[Christ]

The idea I have in mind is more of a mild hybrid, basically intended to allow things like FAS to become more natural, and less operator based. Many feel that keying off takes too much attention from driving, and can become dangerous. I don't necessarily disagree.

Its said that the best way to get high FE from a hybrid is to simply not use the hybrid part. The 100+ mpg pulse and glide run in a Prius comes to mind. Its really inefficient to use an alternator or even a genny to charge the battery pack when that power could be used for motion. Too many energy conversions, which is why plug in fuel/electric cars are the only real hybrids in my mind.

Locomotives use electric drive with giant fuel generators for a few reasons, one being that the generators ONLY run at their most efficient load, eliminating a good bit of the problem with fuel engines right from the start. Similar tech could be applied to a car, but again, better efficiency would be had by building a more efficient CVT and allowing the fuel engine to drive the car at its most efficient load all the time. Another reason that locomotives use the hybrid power arrangement is that of power delivery... It takes ALOT of power to get a train moving, and the components needed to deliver that power safely can get very large and heavy, and at power levels in access of 10,000hp in some cases, power delivery parts tend to be a bit unreliable.