Quote:
Originally Posted by jamesqf
You know, I think you just made my argument for me :-)
Honestly, storing energy for just one acceleration just isn't going to cut it in a normal passenger car. Even the first generation hybrids could do a dozen accelerations, and nowadays you'd want 10-40 miles or so of non-petroleum range. Normal car drive cycles are also accelerate to speed, and drive for extended time with variable amounts of assist/regen climbing & descending hills, etc. Hydraulic hybrids are a bad match for this, just as they are a great match for the stop&go cycle of delivery trucks.
Also, your panic stop scenario is unrealistic. It is a rare event (or should be for a competent driver). so it'd be acceptable to waste the braking energy. But I do want to be able to climb a mountain - maybe not Pike's Peak, but say 4500 vertical feet - using reasonable assist all the way, and recapture much of that energy in the descent. The Insight doesn't quite manage that, but with 2-3 times as much battery storage, it would. A reasonable HH wouldn't even come close.
PS: For me, a panic stop might happen once a year or less, but significant climb/descent cycles - say 2500-4500 ft - happen several times a week.
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There's no need to store 2500-4500ft worth of energy, because you expend a lot of energy going down the hill, that's my opinion. I also don't believe in significant non-gasoline range, for cost/packaging reasons. If the gasoline drivetrain is reasonably efficient there's no need to go save those last few drops of fuel, it takes too long to pay for itself and increases the mass of the vehicle.