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I have noticed when somebody comes up to one of my EV conversions at a car show, and the questions start to flow, people almost always want to know if I have considered using alternators on my wheels, solar panels on roof, or other means of collecting free energy. These questions flow so naturally, even from people who have college science in their backgrounds, and I think that the reason for this is that we can't see energy in the same tangible way that we see two gears meshing. Without reading up on perpetual motion and thermal dynamics, all we have to go by is what we feel in our hearts, what the media presents to us, and marketing strategies.
I have done a lot of reading and studying about hybrid technology, but I still don't know everything, so this thread is a little deeper than just trolling the hybrid section to let everybody know about my distaste for hybrids. I am very interested in finding out if there is some scientific explanation that shows how hybrids really do use less fuel than a comparable ICE. So far, all I can see that is unique about hybrids, is that they are able to harvest a portion of braking energy and distribute it at the appropriate time. It would appear that all the hybrid hype is centered exclusively around this one feature, so I want to know if there are other unique features that can only be found on a hybrid, and I want to know quantitatively how much of this harvested energy is wasted in the process and in hauling it around. What RedDevil said about a hybrid package being a complete system makes really good sense, but I would think that an ICE only car could be developed as well. Maybe the market does not support such a vehicle, but I guess I am more curious about the science of it all. Showing mpg claims or statements is somewhat scientific, but it does not show how exactly the technology works better than just having an ICE. Especially if the hybrid vehicle was designed with fuel efficiency in mind.
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