I don’t really see the point of this. It’s just adding complexity for the sake of it. As far as I can tell when you change gear it just changes some software parameters, there are no physical gears. Yet there’s a clutch and the ability to stall?
I don’t really see the point of this. It’s just adding complexity for the sake of it. As far as I can tell when you change gear it just changes some software parameters, there are no physical gears. Yet there’s a clutch and the ability to stall?
Maybe an excuse to set two different prices, but charge more overall.
100%. Its like with hybrids, just add £10k onto a petrol engine price. Same cars
Well a hybrid car is significantly more complicated than a petrol car (multiple power sources that have to be integrated through the drive train), however I’m sure they stretch the pricing well beyond reasonable proportions.
It really depend though, Toyota’s HSD system replace the whole gearbox with a hybrid system that only has 2 planetary gear. It is not much bigger than a 7+ speed gearbox.
I have a friend who studied the Toyota Prius gearbox at university to try and figure out improvements, I can say for a fact that their drivetrain is trick as fuck. So in some sense it’s reasonable for them to charge a higher price and profit from their R&D work.
Like I say though, I’m sure they stretch the pricing well beyond what is reasonable.
i mean in practical user terms. what theyve done is add a battery which adds a handful of miles and adds an enormous cost for no practical benefit. The only real advantage to a hybrid is the use of battery motor off the lights 0-30mph, which is the most carbon intense part of any driving and worse as you increase weight.
It’s definitely something of a gimmick, like 3D TV, and especially in its early iterations. However you did just list a genuine benefit of hybrid technology. Also, I know someone with a Mercedes hybrid and that will go up to like 50 mph on battery only, and also delivers ridiculous acceleration like that I’ve only previously felt on motorbikes, all the while keeping fuel economy above 90 mpg and never bothering to plug it in. The only real downside is how much space the batteries take up in the boot.
the real downside is you cant drive for more than about 20 minutes!
Yeah, range in general is terrible with anything electric - and the UK isn’t even that big. New battery tech can’t come quickly enough.
My hybrid escape gets double the gas mileage of my ice Soul. It’s not just slap 10k more on the same car… I can make lots of small trips almost entirely electric and just need the engine for highway and quicker acceleration.
With my hybrid my trip to the grocery store is 80mpg for the 3/4 miles I’m going, in my ice it’s 24
I guess so. My perspective is you may as well get a full EV, and stop using petrol entirely. Ive never seen hybrids as anything more than a scam in environmental measures. It does depend on circumstances but I dont see any reason to own an ICE now. Even EV earth movers with diesel generators are better, as you have zero tailpipe emissions on the carbon intensive acceleration parts of a drive.
Im sure you might get better acceleration in an ICE but ive driven quite a few and EV always wins on that front.
Plug-in hybrids make a lot of sense, because most journeys can be taken fully electric, but when you want to go a weekender and your destination lacks chargers, you can use petrol. All in one car. That’s amazing and super practical!
you are easily impressed my friend. Im rather cynical and jaded
No, I’m a realist.
Full EV doesn’t make sense for me, I have to drive 300 miles around 8-12 times a year and EVs can’t really do that right now without stopping to charge and there’s no chargers in BFE America