismiss drivel as drivel. The articles are not from reliable scientific resources.
I can go on and on about how electric cars are superior. Mr. Musk also believes so and is proving that fact every day.

You said electric cars pollute more. That's garbage.
You brought up a truck load of regurgitated FUD produced specifically by conventional auto companies and oil companies to slow the adoption of electric vehicles and auto dealer associations to keep them in control of the buyer experience.
You claim that battery manufacturing is worse than oil consumption. That's garbage.

 

[Joshua Caldwell]

Moderator Comment: Argue all you like, but try to not make it personal.

 

[samwichse]

Making an SUV that goes from 17mpg to 20mpg is NOT a hybrid and you will NEVER cover your investment even if it worked forever.

An SUV getting a 3 MPG boost is huge!

Consider for your 17-20 example.

300 mile trip:
300/17 = 17.65 gallons
300/20 = 15 gallons

2.65 gallons saved by going hybrid

Now for gasser that gets 35 MPG like a focus vs a 55 MPG Prius (which would be darn good for it...) gotta be comparable cars:

300/35 = 8.57 gallons
300/55 = 5.45 gallons

3.12 gallons difference

So going 17-20 in the SUV saves almost as much gas than going 35-55. Yes, they'd save WAY more in even a small sedan or even more in a small hybrid, but let's face it, SUV lovers want their SUVs.

Now let's blow up the numbers using an 8 year average gas price of $3.50/gallon and 100,000 miles traveled.

(100000/17-100000/20)*3.50 = $3088

So if the 48v mild hybrid system on that SUV costs less than $3k, it's a win!

(BTW, I've got a 2000 Insight too... Year-in year-out average is 64 MPG on a mostly city commute. Great cars! I made 69.2 MPG mostly highway for a couple years before I moved closer to work)

 

[CrimsonEclipse]

Moderator Comment: Argue all you like, but try to not make it personal.

Sorry.

 

[pistonboy]

While EV's would seem to be environmentally responsible, they leave a lot to be desired. EV's only displace the combustion process from on board the vehicle to miles away in an electrical generating plant.

But possibly more environmentally dangerous is the mining, manufacture, and disposal/recycling of the heavy metallic components of the batteries. For now, this industry is being outsourced to China and southeast Asia, where pollution of air, earth, and water are not closely regulated, but at some point that may change, and the economics of EV manufacturing could be turned upside down.

It is true that EVs simply have displaced emissions (away at the power generating plants). However the power generating plants have a continuous combustion flame which can usually be adjusted to burn more clean than the intermittent combustion happening in petro engines.

 

[Ty]

Where are you going to put that battery pack? It will be larger than the space made available by removing the engine and fuel tank. And most of the engine bay would still be needed for the rare-earth electric motor, high-power control electronics, and cooling system. Poke around for the video showing a teardown of the very advanced Volt battery which only goes 40 miles. Look how big it is. Now, how big is the Tesla pack? Then think about the "unattainable triumvirate" which in the case of batteries is cost, energy density, size/weight: Pick two.

The reason the Elio will succeed is because it is not an electric and it's cheaper than used cars.

A single 100 HP hub motor wouldn't take up any room.

http://phys.org/news/2012-07-wheel-hub-motor-concept-hybrid.html

 

[zelio]

A single 100 HP hub motor wouldn't take up any room.

http://phys.org/news/2012-07-wheel-hub-motor-concept-hybrid.html

It sounds like the lithion ion battery would add weight and expense though. :-) Z

 

[Ty]

It would. The Elio will already be able to go 15,000 miles for $536 which is about what people drive per year. Electric at $.02 would cost $300 for those same 15,000 miles. You'd save $236 per year. If the electric version adds $1,150, it would take 4 years to break even. If it were $2,300, it would take 8 years to break even. And THAT is why it'll be hard to sell an electric version.

 

[goofyone]

It would. The Elio will already be able to go 15,000 miles for $536 which is about what people drive per year. Electric at $.02 would cost $300 for those same 15,000 miles. You'd save $236 per year. If the electric version adds $1,150, it would take 4 years to break even. If it were $2,300, it would take 8 years to break even. And THAT is why it'll be hard to sell an electric version.

This is exactly the reality we live in. Battery prices still need to drop more for an electric Elio to make financial sense so we are still at least several years away from this becoming a realistic alternative.

Of course some people do not care about the cost and will convert their Elio's to electric anyhow so that will be a lot of fun for us to watch happen.