I know the EPA and car manufacturers had tremendous headaches when hybrids started hitting the showrooms because the (then) standard test procedure for determining pollution limits and mileage just didn't work well. You end up with absurd claims like a vehicle getting 150 MPG. The statement may be factually correct, but you don't have the entire context to know that it is not realistic. EPA has revised their testing standards at least once since hybrids came out, but I think they have a way to go. I think what they needs is a number representing steady-speed highway driving, a number representing start and stop city driving, and a number showing what is going to happen to you on a hill circuit, but that would need some specific parameters. You'd also need to try to control for outside temperature, and I'm not sure how you'd do that.
Amongst the many problems is controlling for driver characteristics, and you can't. A lead foot is going to get poorer mileage, and that's hard to reflect in average mileage. There's a reason why people say Your mileage may vary, because it will.
I live at 8600' in Cloudcroft. My wife works at an observatory about 16 miles away at 9200' and you crest 10,000' getting there. The nearest town of any size is at about 4200', and you travel a 16 mile highway getting there. So some impressive grades from Alamogordo to Cloudcroft, lots of ups and downs and switchbacks from Cloudcroft to the observatory. Definitely hilly terrain, and it can be bloody cold at times. If I lived in Alamogordo and never went to Cloudcroft, i.e. stayed in the dessert floor area, a hybrid would be fine. But a hybrid such as a Prius is going to have trouble with snow because it's not all-wheel drive. I find the concept of hybrids appealing, and if I lived in a flatter area like Phoenix I would definitely consider one, but they're just not as practical for living where I live.
The other issue that I have with battery hybrids is the constant touting of how 'green' they are when they don't really factor in the costs of mining and processing the materials for the batteries. Their footprint looms much larger when that is also considered. And I read that batteries are now hitting their 10 year expected life and costing on the order of $3,000 to replace, not a small chunk of change.
They'd be a good commuter car in Flatlandia, but not practical for me being a mountain man. I don't know enough about how diesel-electric locomotives work to think if it would be possible for them to scale down to automobile size, maybe semi-truck size would be a realizable first goal where it might also reap the most benefit.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2012-01-08 06:44 am (UTC)Amongst the many problems is controlling for driver characteristics, and you can't. A lead foot is going to get poorer mileage, and that's hard to reflect in average mileage. There's a reason why people say Your mileage may vary, because it will.
I live at 8600' in Cloudcroft. My wife works at an observatory about 16 miles away at 9200' and you crest 10,000' getting there. The nearest town of any size is at about 4200', and you travel a 16 mile highway getting there. So some impressive grades from Alamogordo to Cloudcroft, lots of ups and downs and switchbacks from Cloudcroft to the observatory. Definitely hilly terrain, and it can be bloody cold at times. If I lived in Alamogordo and never went to Cloudcroft, i.e. stayed in the dessert floor area, a hybrid would be fine. But a hybrid such as a Prius is going to have trouble with snow because it's not all-wheel drive. I find the concept of hybrids appealing, and if I lived in a flatter area like Phoenix I would definitely consider one, but they're just not as practical for living where I live.
The other issue that I have with battery hybrids is the constant touting of how 'green' they are when they don't really factor in the costs of mining and processing the materials for the batteries. Their footprint looms much larger when that is also considered. And I read that batteries are now hitting their 10 year expected life and costing on the order of $3,000 to replace, not a small chunk of change.
They'd be a good commuter car in Flatlandia, but not practical for me being a mountain man. I don't know enough about how diesel-electric locomotives work to think if it would be possible for them to scale down to automobile size, maybe semi-truck size would be a realizable first goal where it might also reap the most benefit.