Comparsion Of Hybrid on Road and Track
#1
05-18-2006, 10:43 PM
Comparsion Of Hybrid on Road and Track
Everyone from Cameron Diaz to George W. Bush (now there's a dichotomy for you!) is talking hybrid cars. Are these dual-power gasoline-electrics really economical? Really environmentally sound? Really high-tech? Really fashionable? All of the above? None of the above? Or some combination of the above?
To address these and other related automotive profundities, we assembled three pairs of appropriate machinery and did what we enjoy most: Six of us went for a drive, a thoughtful one along a carefully orchestrated route. What follows here are accounts of our own personal hybrid payoffs from a selection of viewpoints.
2006 Ford Escape V-6 and 2006 Ford Escape Hybrid
And here's a hybrid driving tip: By looking ahead and anticipating your braking, you can stay in regen as much as possible. Unnecessarily abrupt braking is doubly wasteful: It invokes the hydraulics early on, and it likely overwhelms the instantaneous capacity of regen.
We had a chance to practice this and other tricks along our two-day route.
The Route
Our two-day trek began with a jaunt up Pacific Coast Highway, PCH in local jargon, California Route 1. This took us from our Newport Beach offices north along the ocean, across much of the Los Angeles sprawl, past everything from oil refineries to Malibu beach houses. This was mixed traffic, with plenty of lights, lots of stop-and-go, though devoid of really heavy tie-ups. (No fools, us; we made this a mid-morning trip, timed to have lunch at Malibu's Marmalade Café.) A short dash up Malibu Canyon Road brought us to U.S. Hwy 101 and our first fuel stop.
Our data panel summarizes our cars' fuel consumption data for this and other stages.
Our second stage was planned to be light freeway cruising. However, what with one thing and another (there was this neat Japanese bookshop/CD store...), by the time we got on 101, the freeway was into its mid-afternoon clog. East on 101, north on I-405 through the San Fernando Valley, to I-5 and California 14 toward Palmdale.
At that time of day, plenty of other drivers had similar ideas, and this became the rush-hour/hurry-up-and-wait phase of our testing. Joining the commuter stream through several high-desert communities, we ended up at Victorville, along I-15.
And so, after an excellent feed at Victorville's Original Roadhouse and a photo op at a classic gas station, to bed.
Our second day's chief activity was mountaineering, both I-15's formidable Cajon Pass, a 16.4-mile climb to its 4260-ft. summit, and also California Route 138's climb from Cajon Junction up to Wrightwood and its ski resorts. Finally, as we'd already experienced bumper-to-bumper "free"ways, we planned our 120-mile trip home as a mid-afternoon clean-and-green dash down I-15, Riverside Freeway and California Route 55, all done at their ambient 75–80 mph.
A note on driving styles: In general, we kept up with traffic, though not necessarily in the fastest lane. Our driving had elements of its usual R&T brio, but tempered by the fact that part of the pleasure of these cars is extracting their efficiencies.
"In My Opinion" comments are located at the end of this article. This time around, we're not selecting one car or another. Rather, I asked my colleagues to cite new hybrid knowledge — good or bad — that they learned along the way.
In what follows, let's address the potential payoffs posed at the start of all this.
Economics: MPG? or GPC?</< p>
A frequent question, asked not without controversy, is whether hybrid economics are justified by their fuel savings.
In a word, no.
But it's more complicated that this, so let's analyze matters carefully.
Here in the U.S. we ordinarily measure fuel use in terms of economy, miles per gallon, mpg. In Europe, though, the preferred measurement is one of consumption, liters per 100 kilometers, L/100 km.
2007 Toyota Camry SE V-6 and 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid
There's a good argument that consumption is the more straightforward approach. It certainly is when comparing cars of different cost and different fuel use — just as we're doing here. Specifically, the question is "how far must I drive the fuel-efficient hybrid to pay back its added purchase price?"
Let's consider the Toyota Camrys. (Details of the others, as they say in textbooks, are left as exercises for the reader. Similar analyses, by the way, can be used to assess any frugality-enhancing payoff.) In our mixed-mode travels, the Camry V-6 averaged 26.3 mpg, commendable indeed for a car of its performance (note its 0–60 time of 6.1 seconds!). By contrast, the Camry Hybrid posted an average 37.3 mpg, an improvement of some 42 percent.
