PowerSwitch

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.j ... own108.xml

I don't believe for a minute that this is for "green" purposes...more of an oil-saving measure if you ask me...

Pip Tiddlepip wrote:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.j ... own108.xml

I don't believe for a minute that this is for "green" purposes...more of an oil-saving measure if you ask me...

linked video presenter wrote:"It emits the carbon emissions of about a third of a normal car"

Where from, one wonders, and how does a third of a normal car emit anything, as I imagine it would be undrivable


hmm... sustains more damage in a 40mph head on than a Smart car does at 70mph... no acceleration to speak of, and bad brakes. No thanks.

Well I drive a Honda Civic Hybrid, so I can speak from experience. The brakes are fine. More than enough acceleration for me and any body else (apart from boy racers). I hope not to have a head-on crash, but don't see why it should be worse than other similar cars

I wouldn't put something down unless you have experienced it..... I am getting about 45 mpg in urban traffic and 55mpg on long trips and I am eco-driving - the car encourages you too. Much safer than I used to be when I used to drive too fast.

And 4 wheels are always safer than 2.

Hybrid technology has a lot be said for it, though in some cases the fuel consumption is no less than a small economical conventional car.

IMHO hybrid technology is more suited to urban buses and local delivery vehicles (and to diesel railway vehicles) Hybrid technology adds considerable cost, complexity and embodied energy.
These additional costs are more likely to be justified with a vehicle used all day, and making numerous stops.
Hybrid vehicles show little if any advantage if driven at a steady, moderate speed, they may actually consume MORE fuel than a conventional vehicle since the weight of the battery is being carried around to no purpose.
The great advantage of hybrids is in making very frequent start/stops, under these conditions rapid acceleration with a small engine is possible by useing electric power as well.

The G-Whiz, that the original post and video article refer to, is not a hybrid car, it is powered soley by batteries. It is tiny, very lightweight, and as has been demonstrated by independent crash tests, not the safest car on the road...!

Leaving aside it's crash worthyness, it's an impractical proposition for most people merely because of it's tiny size and low range. For a single person or couple who only ever do short range journeys at low speed it's a possibility, for anyone else it's simply not even a consideration.

The hybrid cars, such as Snow Hope's Civic and the Toyota Prius are much more convincing modes of transport, being as they are a 'normal car' that happens to have a partially electric drivetrain.

However I'm still not hugely convinced by them. They are economical, yes, but they are much more expensive than a conventional petrol or diesel car, and to be honest their economy is not as staggering when you look at high efficiency diesels such as those in the Seat Ecomotive range, that can achieve up to 74mpg at their most effiecient speeds, and are comparable to the hybrids around town.

IMO, we need far better battery technology before hybrid and battery powered cars become the best option for efficient transport. This is coming, and is here in cars such as the (very expensive) Tesla battery powered sports car, which has a range of approx 220 miles on one charge, and can achieve 150mph. Once this kind of technology filters down into the affordable family car sector, then I think electric drivetrains become viable as a mainstream option - until then I think in the immediate future the high efficiency fossil fuel engine will remain the most viable option.

snow hope wrote:Well I drive a Honda Civic Hybrid, so I can speak from experience. The brakes are fine. More than enough acceleration for me and any body else (apart from boy racers). I hope not to have a head-on crash, but don't see why it should be worse than other similar cars

My comments relate specifically to the all weather plastic golf trolley, the G-WHiz, featured in the linked Telegraph video, which isn't a hybrid, but all electric.

Sorry, should have made that clearer

snow hope wrote: And 4 wheels are always safer than 2. Wink

After hearing the comments of the Telegraphs motoring correspondent on the G-Whiz in the linked video - I think I'll stick to my scooter.