Reasons Not to Buy a Hybrid Car (yet)

2006-08-08T19:28:49Z

128.158.250.227:

At the risk of heresy, here are good reasons to wait on buying a [[Hybrid Cars|hybrid]] vehicle:

'''1. [[Hybrid Cars|Hybrids]] cost more upfront'''; Sticker price along with taxes including sales and license fees tend to be 10-30% higher, usually about $3,000 or more. However, it is $1,500 between equivalent equipped Camry and Camry hybrids. Whether you make this difference up depends; on 1) when you sell it 2) resale value 3) your income tax situation 4) how much you drive 5) your insurance company 6) the state you live in 7) how you finance your vehicle 8) where you take it for service 9) what type of warranties you bought 10) where you park and how you commute. A study of typical consumer showed that most did not calculate these economic variables, and bought hybrid for image related reasons. This study also claims owners of hybrid and a non-hybrid vehicles will choose to drive the non-hybrid vehicle over the hybrid, which is driven only for "show." ''Omninerd'' has developed an incredibly detailed look at the economics of [[Hybrid Cars|hybrid] dated from 2005. [http://www.omninerd.com/2005/11/11/articles/41] In 2006, "Escape Hybrid taxi drivers say they may save more than $6,000 on gas per year" more than enough to cover the hybrid premium in the first year. [http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=23589]

'''2. [[Hybrid Cars|Hybrid]] vehicle choices are limited''', but expanding dramatically every year; waiting may be better. Larger and less expensive [[Hybrid Cars|hybrid cars]], trucks, and SUVs will become available.

'''3. [[Hybrid Cars|Hybrids]] on the market today rely on [[gasoline]]''' and E15, for which there is no synthetic substitute (unlike diesel engines, which can run on bio-diesel).

'''4. Car battery disposal''', when the car eventually is retired. There is no known methods on the disposal of these rich sources of nickle and could potentially create dangerous environmental impact but less than a NiCD battery and toxic lead. The 12V batteries in all cars are highly recyclable since the infrastructure is very well in place, unlike the newer batteries used in hybrids. Sad to say, not enough batteries have failed to require a disposal infrastructure and the salvage batteries are selling on Ebay for plug-in projects.

'''5. Extra weight''' and usually lack of performance in terms of acceleration and speed except at low speeds where the electric motor torque gives excellent accelleration. Heavy cars require more energy to move, and greatly affect safety and handling. The Camry hybrid is about 300lbs more than the Camry XLE counterpart but Toyota reports the hybrid has a net power of 187 hp verus the XLE 158 hp. The addition of an electrical engine in the front of the car and a battery pack in the rear right behind passenger seat increases the polar momentum of the car compared to the XLE, which in turn make the car unstable in corners on rally race tracks. Cornering instability is especially noticable in adverse weather conditions. Yet the even heavier XLE-V6 with a larger, heavier engine in the front does not have a placard limiting trunk loads to avoid the reported cornering instability.

'''6. Real world mileage''' is lower than the EPA estimates when not driving EPA profiles. At hybrid vehicle rallys, MPGs have only been in the 99.9 MPG for the Prius and 150 MPG for the Insight, the limits of their respective mileage displays.

'''7. A controversial study''' by an auto industry-friendly analyst claims that it takes more energy to manufacture a hybrid than a regular car. The reportedly rigorous study claims the energy consumed by a Hummer is less than a Prius over their entire lives (due to higher design and manufacturing energy costs for the Prius and a shorter projected life span). The study, of course, has been attacked by environmentalists and those who read the Dept. of Energy fleet report, INL/CON-05-00964, where the first generation hybrids went over 160,000 miles with no appreciable loss of performance. But this study raises interesting questions to consider such as how all SUVs got unusually high lifetime mileage. Here is a link to a summary of the study's findings.[http://www.reason.org/commentaries/dalmia_20060719.shtml] The original study is available from CNW Marketing at: [http://www.nvo.com/cnwmr/nss-folder/automotiveenergy/]. A critique of the study is at [http://www.greenhybrid.com/discuss/cnw-research-is-our-enemy-help-stop-them.8964.html?page=1&highlight=cnw].

See also '''[[Top Reasons to Buy a Hybrid Car]]'''.

Hypermiler

2006-08-08T18:58:10Z

128.158.250.227: /* Stop shutdown */

'''Hypermilers''' are drivers who materially exceed [[Environmental Protection Agency|EPA]] estimated mileage on their vehicles by modifying their driving habits.