These compare with their EPA City/Hwy numbers of 21/29 and 43/37, respectively. You'll note, like other full hybrids, the Camry's pure electric mode gives it a better City than Hwy posting.
Stated in terms of consumption, the V-6 consumed 0.0380 gal./mi., or, in quasi-Euro style, 3.80 gpc (gallons per 100 miles; I can't use "gph" because to some that's gal./hr.). The Hybrid's consumption was 2.68 gpc.
Thus (and a somewhat easier calculation than with mpg), the Hybrid saved 1.12 gal. each 100 miles (that is, 3.80 gpc - 2.68 gpc). Gasoline at our fuel stops averaged $2.62/gal. Hence the Hybrid saved $2.93 for every 100 miles of travel (2.62 x 1.12). Equivalently, its payback was $0.0293/mi.
Now, what about the cost of hybridization? As-tested prices of our three pairs required separate analyses because hybrid option packages included things in addition to the dual-drive hardware. Also, it must be stressed, we got our 2007 Camrys in advance of their on-sale dates (the SE V-6, available as you read this; the Hybrid, later this fall). Prices shown here are purely our estimates based on Toyota's previous pricing and the standard/hybrid differences of other cars in its lineup.
We estimate our 2007 Camry SE V-6 at $26,950; our Camry Hybrid at $29,915. This difference of $2965 is the same percentage premium exhibited by the Toyota Highlander pair.
Now, the rest is easy. The Hybrid saves $0.0293/mi. and needs to travel enough to make up $2965. It will do so in 101,195 miles (2965/0.0293).
Our Escapes, though comparable in base form, were optioned rather differently. Hence, we used base prices in their payback analysis, with the Hybrid's price premium of $4150. The Hybrid's average consumption on our trip was an impressive 50 percent better than its standard counterpart's. Specifically, it posted 0.0334 gal./mi. versus the standard Escape's 0.0503 gal./mi. Thus, at $2.62/gal., our Escape Hybrid saved $0.0443/mi. Its payback mileage calculates out to 93,679 miles.
The Honda EX and Hybrid models were both Navi-equipped with directly comparable packages, with the Hybrid's price premium of $2790. The Civic Hybrid was 24-percent more efficient with its fuel, its savings amounting to 0.0059 gal./mi. At $2.62/gal., this calculated into monetary savings of $0.0155/mi. and a rather extended payback mileage of 180,000 miles. Said another way, the Civic EX is already a quite frugal automobile.
Clearly, though, only the farsighted indeed would buy a hybrid utterly for fuel savings alone.
2006 Honda Civic EX and 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid
On the other hand, there are various state and federal paybacks for hybrid purchase. These change with time and locale, so we've not included them here in our cost analysis. From one point of view, they have a profound effect on mileage to payback. Or you can think of them as welcomed spiffs at purchase time, sort of underwriting that nav system or fancy stereo.
There's also the matter of range. As we've seen through various gasoline shortages, often the crucial point is availability—not price. Entries in our specification charts compare ranges of our three pairs. A hybrid saves some cash at the pump, but it's also a pump that needs to be visited rather less often.
By the way, don't give up on gpc. It has its advantages as a fuel metric.
And don't give up on the EPA's City/Hwy data as a car-to-car comparison measure. Elsewhere ("Your Mileage May Differ"), we address this and related matters within a more general automotive setting.
Environmentalists: AT-PZEVS Scrub the Air
Our three hybrids qualify in California as AT-PZEVs, Advanced-Technology Partial Zero Emissions Vehicles. Their Honda and Toyota siblings are ULEV-2s, meeting the second phase of Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle standards. The gasoline Escape is a Low Emissions Vehicle, Phase 2.
To put these in perspective, a LEV is roughly 90 percent cleaner than a pre-emissions-controlled car. A ULEV raises this to about 96 percent. It has been noted that a ULEV literally scrubs the air of a typical urban environment. An AT-PZEV is more than 25 percent cleaner still, bringing its reduction well into the 99-percent range. By almost any measure, hybrids offer significant environmental payoff.
