Hybrids worse than Hummers?

[Mos_Chillin]

worse than ?

[TREETOAD]

Most of the taxis in Victoria and many in Vancouver are hybrids and have been for a couple of years now. If those guys are using them they are probably doing ok.

[JayB]

Seems like hybrids would actually be a pretty well suited for the stop-and-go-and-idle driving that most taxis do, and idling in electric mode has got to be way more efficient/cleaner than keeping all cylinders going all of the time.

[PaulB]

Most of the taxis in Victoria and many in Vancouver are hybrids....

In Vancouver, switching to hybrids may have been in anticipation of the city's new idling bylaw. I'd imagine that taxis regularly idle for more than three minutes at a time, and that could add up to a lot of $50 fines if the city figures out how to enforce the bylaw.

[catbirdseat]

Some time ago, I read about a new design for an integrated starter/alternator which was so powerful that it could start the car intantaneously, such that the car could turn itself off automatically, and restart upon stepping on the accelerator. This design was not for a hybrid, but for a standard gasoline engine.

 

Link

 

I guess what's holding this back is the need for a higher voltage electrical system. The Japanese will probably be first to introduce such a system, since Detroit has waffled on this idea.

[Jim]

The current fleet-wide, average milage for american cars is less than that of the Model T. Can't we do better? Looking at the Smart Car for my wife's next vehicle. But that '89 Mazda just is never going to die.

[tvashtarkatena]

Looking at the Smart Car for my wife's next vehicle. But that '89 Mazda just is never going to die.

Let me drive the Mazda for a couple of months. That'll be all she wrote.

 

For what it's worth: Due to tarrifs and emissions retrofits, Smart Cars, at about $25K per, cost $3K more than a Prius, get about the same or less gas mileage, and produce more emissions. (Two friends just ponied up for the Prius and did the research, I'm still busy destroying my Subaru). The Prius is designed to be really good on gas in city driving, but my friend also averaged 50 mpg on their recent road trip to Oregon.