[[image:Hyper.jpg|right|frame| Hypermiler bragging rights: Honda Insight at 72.8 mpg]]

===Origin===
Hypermilers originated from [[hybrid vehicle|hybrid]] driving clubs. As people began comparing [[fuel efficiency|mileage]] they noticed that certain driving techniques could greatly improve their mileage. With the aid of real time mileage displays, drivers were able to refine these driving techniques and greatly exceed the EPA rating for their vehicle.

==General Techniques==
There are many techniques that hypermilers use to optimize their MPG and many vary from car to car. Many hypermilers will put their talents to the test in hypermileage marathons. In these marathons, a route is determined and the drivers must optimize their driving over it until their tank of gas is consumed. Drivers have exceeded 120 MPG in current market vehicles in these marathons, achieving over 1300 miles on a tank of gas.

===Maintenance===
One of the best ways to optimize mileage (both hybrid and non-hybrid) is to keep up with vehicle maintenance. Key parameters to maintain are [[tire]] pressure, tire balance, and proper [[motor oil|oil]] weight and level.

===Pulse and Glide===
This method is a trick that can be used with hybrids to minimize [[internal combustion engine|ICE]] waste. The idea is to optimize [[acceleration]] in order to reach the optimal threshold of the hybrid engine. At this point, some vehicles (when the accelerator is minimally pressed) will glide consuming no power from gas or electric motors.

===Driving with Load===
Avoid cruise control on hill climbs. Rather than maintaining a precise speed during a hill climb by adding progressively more acceleration, maintain a steady throttle position and allow the vehicle to slow slightly during the climb, then let gravity accelerate the car back up to speed on the descent. Doing so will keep the engine in a more efficient RPM on the climb, and reduce energy wasted braking on the descent at the same average speed. To avoid slowing too much on the climb, it may help to gain extra speed as you approach the climb.

===Speed and Acceleration===
Maintaining an efficient speed is also very effective in keeping mileage up. Avoiding jackrabbit starts and keeping speed at a minimum are all useful in this regard. When accelerating, the engine should be kept in the peak of the torque curve. A slow acceleration is less efficient.

===Auto-stop and Forced Stop===
All hybrids have the "auto-stop" feature which engages when the vehicle stops, avoiding waste. Maximizing use of auto-stop is critical because idling causes a severe drop in accumulated mileage (0 miles per gallon). In addition, many hypermilers will actually turn off their cars entirely or put them into neutral when going down hills or in other situations when momentum will carry the car on its own.

===Air Conditioning/Cooling===
Air-conditioning loads (usually a few horsepower) can have a significant impact on mileage. (Relatively more so on hybrids with smaller engines, as it consumes up a greater percentage of the total engine power) When parking in the sun, a reflective visor across the windshield will reduce solar heating, if possible park with the windshield facing the sun. When initially entering a hot vehicle, open the doors for a moment to vent the hot air to escape, or drive with the windows down to clear the hot air before turning the AC on. Run in Recirc mode to keep the cool air in the vehicle longer. Cycling the AC on and off at key points also makes a difference: Turn the AC off during hill climbs and accelerations, run it at a moderate temperature setting on flat stretches, and run it on maximum setting during hill descents -- this will use energy that might otherwise be expended braking to cool the car down.

If ambient temperatures are not unreasonably hot, rolling the windows down is more efficient than AC. At slow speeds, drag from completely open windows is small compared to AC load. At faster speeds, open windows just slightly to allow circulation, without significant resistance from drag. On many vehicles, opening the driver's side window, and the rear window opposite the driver generate a swift air-current passing through the drivers seat.

==Prius Mileage Tricks==
===Stop shutdown===
(Transmission mode in '''B''', speed zero)

Often you will pull up at a stop light that has just changed. In some suburban areas this may entail a wait of several minutes, as the lights cycle through various simultaneous or sequential left turns, cross traffic, pedestrians, etc. If the gasoline engine is running when you approached the stop it will take the better part of a minute before the computer recognizes the situation and shuts off the engine. There is a trick to getting the engine to shut off promptly. If you approached the stop in '''B''' (engine assist braking), you may then when stopped with the brake on, command '''D''' (drive) - the engine will stop immediately - at least in 2004 US versions.

There is a difference of opinion about this technique in the YahooGroup, Prius Technical Stuff. Two senior NHW20 (04-current) Prius owners believe this at most saves 5 seconds of engine run time on the first engine stop event, normally 8 seconds long. The effect does not occur in the NHW11 (01-03) Prius as long as the blue "cold engine" light is on.

===Off throttle shift to electric mode===
(Transmission mode in '''D''', cruising speed up to 45 mph (70 km/h), road level.)