What about hybrid batteries? Aren't they an environmental tradeoff? At first, this was something of an unknown. But our earliest Honda Insights and Toyota Priuses are now into their sixth year (eighth, in their home market). Indications are that battery packs are lasting the life of the car; that is, they're every bit as durable as gasoline engines. What's more, the recycled value of their nickel is high, and a secondary market of reconditioned batteries is evolving.
Techie's Delight in the Car-Pool Lane
There's irony in high-mpg hybrids being granted solo access to car-pool lanes. Generally, high-speed freeway travel isn't a hybrid's most impressive mode of operation. Nevertheless, social engineers seem happy to reward its frugality, clean exhaust and innovative technology. And certainly those with traffic-clogged commutes are happy to affix appropriate authorization to their hybrids' flanks. Indeed, a "hybrid pioneer" friend tells me the best part isn't the carpool lane, it's on-ramp priority.
Another techie plus is recognizing the hybrid as a bridge to our eventual fuel-cell-electric future. Its motor propulsion, its power electronics, even its extra safeguards in the event of accident have direct application to future mobility. An example of this last aspect: As part of their crashworthiness, hybrids have automatic disconnect of their high-voltage source. Also, emergency medical responders are instructed where to cut into hybrids with minimal hazard.
Hybrid buyers today no longer have the pioneer status of original Insight or Prius owners. Nevertheless, the cars have yet to become mainstream and, for many, there's satisfaction in driving such state-of-the-art machinery.
On our trip we also learned how transparent this state of the art has become. This was especially apparent on our Cajon Pass/Wrightwood climbs. Back in May 2001 (see "Driving the Future and Liking It!"), as our first-generation hybrids took on the Cajon Pass, we kept a wary eye on battery displays exhibiting marked depletion. This time around, the gasoline engines intermittently — and essentially seamlessly — recharged the supply. The climbs, like other phases of our trip, were accomplished without incident.
Today's hybrid technology is impressive indeed.
And What's Wrong With a Fashion Statement?
As automotive enthusiasts, we like 150-mph cars even though we seldom, if ever, drive them that fast. We savor 1.0g handling even if our apex-carving is limited to the occasional freeway onramp. So why not enjoy hybrids?
We're heartened to see a whole spectrum of their intended market. At the all-out-frugality extreme, automakers are recognizing the potential of diesel/electric combinations. Peugeot Citroën has recently announced plans for selling thousands of these as early as 2010. At the other extreme, we're excited by proposed 2008 Formula 1 regulations containing elements of push-to-pass hybrid power. We welcome hybrids like the new Lexus GS 450h, unabashedly oriented toward high performance. In fact, as enthusiasts we're more than willing to trade a bit of a hybrid's high-mpg potential for good old-fashioned fun.
And, besides, maybe we'll meet Cameron Diaz or George W. Bush at our next fill-up.
In My Opinion...
Shaun Bailey, Assistant Road Test Editor
I learned that hybrids are only as fuel-economical as the driver intends. In our drive, the Honda Civic Hybrid was about 8 mpg more frugal than its standard counterpart. Is the performance difference worth 8 mpg? To me, it is. The reduced engine noise is more pleasant, and the hybrid navigates stop-and-go traffic more smoothly.
Bert Swift, Associate Art Director
I came away impressed with the advancements in hybrid technology in just a few years. The Ford Escape Hybrid certainly provides an improvement in fuel economy and less hunting of rpm and gears on climbing hills, while being near-transparent around town. Only when moving from a standstill was I aware that I wasn’t in the standard Escape.
Andrew Bornhop, Editor, R&T Specials
To me, intent is of utmost importance. In a sports car, put me on a twisty road and I'm in heaven. In a hybrid, I enjoy maximizing its economy. The Camry Hybrid particularly impressed me with its 46.5 mpg along stop-and-go PCH. Heck, I'd be more than happy to give up a couple of seconds to 60 mph if that meant a 50-mpg Camry.
