HYBRIDS HERE TO STAY

The hybrid motor is just a better idea...like disc brakes...McPherson struts...radial tires...unibody suspension...bumper covers, etc. Those were all considered 'radical' when they first appeared but now every car on the road has them.

In what way is it "better"?

.like disc brakes...

Disc brakes have been around for a very long time and a long time before they were fitted to popular cars.

McPherson

None of those things were ever considered "radical".

Daryl

Here to stay? I think not. Hybrids by their very nature are a short- term engineering 'solution' to a problem. Do you seriously think that people will be driving petrol/electric vehicles in 20 years time?

We've been driving petrol/electric trains for the past 50 years.

A train that runs on petrol?!!?

Relax. He's American :)

-- Regards, Noddy.

You mean diesel electric.

But they're not hybrids. The engine drives a generator, which powers traction motors which turn the wheels. The engine never drives the wheels directly.

Sylvia.

On Sat, 18 Jul 2009 10:57:17 +1000, Struggling with , Marty blathered on with:

Only over the pile of dead bodies of OilCo shareholders...

Hang on - aren't they beavering away on fuel-cells that run on of all things, oil?

Duh - they're Saved, massa!

I've seen them, 5 inch gauge, single cylider Honda engine inside a body that is a miniature replica of a mainline diesel-electric. Hand built, brought out on Sunday afternoon for a bit of fun, pulling a string of sit-astride rollingstock for full size human passengers.

Exctly correct. The alternator, switching circuits, cables and traction motors are nothing more than a transmission. Also seen on large mine trucks.

Nope, the d******ds want to process petroleum products to remove the carbon, then feed the extracted hydrogen to a fuel cell.

Thanks for that, but what part of that interesting article had anything to do with *petrol*?

-- Regards, Noddy.

In the American dialect "petrol" is short for "petroleum." Since you know nothing of our society, I can understand your confusion.

David Z is that you using another name?

Daryl

Has a David Z style to it doesen't it. :-)

Hmm...

I've been to the US twice. Once because I actually wanted to go, and once because I didn't but had to. Both trips were centred around car stuff. Both times I met some interesting people and saw some interesting sights, but I never once heard anyone mention petrol at all. In fact, when I mentioned it on occasion it was met with curiosity by some as they had no idea what I was talking about. I had to resort to the American term of "gas" so people could understand what I was talking about.

Diesel was "diesel", wherever you went.

-- Regards, Noddy.

Lol :)

Ain't hard to see where ol' Davy boy gets his smarts from, huh? :)

-- Regards, Noddy.

Of course they are because there will always be halfwits such as yourself willing to blow their load and cash on an overpriced gimmick

Even the big US utes are being made as hybrids now Saw a Dodge Ram(might have been a Dakota) hybrid being tested don't know how successful that would be

Kev