"mjc13<REMOVETHIS> @verizon.net>" <"mjc13<REMOVETHIS> wrote in message
news:hqKbi.10690$Nz5.5250@trndny09...
>
>
> Hybrids are best suited for people who do lots of stop & go driving,
> and have to idle in stopped traffic a lot. The Camry hybrid is also good
> for people who want a full-sized sedan with econobox MPG.
>

Hybrids shine where little engine power is used and - theoretically - even
in highway travel by virtue of being able to resize the engine without
affecting responsiveness. A central characteristic of hybridization is the
separation of engine power from performance. A serial hybrid (none in
production yet) is an EV with on-board generation to keep it charged. The
engine power has no effect on performance at all, so the engine can be sized
for better efficiency. That's the promise. Today we have only the promise,
and not much of the goods.

Throttling an internal combustion engine, especially a gas engine, does
truly awful things to engine efficiency. (Throttling a gas engine has the
effect of reducing the charge and of reducing the compression ratio
simultaneously.) In town you would be doing very well to get 10% efficiency
(comparing EV energy consumption to energy value of gasoline used by an
equivalent unconverted vehicle); at least 9 out of every 10 gallons you burn
go to waste. Hybrids *should* gain most by using power generated at higher
engine efficiency to power the car when moving at low speeds.

Unfortunately, the first generation hybrids barely show any advantage in
that respect. Toyota's system can double the typical efficiency under
favorable conditions, raising fuel efficiency from awful to poor. The Civic
hybrid is especially challenged, although it gains a little from downsizing
the engine and using electric power to make up the difference. It just isn't
enough to pay its way. As the controller power capabilities increase and the
battery/motor can be scaled up we should see the real magic, in the manner
of the Dualnote. For now, I understand the disappointment.

Mike