Dennis Simanaitis, Engineering Editor
Years ago, the BMW 525e (as in eta, efficiency) extolled the virtues of moderately brisk acceleration to one's desired cruising speed. This technique works with hybrids especially well, as displayed by the Toyota Camry's frugality on our trip. It maximizes use of the available electric propulsion and minimizes inefficient modes of the gasoline powerplant.
Jim Hall, Online Editor
The Escape is the most non-hybrid-like hybrid I've driven. In its propulsion, brake feel and handling, Ford's fuel- efficient entry performs just like a "regular SUV." Its CVT is excellent, and there's little compromise of cargo space traceable to the batteries. This is an excellent choice for those who want a hybrid without the funky driving dynamics.
Jonathan Elfalan, Road Test Assistant
One of the things I learned in this test was the importance of integration in the hybrid system. Without a smooth transition between power sources, some hybrids deliver a Jekyll-and-Hyde driving experience that can get awkward and annoying in stop-and-go traffic. Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive system is seamless!
The Cars
Details of them all are collected nearby. Here, we need to refine some definitions. We've come to call something a "full" hybrid if its engine/motor combination allows purely electric motoring, typically through disenga gement of the gasoline engine. The Toyota Prius is such a design, as are its Camry sibling and Ford cousin (the technology of which is cross-licensed with Toyota's). In Toyota's Synergy Drive, both gasoline engine and electric motor feed their power to a planetary gearbox. Through appropriate clutching and declutching of this unit, each mode independently can contribute to propulsion of the car.
By contrast, we termed the early Civic Hybrid and original Insight "mild" hybrids, Honda's Integrated Motor Assist functioning in a sense as an electrically-powered flywheel in line with the gasoline powertrain. In particular, traditional mild hybrids have no purely electric mode; think of them as having electrically-boosted gasoline power.
However, technology of the new Civic's IMA lies in between these two. Indeed, the Civic Hybrid has purely electric modes, though not through declutching of the gasoline engine. Rather, Honda uses its innovative i-VTEC variable-valve hardware to achieve what it calls VCM, Variable Cylinder Management. In light-load cruise, VCM closes the engine's intake and exhaust valves. Its pistons continue to reciprocate, but the electric motor is the sole means of propulsion. Similarly, on coastdown and braking, VCM enhances regenerative braking through a reduction of engine braking. Hence, whereas the latest IMA isn't exactly a full hybrid, it also isn't a traditional mild one.
Toyota's Synergy Drive, Ford's analogous system and Honda's Integrated Motor Assist all feature auto-stop. Uncanny at first, you soon grow used to the gasoline engine shutting down completely when you brake to a stop for anything other than a moment. Upon release of the brake pedal, the engine fires up again (though, in truth, the Civic Hybrid was rather less seamless in this than the Camry Hybrid). All three systems feature regenerative braking, the motor transforming itself into a generator and returning electrical energy to the battery. With each, initial braking is purely regenerative; only increased retardation invokes the hydraulic system. A benefit of this, by the way, is extended life of a hybrid's brake system components.
link:
http://www.roadandtrack.com/article....0&print_page=y
To address these and other related automotive profundities, we assembled three pairs of appropriate machinery and did what we enjoy most: Six of us went for a drive, a thoughtful one along a carefully orchestrated route. What follows here are accounts of our own personal hybrid payoffs from a selection of viewpoints.
2006 Ford Escape V-6 and 2006 Ford Escape Hybrid
And here's a hybrid driving tip: By looking ahead and anticipating your braking, you can stay in regen as much as possible. Unnecessarily abrupt braking is doubly wasteful: It invokes the hydraulics early on, and it likely overwhelms the instantaneous capacity of regen.
We had a chance to practice this and other tricks along our two-day route.
The Route
Our two-day trek began with a jaunt up Pacific Coast Highway, PCH in local jargon, California Route 1. This took us from our Newport Beach offices north along the ocean, across much of the Los Angeles sprawl, past everything from oil refineries to Malibu beach houses. This was mixed traffic, with plenty of lights, lots of stop-and-go, though devoid of really heavy tie-ups. (No fools, us; we made this a mid-morning trip, timed to have lunch at Malibu's Marmalade Café.) A short dash up Malibu Canyon Road brought us to U.S. Hwy 101 and our first fuel stop.
