More Electric Vehicles

[one shot]

I would buy one but it needs to be charged at a lunch stop or something similar so I could keep going , looking at 2000 + miles trips

[Merc]

My take on EVs is dismal. Some serious questions come to mind:

Our electrical grid currently has trouble coping with the demand for power during extremely hot weather resulting in brown outs and rolling blackouts in some major cities. What will happen when we all have to plug the car in each night to recharge the battery?

The batteries have a finite life span. So, what happens when you are told that your 10 year old EV needs a $15,000 battery or that a replacement may not even be available? On top of that, the electric motors may not last and will require rebuilding or replacement for a couple grand each. Is there any value in such a vehicle?

Many gas powered cars are still going strong after 10 years. Regular maintenance and synthetic oil makes a huge difference. My old reliable 2011 Sienna with nearly 200k on the odometer still makes the trip from Pittsburgh to Florida each winter and, while we often talk about replacing it with a new hybrid Sienna, there is really no reason to get rid of it.

Will there even be a market for used EVs?

Hybrids make sense because they are self charging and some of the mpg ratings are impressive. I own one (2018 Highlander) and I admire the technology that went into building it.

[Merc]

How about this.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=481667677295136&set=a.471884204940150

[Allen]

To make things a little more simple, there are 3 basic types of hybrid cars: series, parallel, and mild hybrid.

The true series system works much like a train. The electric motors propel the car at all times. The gas engine only charges the batteries so it can be smaller than an engine designed to power the weight of the car. The Fisker Karma and Chevrolet Volt were the only 2 that I know of and both are discontinued now.

By definition :

"In a series hybrid, the electric motor handles all the driving and the gasoline engine only recharges the battery pack. When the driver starts the engine, power is received from the battery pack to the electric motor which turns the wheels. On longer trips (beyond 50 miles or so), the gas engine provides power. Series hybrids are more expensive than parallel hybrids because they carry larger batteries to provide power for higher speeds [source: HybridCenter]. The Fisker Karma is an example of a series plug-in hybrid.

Just like the series hybrid, the parallel hybrid uses both an internal combustion and electric engine. But this is where the similarities end. In the parallel hybrid, the conventional and electric engines are attached to one transmission which allows both of them to power the car at the same time. The fuel tank supplies gasoline to the engine while the generator charges the batteries. This type of hybrid is more suitable for traveling long distances. More drivers prefer parallel hybrids to series hybrids because they are more fuel-efficient. Examples of parallel hybrid vehicles are the Honda Insight, the Chevy Malibu and the Toyota Prius [source: Hybridcars.com].

There's also a variation called a mild hybrid, the least expensive of the hybrid bunch. The mild hybrid doesn't function on just the electric engine. Its electric motor assists the gas engine when more power is needed. When the car begins to slow down or sits still, the control unit shuts down the engine so the vehicle is not burning fuel or polluting the air like a conventional car. When the driver puts the car in gear or accelerates, the battery starts the motor again [source: Hybridcars.com]. In full hybrids, the electrical and gas engines can propel the motor by working together or operating on their own."

This article states that parallel hybrids get better mpg than the series. I kind of doubt that because I remember when GM tried a hybrid version on their C-1500's. The hybrids cost more than the conventional gas model yet got about the same and sometimes worse mileage.

A mechanics nightmare.

[Merc]

To make things a little more simple, there are 3 basic types of hybrid cars: series, parallel, and mild hybrid.

The true series system works much like a train. The electric motors propel the car at all times. The gas engine only charges the batteries so it can be smaller than an engine designed to power the weight of the car. The Fisker Karma and Chevrolet Volt were the only 2 that I know of and both are discontinued now.

By definition :

"In a series hybrid, the electric motor handles all the driving and the gasoline engine only recharges the battery pack. When the driver starts the engine, power is received from the battery pack to the electric motor which turns the wheels. On longer trips (beyond 50 miles or so), the gas engine provides power. Series hybrids are more expensive than parallel hybrids because they carry larger batteries to provide power for higher speeds [source: HybridCenter]. The Fisker Karma is an example of a series plug-in hybrid.

