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Old 03-25-2011, 12:22 AM   #26 (permalink)
dcb
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NeilBlanchard View Post
...In a standard Prius (not a plugin) even the regenerative braking energy came originally from the gasoline burned earlier. So, if your definition of a hybrid (two different energy sources) is correct, then how is a Prius a hybrid?...
Well a train without batteries doesn't recapture and store that braking energy, or otherwise allow the vehicle to move without the diesel engine being on. If you take the batteries out, then a series hybrid is not a hybrid anymore, it is an electric version of a torque converter, instead of a pump and a motor you have a generator and a motor.

The storing of energy allows more efficient (hybrid) energy management schemes, and not just losses from weird transmissions.
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WINDMILLS DO NOT WORK THAT WAY!!!
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