[ExI] Fuel efficient car for anywhere but America

[spike]

From: extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org
[mailto:extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org] On Behalf Of Adrian Tymes
Sent: Tuesday, April 12, 2011 11:35 AM
To: ExI chat list
Subject: Re: [ExI] Fuel efficient car for anywhere but America

 


On Apr 11, 2011 7:55 PM, "spike" <spike66 at att.net> wrote:
> >.  A Diesel engine converts more energy to useful work from a gallon of
Diesel fuel than a gasoline engine converts from a gallon of octane,
assuming the Diesel is loaded optimally.

>.Isn't that the basic principle behind many hybrids?

 

Ja, but the first generation hybrids such as the prius sacrifices efficiency
to some extent for driveability.  Toyota didn't want to get electric hybrids
associated with underpowered lousy performance.  So that generation of
parallel hybrids doesn't get all that much better fuel economy above
straight gasoline, but they aren't slow either.  Nissan's hybrid, the leaf,
is a good performer.  

 

Octane burners are not so great on efficiency, but they beat everybody on
versatility: they do OK over a huge range of speed and load, they are simple
and light, broad power band, we all know how to fix them (we older cats do
anyway.) 

 

If we can tolerate low acceleration, we have a whole bunch of options, such
as series hybrids using a turbo-Diesel.  These have a narrow power and
efficiency band, but with series hybrid, you can take advantage of that, and
even keep it quiet with tuned exhaust.

 

spike  

 

 

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