When reaching cruising speed it is often possible to briefly go "off throttle", allowing the system to switch to electric only mode. If the road is nearly level a ''gentle'' re-application of throttle to just enough to maintain cruising speed in electric mode may enable electric cruising (depending upon road grade, wind conditions, and battery state).

===Accelerate from stop to 35 to 45 mph (60 to 70 km/h) ===
(Transmission mode in '''D''', cruising speed up to 45 mph (70 km/h), road level.)

When running in traffic, a brisk (but not full throttle) acceleration, followed by an off throttle attempt (see previous) will be much more effective than gentle acceleration. This is a general technique applicable to non-hybrid cars. A gasoline ICE engine is more efficient (in terms of power produced/fuel consumption) when operating at higher effort due to smaller throttle losses. This is less important for compression-ignition engines, which do not have throttles but are instead regulated by the amount of fuel provided directly to the cylinder.

===Accelerate with no traffic to 25 mph (40 km/h) ===
Transmission mode in '''D''', cruising speed up to 25 mph (40 km/h), road level.

With substantial patience it is possible to accelerate to cruising speed using only electric power. Owing to the slow acceleration this should not be attempted with following traffic present.
Although this will temporarily reduce fuel consumption since you're driving in electric mode, it will not improve the long term fuel consumption, since you have to recharge the battery at some point later (and the generation and use of electricity involve energy conversion losses). As pointed out above, it is better to accelerate at a moderate pace.

===Long uphill followed by long downhill===
(Transmission mode in '''D''', cruising speed uphill to 65 mph (105 km/h), road uphill, followed by downhill at or below 50 mph (80 km/h) with transmission mode in '''B'''.)

The controller is blind to the future; it cannot tell that it would make sense to run the battery down on a long upgrade knowing that it can be quickly recharged on a subsequent downgrade. Nor is it possible for the driver to inform the system that this condition is coming. What happens is that the system will use the engine power when going uphill to charge the battery to normal state. Then, running down hill (with "'''B'''" selected) the battery is quickly charged to the maximum before the bottom of the hill. This full charge (battery state shown in green) will then cause the system to use the motor for compressive braking. It would be far more efficient to be able to use the battery capability to assist the motor (rather than taking charge from the motor). A run up the hill at sufficient throttle to demand electric motor assist (within speed limits, both statutory and by road and traffic conditions) ''may'' improve overall efficiency in this particular circumstance.

===Downhill run===
When using "B" on a long (1 to 2 km) downhill (e.g. over 60 mph, 100 km/h) you may find at higher speeds that the motor is used for braking in addition to the power recovery from the generator. Unless the battery is fully charged (showing green on the monitor), this is wasting excess energy which could be stored. By briefly braking to a somewhat slower speed, say 45 to 50 mph (70 to 80 km/h), the motor will not be used to retard the vehicle, all subsequent retarding energy will go to the battery, and ''a longer time will be spent recovering energy'', and so more energy will be recovered. This is less useful on a long mountain downgrade where the battery will become fully charged regardless of the technique used,.

===Gentle rise and descent===
A ''small'' amount of additional throttle will accelerate the vehicle before the rise is reached and this additional power may be maintained on most of the upgrade. Reducing throttle and paying off the excess speed ''before'' the top is reached may enable electric cruise to be entered, with energy recovery on the downgrade. Reapply cruising throttle at the bottom of the hill when reduction to normal cruise speed is obtained.

===Slow steady speed===
When traveling on relatively flat surfaces at approx 0 to 25 km/h (15 mph), sometimes the engine will run seemingly unnecessarily. By applying the brakes it tells the car to regenerate and is usually enough to shut it down. Sometimes it is necessary to come to a complete stop. At speeds that low, there is no real need for the gas engine. Alternatively, in the US one could re-enable the [http://www.seattleeva.org/wiki/User:Rjf/Prius_Modifications#Enabling_EV-mode_Button_.22H14_.2327_to_ground.22 EV-Mode Button] which is standard in EU and JP Prii, this feature allows the driver to ''request'' that the engine not start during times when it may not be needed.

==Hypermilers' Favorite Cars==
The most effective commonly available hybrid vehicles in the hypermileage marathons are the Honda [[Honda Insight|Insight]] Hybrid, the Toyota [[Toyota Prius|Prius]] Hybrid, and the Honda [[Honda Civic Hybrid|Civic]] Hybrid. Other hybrids have also done very well.

Some historical non-hybrid vehicles such as the Honda Civic [[Honda CR-X|CR-X]] HF and the [[Smart Fortwo]] have also done remarkably well on mileage.

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Reasons Not to Buy a Hybrid Car (yet)

Hypermiler