Just like the series hybrid, the parallel hybrid uses both an internal combustion and electric engine. But this is where the similarities end. In the parallel hybrid, the conventional and electric engines are attached to one transmission which allows both of them to power the car at the same time. The fuel tank supplies gasoline to the engine while the generator charges the batteries. This type of hybrid is more suitable for traveling long distances. More drivers prefer parallel hybrids to series hybrids because they are more fuel-efficient. Examples of parallel hybrid vehicles are the Honda Insight, the Chevy Malibu and the Toyota Prius [source: Hybridcars.com].

There's also a variation called a mild hybrid, the least expensive of the hybrid bunch. The mild hybrid doesn't function on just the electric engine. Its electric motor assists the gas engine when more power is needed. When the car begins to slow down or sits still, the control unit shuts down the engine so the vehicle is not burning fuel or polluting the air like a conventional car. When the driver puts the car in gear or accelerates, the battery starts the motor again [source: Hybridcars.com]. In full hybrids, the electrical and gas engines can propel the motor by working together or operating on their own."

This article states that parallel hybrids get better mpg than the series. I kind of doubt that because I remember when GM tried a hybrid version on their C-1500's. The hybrids cost more than the conventional gas model yet got about the same and sometimes worse mileage.

A mechanics nightmare.

Excellent article. This technology is still evolving. Toyota is probably further along than other car makers in using hybrid technology since their Prius has been around for many years. Their latest generation of parallel hybrids uses only a four cylinder gas engine that increased the overall mileage in their larger vehicles (Sienna and Highlander) to 35 MPG and the Prius gets over 52 MPG.

The computer on my Highlander decides when to go all electric and when to share the load between the gas and electric motors. It does it seamlessly. The best overall gas mileage I experienced on my V6 Highlander was 32 MPG on a trip to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The roads were totally flat and the speed limits were mostly 45 MPH. My overall gas mileage around Pittsburgh is 25-27 MPG since it is impossible to avoid the hills.

[pcox]

Excellent article. This technology is still evolving. Toyota is probably further along than other car makers in using hybrid technology since their Prius has been around for many years. Their latest generation of parallel hybrids uses only a four cylinder gas engine that increased the overall mileage in their larger vehicles (Sienna and Highlander) to 35 MPG and the Prius gets over 52 MPG.

The computer on my Highlander decides when to go all electric and when to share the load between the gas and electric motors. It does it seamlessly. The best overall gas mileage I experienced on my V6 Highlander was 32 MPG on a trip to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The roads were totally flat and the speed limits were mostly 45 MPH. My overall gas mileage around Pittsburgh is 25-27 MPG since it is impossible to avoid the hills.

25 to 27 mpg? Hell I get 21 out of my 1/2 ton crew cab GMC. 19 mpg when I'm pulling my bass boat. Of course it all evens out because the bass boat gets about two gallons per mile.

[Merc]

25 to 27 mpg? Hell I get 21 out of my 1/2 ton crew cab GMC. 19 mpg when I'm pulling my bass boat. Of course it all evens out because the bass boat gets about two gallons per mile.

Yep, 25-27 MPG is the actual gas mileage for my V6 out on the highway and in city driving. City driving is where the hybrids have the advantage. According to CR, the non hybrid Highlander is rated 15 MPG in city traffic and the GMC Sierra 1500 is rated 11 MPG in city traffic. Driving the hills in Pittsburgh will probably knock those numbers down a little.

Those of us who drive a hybrid soon learn how to drive with a light touch. The idea is to keep the gas engine turned off while driving as much as possible. Am I the only person driving a hybrid?

[lyman]

test drove a prius once

nice car, smooth ride, took a moment to get up to speed but would fly

handled horribly

bought a Cooper S instead and had fun getting 30 mpg with my foot in it

[Merc]

test drove a prius once

nice car, smooth ride, took a moment to get up to speed but would fly

handled horribly

bought a Cooper S instead and had fun getting 30 mpg with my foot in it

My sister once owned a Cooper and she loved it. She traded it in on an Audi S4 which is a small car with a supercharged V6 engine. It is probably the most powerful car I’ve ever driven. My daughter has it now and isn’t afraid of it, but respects what it can do.

I always preferred larger cars, so getting decent gas mileage from my 306 HP Highlander V6 hybrid is a big plus for me.

Developing torque is the big advantage that electric motors have over gas engines. Electric motors produce torque instantly when voltage is applied while gas engines need high RPMs to produce similiar torque. The performance of the newer 4 cylinder hybrids compares favorably to the V6s because of the help they receive from the electric motors.