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Old 03-31-2015, 06:59 PM   #298 (permalink)
Ecky
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Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: New Zealand
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ND Miata - '15 Mazda MX-5 Special Package
90 day: 39.72 mpg (US)

Oxygen Blue - '00 Honda Insight
90 day: 58.53 mpg (US)
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Just like to throw out there that I drove 50 miles today to see a cabin for my in-laws to rent next month, and averaged almost 95mpg @ 50mph without doing any P&G or EoC.

I'm sure one could make belt-driven fans, water pumps, power steering, and alternators considerably more efficient without moving them over to electricity, but electricity seems to be "easier" in some ways, and probably more reliable. Rather than a belt, which is a wear item, and a clutch, which requires its own wiring, and possibly even gearing (e.g. to allow a water pump to run at different speed than engine RPM), having an electric motor do the job sounds like a more elegant solution.

The Honda S2000 has electric power steering and an electric fan - how much of a hybrid does that make it? How about a diesel that has electric power brakes, rather than a belt-driven vacuum generator?

Now that you've added a high efficiency motor/generator to replace the alternator and allow for stop-start at redlights in your new car, why not allow that motor to provide a little bit of assist when accelerating, allowing you to downsize the ICE, and improve fuel economy when cruising? Maybe increase your battery size just a bit to give it some extra time to assist? The hybrid battery in Honda's older hybrid system is not actually all that much bigger than some of the 12v batteries you find in trucks and SUVs, it's just higher voltage.
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