4th generation coming 2015!

A car is not art, it's transportation.

 

Car design is art, have you any idea what goes into drawing designs and working with clay to model car designs? If this is not art, then what is it?

 

It's a shame HOV Stickers for California will run out by then

 

HOV stickers are so ugly, what were they thinking when they designed them and do we really need more then one sticker?

 

You sure it wasn't iQ EV?

 

It may take artists to design a car, but the result isn't a decoration, it's a transportation tool. I'm far more interested in the shape being good for holding my stuff, having low air drag, and producing low air noise than in looking in any particular way.

 

Lee Jay - This is too much fun to let it pass without comment. (Don't be offended).

I see that you have identified 3 criteria for your "tool" (automobile): Space for your "stuff" (not further identified); "low air drag," but you didn't qualify at what speed, and last, "low air noise."

For fun, I googled the uglies cars in the world, and there any many that meet your criteria .... in fact, even a model T Ford meets your criteria if speed is not specified, because "air drag" and wind noise only become consequential at speed. And you cannot deny it is transportation, and it will haul your "stuff."

Next I googled vehicles with low air drag, and there are many. Some are very beautiful, but those must be eliminated because beauty is associated with "artist" and "design." Mercedes even has an 18 wheeler that is certainly large enough to haul all the "stuff" you would ever want to haul, and it is touted as having "low air drag" and while not mentioned, I assume low "air noise."

In addition to not specifying how fast you want your "tool" to transportation your stuff, you made no mention of creature comfort? Do you need A/C and heat? What about safety? Will your "tool" haul any additional passengers? And what about reliability? Is it important this quiet, "slick" stuff hauler bring you back to where you started at the end of the day?

I see you drive a 1994 Prius .... fuel efficiency must have been important at some time in the past. Maybe your "stuff" is weed?

 

Not to get too far off topic. How does Edmunds know the 4th gen will be launched this year?

2015 Toyota Prius Review | Edmunds.com

 

! Future Products from Japanese Manufacturers -- Automotive News

2015 Toyota Prius Will Use Lithium-Ion Batteries - AutoTrader.com

 

Well that's great. That would definitely mean more space in general especially if it matches the Kw as the current prius. Or...More battery power :O Longer hill charges lol. I just hope these Li-Ion charge as fast as NiMH

 

I'm just going to leave this here for posterity.

 

Uh, Felt, drag is usually characterized by a drag coefficient. This is clever because, through it, you can calculate drag at any speed (ignoring Reynolds number effects) through the simple formula .5*rho*v^2*Cd*A. As for the rest, it only needs to hold my stuff, not everyone's so I don't need a semi, I don't drive a 1994 Prius since there is no such thing, and I said nothing about the other aspects of the car aside from the outside shape, such as the small Atkinson cycle engine, the clever electric CVT, and the obvious hybrid system that all contribute to excellent fuel economy along with the aforementioned low Cd.

As for "weed" I'll bet I do fewer drugs than you do since I don't even drink pop, much less use the hard stuff like coffee or worse.

 

The first concept Prius was built in 1994, so there was Prius's in 1994......

 

I think the word you are looking for is Prii.

 

Oh my, yes the correct term is Prii, thanks for pointing that out.

 

Haha, no worries, just messing with ya.

 

Lets look at the supercapacitors story here. A little surfing around got me this facts:
- Supercapacitor costs in 2006 were US$0.01 per farad or US$2.85 per kilojoule
- Energy density between 5-15 Wh/kg
- Supercapacitors exhibit a much longer lifetime than batteries
- Self-discharge time in weeks or a month
- Whole capacity is usable without damaging the lifetime

Now let's look at the current Prius battery and operating modes.
- It's rated at 1.3 kWh but only 20-40% is used under normal driving to extend battery life (260-520 Wh).
- When the battery gets drained and vehicle is stationery, the ICE will not work under optimal conditions, because the current would be to high (7C) for efficient charge
- The battery has low charge/discharge efficiency if it's taking high current (getting hot) and even at optimum rate it will newer reach the efficiency of supercapacitors (95%).

To sum it up:
- the supercapacitor with 200 Wh (750KJ) would weight 13 to 40 kg, I rarely use more under normal driving
- the most conservative number gives me at least 40 kW available power
- it would cost $2,000 (in 2006 according to wikipedia) - today probably a lot less, I have no idea?
- the ICE would be able to recharge it very quickly at high current, even when stationary, operating in efficient range (10 kW)
- self discharge is not a problem, you just need a normal bigger 12V led acid battery to start the ICE if the vehicle ends up with no capacity
- for plug-in version just add additional li-ion and it will have extended life due to not taking high currents (supecap buffer)
- Efficiency of driving in EV mode would be a lot higher, boosting the overall MPG rating

 

lee jay - 1994 .. 2004.. "what difference does it make?" Okay, you drive a 2004 ..... a harmless minor detail. (LOL)

But whats with all the other BS, "pop," "coffee" and other "hard stuff"?

How about us just getting back to the topic of the thread.

 

Where are the winter snowy spyshots? :O

 

Inferno - I made a serious effort today to send you a photo of a "winter snowy spyshot," but it was snowing so dang hard, all that I succeeded in capturing was a white-out.