Comments on: Diesel-Hybrid Dreams

By: destinijames33

destinijames33 — Mon, 03 Sep 2012 05:24:27 +0000

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By: adamabraham

adamabraham — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 01:32:41 +0000

Overall power output did not compare well with conventional steam locomotives, although the performance on gradients was good because of the gearing. During the trials it was used successfully with coal trains and it proved very efficient in terms of fuel used, because the waste heat from the diesel power was recovered. baby bad

By: Tony

Tony — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 22:30:38 +0000

Most modern diesels will do 60 + mpg some smaller cars get 80+mpg with out hybrid technology. the leaf in the uk is £28k the same size diesel about £12k.

the Prius is okay for a town but out of town it has useless fuel economy of only about 40Mpg

By: Jonny wonder

Jonny wonder — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 13:20:22 +0000

Renewables will account for a majority of power? You must be including nuclear as renewable or you’re sorely lacking in scientific knowledge .

By: Hyderabad

Hyderabad — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 17:20:22 +0000

Senseless. Totally senseless. What happens when you’re taking a vacation in your totally electric car and you need to juice up? You pull over and wait 3 – 4 hours for a “fill-up” ??? You’re out of your mind.

By: this guy

this guy — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 07:35:18 +0000

Yeah, and we’ll put the plants a couple miles out from YOUR house. Sound good? You dont have a problem with THAT right?

By: Gabriel Patterson

Gabriel Patterson — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 07:57:39 +0000

I didn’t read every post so I may be repeating this… but diesel engines do not have spark plugs and all the maintenence problems as in ICE. Therefore the car companies are pulling the wool over your eyes… YES, the cars may cost a bit more upfront but you are not going to be crawling to them for as many spare parts either. Any decision by the “Big 3″ is made on economics on their behalf. Don’t be fooled into thinking that something is not feasible because they said so. Who killed the electric car in the late 90′s again? Diesel hybrids are possible and a little California school named San Diego State University built one and I am sure there are others. You are gonna tell me a small engineering dept can come close to doing what no large companies are able to do? I hope that Japan and VW make these so there will be another “I told you so” moment in the future. The execs should really all be fired.

By: Tim G

Tim G — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 21:57:52 +0000

@ Jessica Sandoval:

Your fears regarding the high voltages under the hood of a hybrid/electric car are entirely unfounded. Electricians run this risk daily when wiring new houses for things like electric stoves and clothes dryers.

All it takes is a little common sense, and a little training. You say that you are a mechanic. If so, then you are certainly familiar with unplugging the airbag connectors and the standard car battery before doing any electrical work on the engine, correct? Don't touch the spark plug while the engine is running, stuff like that.

That seems easy enough to remember. Just think of hybrid/electric cars as having a much bigger battery, and much bigger wires. They are plainly labelled, and some are even colored a bright orange color with warning labels all over them. Just be careful when you handle them, and don't touch the + to the -. In fact, don't touch the + or - at all.

There are plenty of service centers nationwide that are certified to repair hybrid/electric cars. Auto manufacturers would not sell these kinds of cars unless they were sure that the dealerships could handle their repairs.

As for the glove replacement, I personally know arc welders who handle these kinds of voltages for a living who have NEVER replaced their working gloves.

I guess the bottom line is, if you're not dumb, then you won't have a problem.

By: JESSICA SANDOVAL

JESSICA SANDOVAL — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 18:48:18 +0000

I am a mechanic and I feel that the Hybrid vehicles are really good not only for our environment but also is a lot easier on the pocket book (money). But then I also feel that if everyone goes out and buys this new Hybrid that there will be a new and even better vehicle tomorrow I also feel that let the vehicle be out for awhile before you buy one so that everything that is going to go wrong goes wrong let the manufacturers work the kinks out and see if it is really safe to be out there. There is a lot of voltage under the hood (about 250 to 650 volts depending if its off or if its running) and also the battery in the trunk, when one of those goes out after its 10 year garentee thats about $4800 just for that battery. What about the cost to repair it if something goes wrong and considering the fact that there are not very many places that will work on the vehicle let alone there are practically nobody that is certified to work on them not even to maintain them. The gloves that is required to wear when you are touching anything under the hood is like $250 and they have to be replaced every 6 months if I owned a Hybrid I would be scared to even check the oil or even the water afraid that I would die from the high voltage.

By: Nathan Skit

Nathan Skit — Thu, 29 May 2008 04:18:48 +0000

I love your post while searching Google ; Google matched my query to your post almost word for word i share your thought and submit> some time soon WE THE People Are going to need this. if They the profiteers have there way we may never see the benefits of this kind of conceptual thinking.
WE THE PEOPLE MAY NEED TO SEEK THIS ON THE LARGE SCALE BY starting on the small scale and forcing them to help US THE PEOPLE get to ware we should already be.