Georges new speech promoting hybrids

Are you crazy! George W. Bush + Facts + Hard to pronounce words = endless fodder for the liberal media outlets!!

 

What you write is partly true, but not the whole story.

An atkinson engine without hybrid would be too underpowered to sell in the US market, so the argument is a bit silly.

Secondly, I don't know about you, but I do not live on a highway; and in fact, drive >90% of the time in suburban/city environments. ICE off with battery motive force is central to superior FE.

 

so you're telling me that the 48 mpg i'm getting is worse than my last car, because my prius has electrical components??

okay... :huh:

you do know the curb weight of a prius, right?

 

I'm really not sure what your point is, I don't think anyone was stating that an atkinson cycle engine has nothing to do with improving the fuel economy or that the electric motor is the only way to get good FE. The very idea of hybridization allows for a smaller (and Atkinson) ICE to help economy. Isn't that really the point? The Atkinson has bad low-end torque, electric motor is instant torque and the Atkinson does most of the work at highway speeds, but gets up to highway speed in a decent time with the help of the electric motor and battery.

 

When was the last time that you drove for an entire tank at a constant speed on a flat highway? Even if your scenario were possible it's so ridiculous from a practical standpoint that it's not even worth postulating.

On long highway trips I'm frequently getting (like most folks here) more than 50 MPG. My '90 civic got about 36 MPG hwy. Yes, at the higher speeds the atkinson cycle is important. That's why it's in the car. However, like Ericgo said, there's a reason the atkinson cycle in not present in most production cars. In city driving I get 49 MPG and that's will a 5 mi communte in hilly terrain. When it's warm out I'm closer to 51 MPG. That's largely because of the HSD. My Prius crushes my old civic off the line (which was a manual transmission) off the line, is heavier, roomier, and more practical. All that AND I get 50% better gas milage. There's no way that that's just because of the Atkinson cycle engine (which is smaller than the 1.8 L Otto in my old civic) in the Prius. MG1 and MG2 play a signifcant role in the Pruis' performance and economy.

 

Our nation is on the threshold of new energy technology that I think will startle the American people," Bush said. "We're on the edge of some amazing breakthroughs - breakthroughs all aimed at enhancing our national security and our economic security and the quality of life of the folks who live here in the United States"

Any ideas as to what he is talking about?

If he is correct, better sell the shares of Exxon tomorrow. i wonder if Iran has considered any possible way they could start a market for sand if the market for oil dries up? Maybe they could become the world's glass maker. Isn't glass made out of sand?

 

Pebble bed reactors combined with EV and PHEVs

Cheaper more addictive Crystal meth? That give us all plenty of energy. :lol:

Hydrogen break throughs would be my guess. Of course, we've been on the verge of breakthroughs for quite sometime there. Not that progress isn't being made. There's some really cool stuff going on in the Hydrogen research world. Most of it is still pretty experimental, however. Good stuff in the lab that may or may not workout in real conditions.

Too bad he wasn't more specific.

 

Yeah, I pretty much agree. It makes more sence to just use the electricity in EVs or PHEVs than to incur all of those losses. However, hydrogen may prove a useful way of storing energy for later use. Storage problems have to be solved for this to be viable through. Compression and cryogenics aren't going to cut it.

I wonder if FCs will ever be mainstream in the transportation sector. They may well have a place in stationary power generation where they're already getting to be cost competetive in certain scenarios.

 

George Bush, OUR President also made the remark, that he is interested in promoting Hybrid Auto Technology with Plug in capability. Give him credit for at least being on the right track! I Emailed last year and asked if he had driven the Prius!!!!!? He must have listened to me. No applause please.

 

*giggle* I was just speculating in this case having not heard the comments. I was pleasently surprised to see that he was at Johnson Controls and other places talking up their contributions to the oil problem. He's definitely on the right track. Now he just needs to help us get there.... There's not a moment to loose!

 

His brother, Jeb, drives an Escape Hybrid.