Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!ncar!mephisto!ncsuvx!news
From: ghhart@eos.ncsu.edu (GREGORY HUGHES HART)
Newsgroups: ba.transportation,ca.environment,sci.electronics
Subject: Re: Electric Dreams
Message-ID: <1990Sep21.191817.9215@ncsuvx.ncsu.edu>
Date: 21 Sep 90 19:18:17 GMT
References: <38772@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> <1990Sep20.231021.5512@amd.com> <38776@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> <cald02QCcaDa01@amdahl.uts.amdahl.com>
Sender: news@ncsuvx.ncsu.edu (USENET News System)
Reply-To: ghhart@eos.ncsu.edu (GREGORY HUGHES HART)
Organization: North Carolina State University
Lines: 30

In article <cald02QCcaDa01@amdahl.uts.amdahl.com>, terry@uts.amdahl.com
(Lewis T. Flynn) writes:
> In article <38776@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> cameron@janus.Berkeley.EDU
(Mike Williamson) writes:
> >In article <1990Sep20.231021.5512@amd.com> phil@brahms.amd.com (Phil
Ngai) writes:
> 
> [ lots of interesting stuff about electric cars and relative efficiencies ]
> 
> Has anyone investigated a hybrid gasoline/electric car? It strikes me
> that this may combine the best of both methods by using an electric
> propulsion system with a small, low horsepower generator as a means of
> extending range. This is hardly a new idea as nearly all modern
> railroad locomotives work this way as do many large ships, but I've
> never seen any study done as applied to automobiles or trucks. I seem
> to remember that it only takes 2 or 3 horsepower to maintain freeway
> speeds (it's getting to those speeds that takes more, but the battery
> system could provide that energy and then be recharged), so this looks
> feasible.
> 
> Terry

News and Observer had an article a few months ago on a hybrid, using
both gasoline and electric for different loads on the vehicle...I
BELIEVE it was Chrysler, but I'm not sure...the problem with this, and
any other alternative vehicle, is that the car companies have no reason
to change to another design when the old gasoline engine is making money
for them now...Ford even came out with a WORKING 200+ horspower Stirling
engine, but never got it past the research stage because it would cost
money to switch over to the new design...