News on hybrid vehicles, fuel cell cars, and the future of automobiles

if not, point out the inaccuracy…….

hybrids cost a little more than the average car, so do SUV’s

the difference is why consumers have chosen one or the other-

hybrid owners choose to spend the extra money in an effort to reduce emissions and gas consumption, hoping the savings on gas will in the long run help to pay for the extra cost.

SUV owners spend more on the vehicle, and they pay more for gas. im not against SUVs, some people need them. those who live in cold climates or have jobs that require 4 wheel drive, but the vast majority of them never leave dry pavement. that vast majority are paying more and using more……for what?…..safety? sure, but their own safety comes at the expense of other vehicles. by driving larger vehicles that sit higher up, they put others at risk.

so it boils down to spending more, and then getting in return lower emissions, and lower gas consumption or safefy at the expense of others.

how is this not accurate?

Emission laws have been softened by the Republican party that believes not in Global Warming to protect their right to drive SUV’s. I think that is a sign of selfishness myself with no concern to to our planets ecology and environment.

I like the idea of big cars morphing into fuel conserving, green hybrids. I’m looking forward to when more SUV’s like the Chevy Tahoe come to the marketplace.

Do you know of any more large SUV hybrids that we will be able to buy soon?

Escalade

CHECK OUT THE X6 HYBRID SPY ARTICLE:

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/GeneralFuture/articleId=129486?tid=edmunds.il.futurelanding.latestnews..4.*

First shown as a concept at the 2007 Frankfurt Auto Show, the 2010 BMW X6 Hybrid is now headed for production. Far from a fuel-sipping economy car, this gasoline-electric hybrid is designed to take the edge off fuel costs without giving up much in the way of SUV practicality or performance.

Prototypes spotted in Death Valley reveal few significant styling changes from the recently introduced X6 other than an obvious bulge in the hood. Subsequent photos show a maze of electrical connections beneath the protruding sheet metal. All the extra hardware is necessary to control what’s expected to be a two-mode hybrid system similar to what’s found in GM’s current Tahoe and Escalade hybrid suvs. BMW partnered with GM and Daimler in the development of the system.

The two-mode system essentially combines electric motors with a sophisticated automatic transmission and traditional gasoline engine. It is able to provide pure electric power like a Prius, but most of the time it’s a mix of both gasoline and electric power. A fuel mileage improvement of around 10-15 percent is about all you can expect given the added weight of the hybrid system’s batteries combined with the X6’s already substantial curb weight.

With full production of the V8-powered X6 just now starting to ramp up to full speed, the introduction of the 2010 BMW X6 ActiveHybrid (as BMW calls it) is probably at least a year away. Expect a substantial price bump, one that could put this hybrid BMW’s base price in the $70,000 range. So much for saving money on gas.

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Since Tesla is coming out with a sedan in a few years to follow up its sports car, it makes sense to follow this route to what so many Americans want to buy.

Similarly, a full electric version seems to make more sense even than the hybrids that GM, Dodge, etc. are going to put out (much greater efficiency) and there is plenty of capacity for the battery packs required.

Doesn’t that seem a logical step for the majority?

(I am not counting high mileage delivery vehicles or those who actually go to the backwoods here)
I did specifically exclude those who take their SUVs long distance (most people don’t tow boats to Florida).

Also, anyone who understands much about Tesla knows they’re not underpowered (though a moderately larger motor would be called for, it would still be much smaller than a conventional engine. This leaves plenty of room for batteries to take it a few hundred miles). Max torque available a 0 RPM – not one conventional truck engine can match that.

Since these auto companies currently make cars with internal combustion engines, the logical next step is to make gas-electric hybrids. Then the next step is to make a plug-in hybrid like the Chevy Volt (and soon after Toyota will make a plug-in version of the Prius). The Volt will be able to go 40 miles purely on electric power before supplementing it with an internal combustion engine.

Eventually the next step for the auto companies will be to build purely electric vehicles. Smaller companies like Tesla as you mentioned and also ZAP and Phoenix Motorcars are able to produce electric vehicles because that’s where they’ve focused their research and development. The big auto companies are on their way with hybrids, and eventually I think they’ll get to electric vehicles.

I was just reading an article on how various automakers are coming out with new hybrid cars & suvs. Do you think there will ever be a Semi hybrid?

Good question, there is a possibility. They are very expensive to fill up, and now dreadfully expensive. So yeah I would say so.

I am passively shopping for a hybrid suv. I drive a ton, so net effective miles per gallon is an important factor in my decision making process.

I am assuming, based on stickers, that MPG is close to the same for hybrid vs. standard vehicles because MPG refers to miles per gallon of gasoline.

What I am most curious about is, what impact does the electric power have on net effective MPG? Flipping between gas and electric, how many miles could I expect to travel on a full (24 gallon?) tank of fuel and a full battery charge?

Let’s say I have a 24 gallon tank, full of fuel and I take it out on the highway. At 22 mpg, I can get about 528 miles. How many more miles could I expect to travel in a hybrid?

If the new Chevy Tahoe Hybrid (due out in late 2007) gets 15 city and 22 hwy [pretty much (if not) the same as a regular Tahoe], what is the added benefit of the Tahoe Hybrid?

Well, it depends on what type of hybrid system is in the vehicle.

