Hybrid vehicles isn't the answer....

[stngymama]

Re: Hybrid vehicles isn't the answer....

This is one of many articles about the Prius Stealth mode: http://snipurl.com/check_here

I understand Toyota might make this an official add-on option.

[VJW]

Re: Hybrid vehicles isn't the answer....

I recall a radio documentary where a couple had a bio-diesel vehicle, and they used waste grease from local restraunts and McDonalds to run it.

That’s what I make my Biodiesel from.

Restraunts typically have to pay to dispose of the waste oil, so they were only too happy to give it away. In other words, that couple didn't pay a cent to run their car.

Well, not exactly. If it was really Biodiesel, there is the cost of the methanol, and whatever energy you utilize to heat the batch. I think you are referring to straight WVO (Waste Vegetable Oil), which is just used cooking oil that is strained and filtered and used as fuel in a diesel vehicle. However, there are obvious problems in cold weather, whereas Biodiesel can be used year-round.

In terms of storage, one of the inherent problems with organic oil is that it will coagulate when the temperature falls far enough. To compensate, people usually add more and more diesel into the mix.

That would be B5 to B90 depending upon the mix. B100 is pure Biodiesel (no petroleum).

As for the engine itself, if you are mechanically-inclined or know someone who is, you can reverse-engineer a diesel vehicle to accept bio-diesel.

Actually, there is no need to “reverse-engineer” a diesel to operate on Biodiesel. Although the original engine that Rudolf Diesel invented as a demonstration project operated on coal dust, his later version was intended to operate on vegetable oil. It was the petrochemical industry that later came up with the manmade “diesel” refined from crude oil.

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[VJW]

Re: Hybrid vehicles isn't the answer....

well they are wrong

No they’re not.

Do you have more info on that?

Yeah:

http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,69519-0.html

They are also shooting for 150 MPG if you’re willing to plug it in at night (or whatever is the opposite shift for you):

http://www.evworld.com/view.cfm?section=article&storyid=818

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[stngymama]

Re: Hybrid vehicles isn't the answer....

Interesting survey: Car buyers will give up size, not power, for mpg

[Haku]

Re: Hybrid vehicles isn't the answer....

I know, isn't that terrible?

I read once that the next generation of hybrids were going to focus on power rather than fuel economy (as in, using the electric motor to give the engine extra power when the owner steps on the pedal).

It's a shame that many car buyers are on such a power fixation. I wish that wasn't the case. It certainly isn't the case for me. I love fuel-efficiency.

[poundwise]

Re: Hybrid vehicles isn't the answer....

Curious question: What is the crash safety record/ratings of the current crop of hybrids?

[cptacek]

Re: Hybrid vehicles isn't the answer....

Thank you VJW for your insight. And thank you for the URLs so we could look at the information ourselves.

starving_student, saying "well they are wrong" won't win you any arguments. It makes you look like a petulant child that stamped his foot while saying that. If you have any information or studies that has different data, I'm sure the rest of us would like to look at it.

Oh, and by the way, tax rules say that even if you make your own bio-diesel, you have to pay the road taxes on it. Now, farm use diesel doesn't have any taxes on it, but if you use the road, you have to pay it by the gallon.

[stngymama]

Re: Hybrid vehicles isn't the answer....

Curious question: What is the crash safety record/ratings of the current crop of hybrids?

The Prius has a 4 star rating; don't know about others.