|
Is there any regeneration (charging) of the system when braking that actually captures the momentum of the vehicle and uses it to charge the battery?
If not, then I can't understand how this system will improve efficiency/mpg for each tank of fuel. Yes, there is less load on the engine (better mpg) when accelerating, but the power that assists the engine when accelerating comes from the battery, and the battery was charged using engine power (gasoline) which means worse mpg during idle/low speed driving.
Since these electrical components will give off heat energy, I would guess that overall mpg would be worse. I would also think that at least 100-200 extra lbs of batteries would reduce mpg for stop and go drivers.
This seems to be essentially an anti-pulse and glide device. In a way, it evens out the load on the engine (it works a little harder under light load in order to charge the battery bank for the assist during high speed/high load driving).
I do appreciate the company's honesty in calling this "Electric Cruise Assist"- so people should know up front that they aren't getting a regenerative braking device like would be found in a Prius/OEM hybrid.
|