Our data panel summarizes our cars' fuel consumption data for this and other stages.
Our second stage was planned to be light freeway cruising. However, what with one thing and another (there was this neat Japanese bookshop/CD store...), by the time we got on 101, the freeway was into its mid-afternoon clog. East on 101, north on I-405 through the San Fernando Valley, to I-5 and California 14 toward Palmdale.
At that time of day, plenty of other drivers had similar ideas, and this became the rush-hour/hurry-up-and-wait phase of our testing. Joining the commuter stream through several high-desert communities, we ended up at Victorville, along I-15.
And so, after an excellent feed at Victorville's Original Roadhouse and a photo op at a classic gas station, to bed.
Our second day's chief activity was mountaineering, both I-15's formidable Cajon Pass, a 16.4-mile climb to its 4260-ft. summit, and also California Route 138's climb from Cajon Junction up to Wrightwood and its ski resorts. Finally, as we'd already experienced bumper-to-bumper "free"ways, we planned our 120-mile trip home as a mid-afternoon clean-and-green dash down I-15, Riverside Freeway and California Route 55, all done at their ambient 75–80 mph.
A note on driving styles: In general, we kept up with traffic, though not necessarily in the fastest lane. Our driving had elements of its usual R&T brio, but tempered by the fact that part of the pleasure of these cars is extracting their efficiencies.
"In My Opinion" comments are located at the end of this article. This time around, we're not selecting one car or another. Rather, I asked my colleagues to cite new hybrid knowledge — good or bad — that they learned along the way.
In what follows, let's address the potential payoffs posed at the start of all this.
Economics: MPG? or GPC?</< p>
A frequent question, asked not without controversy, is whether hybrid economics are justified by their fuel savings.
In a word, no.
But it's more complicated that this, so let's analyze matters carefully.
Here in the U.S. we ordinarily measure fuel use in terms of economy, miles per gallon, mpg. In Europe, though, the preferred measurement is one of consumption, liters per 100 kilometers, L/100 km.
2007 Toyota Camry SE V-6 and 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid
There's a good argument that consumption is the more straightforward approach. It certainly is when comparing cars of different cost and different fuel use — just as we're doing here. Specifically, the question is "how far must I drive the fuel-efficient hybrid to pay back its added purchase price?"
Let's consider the Toyota Camrys. (Details of the others, as they say in textbooks, are left as exercises for the reader. Similar analyses, by the way, can be used to assess any frugality-enhancing payoff.) In our mixed-mode travels, the Camry V-6 averaged 26.3 mpg, commendable indeed for a car of its performance (note its 0–60 time of 6.1 seconds!). By contrast, the Camry Hybrid posted an average 37.3 mpg, an improvement of some 42 percent.
These compare with their EPA City/Hwy numbers of 21/29 and 43/37, respectively. You'll note, like other full hybrids, the Camry's pure electric mode gives it a better City than Hwy posting.
Stated in terms of consumption, the V-6 consumed 0.0380 gal./mi., or, in quasi-Euro style, 3.80 gpc (gallons per 100 miles; I can't use "gph" because to some that's gal./hr.). The Hybrid's consumption was 2.68 gpc.
Thus (and a somewhat easier calculation than with mpg), the Hybrid saved 1.12 gal. each 100 miles (that is, 3.80 gpc - 2.68 gpc). Gasoline at our fuel stops averaged $2.62/gal. Hence the Hybrid saved $2.93 for every 100 miles of travel (2.62 x 1.12). Equivalently, its payback was $0.0293/mi.
Now, what about the cost of hybridization? As-tested prices of our three pairs required separate analyses because hybrid option packages included things in addition to the dual-drive hardware. Also, it must be stressed, we got our 2007 Camrys in advance of their on-sale dates (the SE V-6, available as you read this; the Hybrid, later this fall). Prices shown here are purely our estimates based on Toyota's previous pricing and the standard/hybrid differences of other cars in its lineup.