If it’s like the current GMC Sierra/Chevy Silverado pickups, it’s nothing more than a label. They’re not really a hybrid, as the electric motors do not propel the truck at all. All of the fuel savings come from idle-stop and cylinder deactivation, and the tiny 42v battery is just used for restarting the engine and to power external work equipment through power outlets in the cab and bed. A 10% improvement in MPG sounds good, until you realize that that’s only 1-2MPG more than the current vehicle. But as I recall the emissions are lower on the hybrid versions compared to their gasoline-only counterparts.

The Belt-Alternator system that GM is introducting on the new Saturn Vue Green Line is a step up, in that the electrics help out in acceleration a little.

Next up are the the "power" or "performance" hybrids, the Lexus models and the Honda Accord hybrid. Their hybrid systems have been tuned to deliver more HP and more acceleration than their gas-only counterparts, and only deliver a tiny bit better fuel economy at the same time.

Next up are the assist hybrids (electric motor used for acceleration), like the Honda Insight and Civic Hybrid, followed by the full hybrids (can run on the electric motor alone) like the Toyota Prius, Ford Escape Hybrid, which are more tuned for fuel efficiency (and have lowered emissions too).

(I’ve left out the Toyota Camry, the Toyota Highlander Hybrid, and the Mercury Mariner Hybrid, all full hybrids, because I don’t recall if they’re tuned for more power or more fuel efficiency…)

Since none of the current hybrids are grid-chargeable/PHEVs, the question about leaving with a full charge is really not applicable. You’ll only be flipping between gas and electric with a full hybrid (and you cannot manually choose), and seeing where GM has been going on their (lack of) hybrid development, you’ll probably not be seeing a full hybrid GM vehicle, but barely an assist hybrid…

Currently, hybrid vehicles are tested the same as any other vehicle on governmental (such as the EPA) fuel economy tests, so you can easily compare fuel efficiency between models. (Typically, whatever % difference in MPG you get on your current vehicle compared to that vehicle’s EPA rating, you’ll see the same % difference on a hybrid or any other vehicle compared to its EPA rating…)

I suppose a good question to ask yourself is whether you need to have a large SUV for your long highway commute. Would it be possible to use a smaller, more efficient vehicle for commuting, and buy a cheap older used large SUV for your weekend hauling (with a low mileage insurance policy)? or rent one as needed?

Whatever type of vehicle you need, try and buy the greenest one available. This site organizes vehicles by their class (pickup, SUV, station wagon, small car, minivan, etc.), and sorts them by lowest emissions and best fuel economy. http://www.epa.gov/greenvehicle/

Hi, I have been looking at some of the hybrid suvs. They get better gas mileage of course than the regular SUVs but cost a little more. I have not done the math yet but economically do you think it’s worth it to get one of these vehicles based purely on gas savings? Thanks

No. In order to get your money’s worth you need to do more than 22k miles a year or it takes appx 5 years to re-coup your money. A hybrid will cost more to maintain; you have to go to the dealership there are very few mechanics qualified just yet to work on a hybrid and because the dealership will charge more than a regular vehicle just because it’s hybrid. Most parts are the same either way. The hybrids are usually 7-8k more. I own a Honda Civic hybrid. Not an suv but I put appx 40-45k a year on it and it will probably die before I I even pay it off.

Four Small SUVs Earn Top Safety Pick Good Ratings for Hybrids, but the Jeep Wrangler is Poor in Side Test Automakers are improving the crashworthiness of their vehicles and quickly installing side airbags and electronic stability control, an important crash avoidance feature, on more models. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recently completed front, side, and rear crash test evaluations of eight small SUV models. For the first time, every model the Institute tested comes equipped with electronic stability control as standard equipment.

Institute ratings of good, acceptable, marginal or poor are based on results of front and side crash tests – plus evaluations of seat/head restraints for protection against whiplash injury in rear crashes. The best performers, earning the Institute’s TOP SAFETY PICK award, are the 2009 Ford Escape, 2008 Mitsubishi Outlander, 2008 Nissan Rogue, and 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan. These four models earn good ratings in all three of the Institute’s evaluations – and all are equipped with standard electronic stability control and side airbags. The Escape’s ratings also apply to the hybrid version – which is sold as the Mercury Mariner and Mazda Tribute, as well as the Escape.

Consumers now have multiple hybrid suvs earning TOP SAFETY PICK to choose from. Others include the midsize Saturn Vue and Toyota Highlander, which the Institute evaluated earlier.

The Institute’s frontal offset crash test, which began in 1995, drove major design changes in vehicles to do a better job of protecting people in the most common kind of serious crash. In the mid-1990s, few vehicles earned the top rating of good in the frontal test. Now, nearly every vehicle is rated good for frontal protection. Since the Institute began its side tests in 2003, manufacturers have been following the same path, changing their vehicles to improve protection in serious side impacts.

An exception is the 2-door 2008 Jeep Wrangler, which was tested without its optional side airbags. The previous version of the Wrangler, in which side airbags weren’t available, earned a rating of marginal for protection in side crashes; and the new model performed even worse, earning the lowest rating of poor. A new problem was that the driver door opened during the impact. This didn’t significantly affect the movement of the dummy during the test, but an open door in a crash could lead to partial or complete ejection of occupants.

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