In article <XNqdncx1F_h0F2LfRVn-og@speakeasy.net>, jim beam
<nospam@example.net> wrote:

> Elle wrote:
> > "jim beam" <nospam@example.net> wrote
> >
> <snip>
> >>>
> >>
> >>that's one of the dumbest articles i've ever seen. where do these
> >>idiots thing the "plug in" energy comes from? just pull out the gas
> >>motor & replace entirely with batteries! then it's an infinite mpg
> >>vehicle. thanks for the laugh.
> >
> >
> > What's dumb is your failure to consider the actual costs here.
> >
> > It appears he spends 25 cents to fully charge his car's batteries. Then he
> > gets 20 miles of driving using the battery-gasoline combo, achieving
> > presumably "80 miles per gallon of gasoline." So 20/80 = 1/4 gallon of
> > gasoline was used to drive 20 miles. At $2.40 per gallon, he paid 60 cents
> > for that 1/4 gallon. Overall cost to travel 20 miles with this car: 85
> > cents.
> >
> > By contrast, with my 40 mpg conventional Honda Civic, I pay $1.20 . He's
> > paying only 85/120 = ~ 70% of what I pay. Those who drive cars and "trucks"
> > getting only 27.5 MPG (the CAFE standard for passenger cars?) pay $1.75 for
> > the 20 mile trip. Mr. Hybrid Engineer (in the article) pays less than half
> > this.
>
> what's dumb is contending you have an 80mpg vehicle when you don't. may
> as well just go for the big kahuna and eliminate the gas entirely.

The problem with electric (only) vehicles was that people and companies
worried that the electric vehicles would run out of power and would have
to be towed home or to a place were the drivers could plug them in. With a
"Plug-in" hybrid car--the people and companies that own them would NEVER
have to worry about these issues.

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