We estimate our 2007 Camry SE V-6 at $26,950; our Camry Hybrid at $29,915. This difference of $2965 is the same percentage premium exhibited by the Toyota Highlander pair.
Now, the rest is easy. The Hybrid saves $0.0293/mi. and needs to travel enough to make up $2965. It will do so in 101,195 miles (2965/0.0293).
Our Escapes, though comparable in base form, were optioned rather differently. Hence, we used base prices in their payback analysis, with the Hybrid's price premium of $4150. The Hybrid's average consumption on our trip was an impressive 50 percent better than its standard counterpart's. Specifically, it posted 0.0334 gal./mi. versus the standard Escape's 0.0503 gal./mi. Thus, at $2.62/gal., our Escape Hybrid saved $0.0443/mi. Its payback mileage calculates out to 93,679 miles.
The Honda EX and Hybrid models were both Navi-equipped with directly comparable packages, with the Hybrid's price premium of $2790. The Civic Hybrid was 24-percent more efficient with its fuel, its savings amounting to 0.0059 gal./mi. At $2.62/gal., this calculated into monetary savings of $0.0155/mi. and a rather extended payback mileage of 180,000 miles. Said another way, the Civic EX is already a quite frugal automobile.
Clearly, though, only the farsighted indeed would buy a hybrid utterly for fuel savings alone.
2006 Honda Civic EX and 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid
On the other hand, there are various state and federal paybacks for hybrid purchase. These change with time and locale, so we've not included them here in our cost analysis. From one point of view, they have a profound effect on mileage to payback. Or you can think of them as welcomed spiffs at purchase time, sort of underwriting that nav system or fancy stereo.
There's also the matter of range. As we've seen through various gasoline shortages, often the crucial point is availability—not price. Entries in our specification charts compare ranges of our three pairs. A hybrid saves some cash at the pump, but it's also a pump that needs to be visited rather less often.
By the way, don't give up on gpc. It has its advantages as a fuel metric.
And don't give up on the EPA's City/Hwy data as a car-to-car comparison measure. Elsewhere ("Your Mileage May Differ"), we address this and related matters within a more general automotive setting.
Environmentalists: AT-PZEVS Scrub the Air
Our three hybrids qualify in California as AT-PZEVs, Advanced-Technology Partial Zero Emissions Vehicles. Their Honda and Toyota siblings are ULEV-2s, meeting the second phase of Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle standards. The gasoline Escape is a Low Emissions Vehicle, Phase 2.
To put these in perspective, a LEV is roughly 90 percent cleaner than a pre-emissions-controlled car. A ULEV raises this to about 96 percent. It has been noted that a ULEV literally scrubs the air of a typical urban environment. An AT-PZEV is more than 25 percent cleaner still, bringing its reduction well into the 99-percent range. By almost any measure, hybrids offer significant environmental payoff.
What about hybrid batteries? Aren't they an environmental tradeoff? At first, this was something of an unknown. But our earliest Honda Insights and Toyota Priuses are now into their sixth year (eighth, in their home market). Indications are that battery packs are lasting the life of the car; that is, they're every bit as durable as gasoline engines. What's more, the recycled value of their nickel is high, and a secondary market of reconditioned batteries is evolving.
Techie's Delight in the Car-Pool Lane
There's irony in high-mpg hybrids being granted solo access to car-pool lanes. Generally, high-speed freeway travel isn't a hybrid's most impressive mode of operation. Nevertheless, social engineers seem happy to reward its frugality, clean exhaust and innovative technology. And certainly those with traffic-clogged commutes are happy to affix appropriate authorization to their hybrids' flanks. Indeed, a "hybrid pioneer" friend tells me the best part isn't the carpool lane, it's on-ramp priority.
Another techie plus is recognizing the hybrid as a bridge to our eventual fuel-cell-electric future. Its motor propulsion, its power electronics, even its extra safeguards in the event of accident have direct application to future mobility. An example of this last aspect: As part of their crashworthiness, hybrids have automatic disconnect of their high-voltage source. Also, emergency medical responders are instructed where to cut into hybrids with minimal hazard.
