Bright Automotive unveils 100 mpg hybrid truck

[Concrete]

anybody seen this yet?

definitely some aero in this with the hybribness

more data here
The Associated Press: Bright Automotive unveils 100 mpg hybrid truck

[Hugh Jim Bissel]

That 100 mpg is really going to very depending on what type of driving: 50mi/day (from article) might be on target for some businesses (trades: go to location to work), but a courier/delivery driver could be looking at a few hundred miles a day. I wonder what sort of mileage it would be getting after 100 miles of driving. 40mpg* still sounds a bit high for a vehicle the size of a minivan, may still be running down the battery at that point?

*mpg=miles/gallon => gallons=miles/mpg
50mi (per day) / 100mpg = .5 gal used after 50mi
50mi total - 30mi battery only = 20mi gas/battery
20mi gas/battery / .5gal = 40mpg

[MetroMPG]

Agreed. The mainstream media needs to get with the program and stop reporting MPG for plug in hybrids, while ignoring the electric energy consumption as if it somehow finds its way into the batteries each night as if by magic!

That said, interesting truck.

[SVOboy]

What's worse is that the MPG reported is always mostly electricity and a little bit of gas. Drive it through a whole tank and it won't be nearly as good.

[Concrete]

go easy on them guys

here is more data - hidden in a really poor interview
'Bright' Idea? - FOXNews.com

Things to note:
engine powers front wheels - motor powers back wheels - say AWD
van gets 40 mpg with front drive only - know a mini van that gets 40 mpg?
it plugs in with out a multi thousand dollar add on
and watch as they walk around the van - serious aero work

I'm not really a hybrid fan - but I think I could learn to like this one

[TestDrive]

Originally Posted by Hugh Jim Bissel

That 100 mpg is really going to very depending on what type of driving: 50mi/day (from article) might be on target for some businesses (trades: go to location to work), but a courier/delivery driver could be looking at a few hundred miles a day.

Looks about the right size for most USPS city/suburb curbside/doorway delivery service, which would typically be less then 50 mi/day?

[Hugh Jim Bissel]

Originally Posted by TestDrive

Looks about the right size for most USPS city/suburb curbside/doorway delivery service, which would typically be less then 50 mi/day?

I've never worked in any sort of delivery job, but I would expect any sort of delivery service where you're driving around town to multiple locations in a day would put you well over 50miles/day. For example: if you spend 1/2 the day loading, unloading, & running to and from front doors, and the other half on the road = 4hrs. Since your driving around town, say an average speed of 25mph, thats 4x25=100 miles a day.

Not trying to bash them at all, I think its great that it can get 40mpg (in what kind of driving though I wonder?); it just feels a touch like false advertising when they throw around 100mpg numbers. Sure say it'll go 30mi on battery power only, and do 40mpg continuous (with the right conditions). But just say 100mpg and people gloss over (or don't see) the "50mi/day" and think they'll be able to take a 1000mile cross country trip on just one 10 gallon tank full of gas.

To be fair, I feel the same way about the Aptera hybrid, which is throwing around 300+mpg. With just a little searching just now, I see 300 a number of times (even from aptera.com (but only on the reservation page)) with no mention of what distance... However I recalled a while back seeing a graph of how that 300 would drop over longer distances and flatten to a consistant 100something. I was hoping to find mention of that in other places. Wikipedia mentions 300mpg for 120mi trips, and 130mpg continuous, but that citation link to aptera.com redirects and doesn't mention mileage at all.

I guess it feels to me like the plugin hybrid market in general is over promoting itself with half-truths, and unfortunately that sort of thing has a way of coming back to kick them in the rear. You'll get people who buy one and say "I took a cross country trip and ONLY got 40mpg, not the 100 they said it would do!!111one" They won't care that they got close to double anything else that size.

I'm very glad to see more plugin hybrids out, I just think they need to be more careful what kind of numbers they throw around: remember to take the "electricity fairies" and the distance on batteries into account when giving mileage. (Ideally instead of quoting numbers without context they'd give mpg vs. distance graphs out to 500mi, or whatever it takes to determine the asymptote mpg)

Sorry for the rant, I guess its the engineer-to-be rising up in me yelling "Thats not the whole story! Show me the data!"

[FastPlastic]

A friend of mine delivered pizza for a while. He said 100miles in town was a typical day for him. I would imagine that's not that much different then a UPS truck.

[TestDrive]

Originally Posted by Hugh Jim Bissel

I've never worked in any sort of delivery job, but I would expect any sort of delivery service where you're driving around town to multiple locations in a day would put you well over 50miles/day. For example: if you spend 1/2 the day loading, unloading, & running to and from front doors, and the other half on the road = 4hrs. Since your driving around town, say an average speed of 25mph, thats 4x25=100 miles a day.

USPS is nothing like United Parcel or FedEx. The USPS loves to deliver bulk mail - what you and I call junk mail - which goes to every address on a route. For housing developments dating from the 1930s and older (maybe even from the mid 1950s and older?), delivery service is door to door.

My brother works as a USPS carrier. His route and most of the routes out of the office he works in are what is called "Park and Loop." His day goes something like:

1. 1 hour? - do final sort of mail to his route.
2. 15-20 minutes? - Load mail, inspect vehicle.
3. 10-15 minutes - Drive to start of route where he parks & shuts off vehicle.
4. ~10-20 minutes - Hand carry / deliver mail 1 block up street,
   1 block down other side of street,
   1 block up cross street,
   1 block back down other side of cross street.
   (Or some similar variation. Hike up to 8 block total.)
5. Drive vehicle ahead 1-3 blocks and park it again.
6. Repeat steps 4 & 5 until lunch.
7. Do lunch.
8. Repeat steps 4 & 5 until route completion.
9. Fuel up on return to Post Office.

In his particular case, I'm know he racks up well under 25 miles per day.

In highly urbanized areas, even UPS and FedEx have routes that operate under similar constraints. eg. Drive to the xyz building, park the vehicle and make separate deliveries to 15 of the 50 different businesses in the office building.
...

[Hugh Jim Bissel]

Originally Posted by TestDrive

My brother works as a USPS carrier. His route and most of the routes out of the office he works in are what is called "Park and Loop."
...
In his particular case, I'm know he racks up well under 25 miles per day.

Ok, I see what you mean. This would be perfect for him, might not even need to use the gas engine. I had been thinking courier delivery service type of thing. One of my previous bosses sons did that and I'm pretty sure I remember her saying he was doing over 100 miles/day, but I'd need to talk to her again to be sure.

Originally Posted by TestDrive

For housing developments dating from the 1930s and older (maybe even from the mid 1950s and older?), delivery service is door to door.

Where I'm living the boxes are up on the front porch next-to the front doors. Most of the houses are from mid-to-late 60's. Other places in my suburb have boxes at the street.