The Race to Insanity and Beyond!

[geoschmo]

Thermodyne said:
The one thing I can’t get used to is the engine shutting off at stop lights. Even though I know what is happening, I still have a moment of panic every time it shuts off.

Wah? I hadn't heard they do that, but it makes sense I guess. Sounds like a golf cart you got there. Does it feel like a real car performance wise? Does it take off ok when the light turns green? How's acceleration on the highway?

[Atrocities]

The new hybrids are kinda cool. But I have one observation. If you buy one all your doing is transfering the gas you would use in the car to a power planet. So the effect is the same, just distributed differantly. Besides, what would you rather pay? $2.20 a gallon for gas, = 30 miles, or $5.10 per 30 miles of power? You do have to charge the batteries, and that does not come cheaply, especially in energy strapped CA.

[Nodachi]

AT, the new hybrids do not have to be charged by house current. They recharge while coasting.

[Thermodyne]

geoschmo said:

Wah? I hadn't heard they do that, but it makes sense I guess. Sounds like a golf cart you got there. Does it feel like a real car performance wise? Does it take off ok when the light turns green? How's acceleration on the highway?

It has more pep under normal driving than the Cavalier. The electric motor feels sort of like a turbo. It runs 80+ with very little effort. It uses the trans motor to start the engine, so you hear nothing. The engine just starts running as soon as you let off the break. As long as you drive with one foot, there is no lag starting off. My wife is a two footer, so she has a little trouble with it in the city.

[Atrocities]

Nodachi said:
AT, the new hybrids do not have to be charged by house current. They recharge while coasting.

I did not know that. I am still 50/50 on the idea of a hybrid. I know that electric motors have excellent torque, but sustained draw on them depletes them rapidly.

I watched a show on PBS about hybrid/electric cars with Alan Alda and found the information fasinating. I am for Hydrogen cars - if they can master the dry sell technology.

[Thermodyne]

Atrocities said:
The new hybrids are kinda cool. But I have one observation. If you buy one all your doing is transfering the gas you would use in the car to a power planet. So the effect is the same, just distributed differantly. Besides, what would you rather pay? $2.20 a gallon for gas, = 30 miles, or $5.10 per 30 miles of power? You do have to charge the batteries, and that does not come cheaply, especially in energy strapped CA.

It never needs to be plugged in, the engine charges the batteries. Any time you let off the gas, it starts charging them. It tries to estimate what your intentions are and uses the charging so that it mimics engine braking. When you break, it goes to full charge and really pulls the speed down. If the batteries get below 50%, it will charge the a little when you are just driving along. I think the physics are based on converting momentum into electricity, then using the electricity to make the car go. So it is recycling the energy.

[Atrocities]

[frown] Test

They look nothing like they should ...... Or do here: http://67.19.30.83/threads/faq.php?Cat=#html

[David E. Gervais]

Graemlin Test:

= ooo
= evil
= cool
= smile (keys: colon + close bracket)
= sad (keys: colon + open bracket)
= blush (keys: colon + o )
= crazy
= laugh (keys: colon + D )
= shocked {??Same as ooo??}
= smirk
= confused
= grin
= wink (keys: semi-colon + close bracket)
= tongue (keys: colon + P ) Note that's a capital 'P'
[img]/threads/images/Graemlins/Cold.gif[/img] = cold
= eek
[img]/threads/images/Graemlins/Envy.gif[/img] = envy
= happy
= injured
= mad
= mean
= rolleyes
= sick
= worried
= yawn
= yell

Note if no 'keys' are specified then the word has a colon on both ends.

Now to post this and see if everything is working asd it should..

Cheers!

[David E. Gervais]

AT, where do you get the [frown] from? I see no such graemlin.

Cheers!

[tesco samoa]

i was looking at a sabb 9-5 the other day... man that was a nice car