Hybrid buyers today no longer have the pioneer status of original Insight or Prius owners. Nevertheless, the cars have yet to become mainstream and, for many, there's satisfaction in driving such state-of-the-art machinery.
On our trip we also learned how transparent this state of the art has become. This was especially apparent on our Cajon Pass/Wrightwood climbs. Back in May 2001 (see "Driving the Future and Liking It!"), as our first-generation hybrids took on the Cajon Pass, we kept a wary eye on battery displays exhibiting marked depletion. This time around, the gasoline engines intermittently — and essentially seamlessly — recharged the supply. The climbs, like other phases of our trip, were accomplished without incident.
Today's hybrid technology is impressive indeed.
And What's Wrong With a Fashion Statement?
As automotive enthusiasts, we like 150-mph cars even though we seldom, if ever, drive them that fast. We savor 1.0g handling even if our apex-carving is limited to the occasional freeway onramp. So why not enjoy hybrids?
We're heartened to see a whole spectrum of their intended market. At the all-out-frugality extreme, automakers are recognizing the potential of diesel/electric combinations. Peugeot Citroën has recently announced plans for selling thousands of these as early as 2010. At the other extreme, we're excited by proposed 2008 Formula 1 regulations containing elements of push-to-pass hybrid power. We welcome hybrids like the new Lexus GS 450h, unabashedly oriented toward high performance. In fact, as enthusiasts we're more than willing to trade a bit of a hybrid's high-mpg potential for good old-fashioned fun.
And, besides, maybe we'll meet Cameron Diaz or George W. Bush at our next fill-up.
In My Opinion...
Shaun Bailey, Assistant Road Test Editor
I learned that hybrids are only as fuel-economical as the driver intends. In our drive, the Honda Civic Hybrid was about 8 mpg more frugal than its standard counterpart. Is the performance difference worth 8 mpg? To me, it is. The reduced engine noise is more pleasant, and the hybrid navigates stop-and-go traffic more smoothly.
Bert Swift, Associate Art Director
I came away impressed with the advancements in hybrid technology in just a few years. The Ford Escape Hybrid certainly provides an improvement in fuel economy and less hunting of rpm and gears on climbing hills, while being near-transparent around town. Only when moving from a standstill was I aware that I wasn’t in the standard Escape.
Andrew Bornhop, Editor, R&T Specials
To me, intent is of utmost importance. In a sports car, put me on a twisty road and I'm in heaven. In a hybrid, I enjoy maximizing its economy. The Camry Hybrid particularly impressed me with its 46.5 mpg along stop-and-go PCH. Heck, I'd be more than happy to give up a couple of seconds to 60 mph if that meant a 50-mpg Camry.
Dennis Simanaitis, Engineering Editor
Years ago, the BMW 525e (as in eta, efficiency) extolled the virtues of moderately brisk acceleration to one's desired cruising speed. This technique works with hybrids especially well, as displayed by the Toyota Camry's frugality on our trip. It maximizes use of the available electric propulsion and minimizes inefficient modes of the gasoline powerplant.
Jim Hall, Online Editor
The Escape is the most non-hybrid-like hybrid I've driven. In its propulsion, brake feel and handling, Ford's fuel- efficient entry performs just like a "regular SUV." Its CVT is excellent, and there's little compromise of cargo space traceable to the batteries. This is an excellent choice for those who want a hybrid without the funky driving dynamics.
Jonathan Elfalan, Road Test Assistant
One of the things I learned in this test was the importance of integration in the hybrid system. Without a smooth transition between power sources, some hybrids deliver a Jekyll-and-Hyde driving experience that can get awkward and annoying in stop-and-go traffic. Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive system is seamless!
The Cars
Details of them all are collected nearby. Here, we need to refine some definitions. We've come to call something a "full" hybrid if its engine/motor combination allows purely electric motoring, typically through disenga gement of the gasoline engine. The Toyota Prius is such a design, as are its Camry sibling and Ford cousin (the technology of which is cross-licensed with Toyota's). In Toyota's Synergy Drive, both gasoline engine and electric motor feed their power to a planetary gearbox. Through appropriate clutching and declutching of this unit, each mode independently can contribute to propulsion of the car.
