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Old 03-26-2011, 01:26 AM   #20 (permalink)
jamesqf
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NeilBlanchard View Post
Why does the threshold of a hybrid drivetrain involved energy storage? Why wouldn't two different types of motors be "enough" to be considered a hybrid?
The difference is between a mechanism acting as a motor vs acting as a transmission - even if it's the same mechanism. So you could convert a standard non-hybrid diesel-electric locomotive into a hybrid by for instance adding some batteries and a controller, or (in principle, anyway) convert your Volt hybrid into a non-hybrid by taking out the battery, and using the gas engine to turn a generator which feeds directly to the electric motors that drive the wheels.

This seems so simple and, frankly, so blindingly obvious that I'm at a loss to see why you can't seem to understand it.
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