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Originally Posted by redpoint5
The high petrol prices of the '80s would have been the impetus to introduce super fuel efficient technology if such stuff were just sitting on a shelf. Instead they just made small vehicles with weaker motors.
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The power split device that makes up Toyota's "hybrid synergy drive" and every other 2 motor hybrid was invented in the 70's by TRW. What was missing then and in the 80's was the computer controls to seamlessly blend the interactions between the 2 motors and ICE.
Quote:
Originally Posted by redpoint5
Clinton's program as described by you sounds dumb. There's no point in 80 MPG (ICE) cars as it's impractical. If manufacturers didn't take it seriously, it's because they shouldn't. If the target was 30 MPG, that would be more realistic. The Insight only achieved 60 MPG, and that's not been beaten yet.
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The Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles was a demonstration program not an attempt to make 80 mpg production vehicles. Like the Supertruck program that followed it was meant to get automakers to evaluate and test a bunch of fuel saving techniques all in one vehicle and then put some of the promising tech that makes sense financially into production vehicles.
The problem with your 30 mpg hybrid truck is the cost - especially 15 years ago. The other problem is customers and the fact that to this day they prefer V8 full size trucks.
As Ecky mentioned - GM has tried mild and full hybrids in the past and they flopped because truck customers don't care much about fuel economy. Rationally every Dodge Ram V8 sold today should be an eTorque because it boost torque by 130 lb-ft, boosts fuel economy 15%, only costs $1,450, and pays back in less than 3 years. However, that isn't the case