By contrast, we termed the early Civic Hybrid and original Insight "mild" hybrids, Honda's Integrated Motor Assist functioning in a sense as an electrically-powered flywheel in line with the gasoline powertrain. In particular, traditional mild hybrids have no purely electric mode; think of them as having electrically-boosted gasoline power.
However, technology of the new Civic's IMA lies in between these two. Indeed, the Civic Hybrid has purely electric modes, though not through declutching of the gasoline engine. Rather, Honda uses its innovative i-VTEC variable-valve hardware to achieve what it calls VCM, Variable Cylinder Management. In light-load cruise, VCM closes the engine's intake and exhaust valves. Its pistons continue to reciprocate, but the electric motor is the sole means of propulsion. Similarly, on coastdown and braking, VCM enhances regenerative braking through a reduction of engine braking. Hence, whereas the latest IMA isn't exactly a full hybrid, it also isn't a traditional mild one.
Toyota's Synergy Drive, Ford's analogous system and Honda's Integrated Motor Assist all feature auto-stop. Uncanny at first, you soon grow used to the gasoline engine shutting down completely when you brake to a stop for anything other than a moment. Upon release of the brake pedal, the engine fires up again (though, in truth, the Civic Hybrid was rather less seamless in this than the Camry Hybrid). All three systems feature regenerative braking, the motor transforming itself into a generator and returning electrical energy to the battery. With each, initial braking is purely regenerative; only increased retardation invokes the hydraulic system. A benefit of this, by the way, is extended life of a hybrid's brake system components.
link:
http://www.roadandtrack.com/article....0&print_page=y
#2
05-18-2006, 10:57 PM
Hybrid and Ethanol Expert
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: All over the Central U.S.
Posts: 3,616
Re: Comparsion Of Hybrid on Road and Track
Great Article. Lots of positives in a review ( which seems to be rare ).
I'd say most people will keep their Hybrid for 100,000 miles, and will "recoup" the hybrid price tag. With my frugal and hypermiler driving, I'll recoup in more like 60,000 miles.
Thanks for bringing the article to my attention.
-John
I'd say most people will keep their Hybrid for 100,000 miles, and will "recoup" the hybrid price tag. With my frugal and hypermiler driving, I'll recoup in more like 60,000 miles.
Thanks for bringing the article to my attention.
-John
#3
05-19-2006, 06:26 AM
#4
05-19-2006, 07:31 AM
Re: Comparsion Of Hybrid on Road and Track
"In Toyota's Synergy Drive, both gasoline engine and electric motor feed their power to a planetary gearbox. Through appropriate clutching and declutching of this unit, each mode independently can contribute to propulsion of the car."
Ooops, my Prius doesn't come with these 'clutches'. That would be the upcoming GM 2-mode system.
Great write-up on the other points!
Cheers,
Curt.
Ooops, my Prius doesn't come with these 'clutches'. That would be the upcoming GM 2-mode system.
Great write-up on the other points!
Cheers,
Curt.
#5
05-19-2006, 09:59 AM
Re: Comparsion Of Hybrid on Road and Track
Overall a good article.
One thing that they always assume in these payback periods is that the cost of gas is constant. If they took even a mild gas price escalation of .25/year, and assumed 20,000 miles a year of driving the payback period is much sooner.
bowdirk
One thing that they always assume in these payback periods is that the cost of gas is constant. If they took even a mild gas price escalation of .25/year, and assumed 20,000 miles a year of driving the payback period is much sooner.
bowdirk
#6
05-22-2006, 11:42 AM
Re: Comparsion Of Hybrid on Road and Track
Originally Posted by BowDirk
Overall a good article.
One thing that they always assume in these payback periods is that the cost of gas is constant. If they took even a mild gas price escalation of .25/year, and assumed 20,000 miles a year of driving the payback period is much sooner.
bowdirk
One thing that they always assume in these payback periods is that the cost of gas is constant. If they took even a mild gas price escalation of .25/year, and assumed 20,000 miles a year of driving the payback period is much sooner.
bowdirk
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