[user removed]

I think it may not be well understood how much of most driving scenarios can be covered by high efficiency regeneration and reapplication of short term energy storage and application. Even in street scenarios, outside the racing events, how much power do you really need to have available. This is something I have given many hours of thought and my conclusion is you need to have the capability to recover most of one 70-0 event, versus miles of battery capability.

Not for prime source power application (whether battery electric or liquid fuel consuming). That can be accomplished by many different methods of energy storage, without exception.

With a highly effecient CAPACITIVE regeneration system, technology has advanced to the point where you can realistically expect to see 80% of the energy potential available for reapplication.

One of the KERS systems used a pure flywheel and CVT for that energy reapplication. You would think that the LeMans racers would be at a disadvantage due to the weight of the components compared to the non hybrid racers, but it seems like the additional weight is overcome by the additional power available from the KERS system. One of the few places on a racetrack where another 20-25% power will get you an advantage is coming out of the turns.

This is where racing situations differ from street driving, but the difference is the racer will not stop but must slow down, while the street car will eventually be forced to stop completely. With the energy losses involved in a complete stop basically amount to one 60-0 stop loosing the energy it takes to move the same vehicle .7 mile at 60 MPH, most hypermilers avoid stopping like the Plague. Conservation of momentum is a crucial part of increasing average mileage.

I wonder what a 1st generation Insight would be able to do as far as mileage compared to the original configuration. Remember that pulse and glide, especially in a very aerodynamic vehicle, can be beneficial at any legal speed.

While there is always a point where the total energy demand exceeds the benefits of a pulse and glide technique, with better aerodynmaics like Basjoos' Civic, the threshold of P&G effectiveness is increased. This is because lowering the total energy demand also places the engine (or motor) in a less efficient state of operation.

Understanding this is the key to the necessity to develop systems that offer the capability to cycle the engine on and off, even at speeds of 70 MPH.

regards
Mech