The Hot Rodding Has Begun

[randywebb]

I didn't think it would take long for people to start hopping up these things....

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/02/business/02plug.html

Porsche will need to intro a hybrid pretty soon(1). There are already rumors of a Honda or Toyota hybrid sports car.

(1) I mean besides the Lohner.

[fastpat]

High efficiency cars are only needed by those that, unfortunately, inhabit cities like Chicago and New York.

The rest of us need nothing of them.

Pat

[jluetjen]

Not as long as we're all buying fuel from the same set of wells! I'm looking forward to Porsche making an exciting hybrid!

[randywebb]

That's a big mistake for numerous reasons.

1. When fuel hits $4 or $5 a gallon you'll be happy to get better mileage
2. a hybrid allows the heavy, amssive power plant to be partitioned into 2 or maybe 3 pieces and distributed at various points on the vehicle, a. potentialy lowering the CG, and b. changing the polar moment of inertia
3. a hybrid can allow a limp home mode if one of the power plants fails
4. same if one can't find a gas station
5. it sets you up for swapping the fuel based engine later on for a different kind or for a fuel cell
6. it cuts pollution and reduces the need for ever more restrictive pollution laws to maintain air quality
7. b/c electric motors develop their max. torque at stall, you can get fun launches w/o a big heavy V-8 or V-10 in your car.

- those are just a few reasons off the top of my head. I enjoy my flat 6, however.

[Bill Verburg]

Randy. there was a nice piece on Eugene in Fri's Times as well

My kind of place, bicyle friendly

[mede8er]

Check this out...a friend of mine....

http://www.worldclassexotics.com/Electric%20car%20conv.htm

[randywebb]

Thanks Bill - I saw that. It's a pretty good slice for his stay here.

About 40+ miles of bike only separate paths - not counting bike lanes on streets.