Why hybrid cars kick fricken ass
Hybrids even work with hydrogen.
Gasoline, diesel, natural gas, plugs, and fuel cells
Let’s be honest. Hybridcarblog is on life support. I’m just not sure I see a purpose. I started Hybridcarblog many years ago, when I firmly believed that hybrid cars were the key to an American energy revolution. Ironically, I still feel that hybrid cars are the key to the revolution, but maybe I’m just too old school.
In my opinion, if you believe in concepts like energy revolutions, there are few issues greater than the legacy effect when it comes to winning that battle. And if you don’t know what the legacy effect is, you shouldn’t even be allowed to talk about energy revolutions.
However, if you understand the legacy effect, then it’s obvious that few technologies are more important to the energy revolution than hybrid ones.
The most beautiful thing about hybrids is their diverse potential. Today, hybrids can easily co-exist within the current fueling infrastructure. Gasoline, diesel, it doesn’t matter. Hybrids can work with both. Add natural gas, and hybrids are still right there. In fact, when it comes to electricity, hybrids are still the best overall technological solution when all factors — especially real world ones — are considered.
Some; however, would rather focus only on plug-ins. Or only on natural gas, or oil. Etc.
If you know anything about the legacy effect, then it’s obvious that making plug-ins the key to energy policy is nothing short of a joke. Of course, US energy policy is a joke that has been told for decades, and is still being told. Neither the President nor Mitt Romney have a real energy policy. And that’s quite sad in my opinion.
There is nothing more important, more game-changing to the world, than energy policy, especially US energy policy.
But, I’m going off on tangents again. You know me. I can’t help myself.
Anyway, are hybrid cars a bridge technology?
Maybe. Probably. But we’re talking many decades from now before we’ll really know the answer to that question. Many decades from now. In fact, while hybrids will eventually be a bridge solution, fuel cell hybrids, or range extended EVs, could make hybrid technologies critical for many decades.
Regardless, the fact is the key to today’s energy problems can only be defined by bridge solutions and nothing bridges the past to the future like hybrid cars. NOTHING. And I dare ANYONE to provide a scientific case that deals with the legacy effect that can prove otherwise. ANYONE!
Even if you believe that natural gas is the ultimate bridge fuel, for example, you should still embrace hybrids. Natural gas hybrids can both develop natural gas, while concurrently advancing battery technologies — while making US natural gas supplies last even longer. Inevitably, both — one way or another — will be critical to US energy independence.
Why?
If you think long term, hybrid cars make financial sense. Or, at least many do.
Of course, most will still ask, when will hybrids make undeniable financial sense?
It’s hard to say, but everyone should be prepared, particularly foreign oil dependent countries like the US. Mate hybrid technologies to natural gas and America can significantly increase the strength of its natural gas supplies, while also embracing its innovative prowess. America can take advantage of both its natural gas supplies, while also staying at the forefront of battery technologies — especially the mass produced versions.
Anyway, I’m not sure where Hybridcarblog is heading these days. This might be my last post. Maybe I only have a few more posts left in me.
Or, this is a new beginning. We’ll see. But in my opinion, any automaker, politician, policy-maker, advocate etc. that is trying to leapfrog, or bypass, hybrid cars is completely full of crap. And I bet by any scientific measure that FACT can be proven conclusively.
The truth is, hybrid cars kick fricken ass.
[...] Consumer Reports Analysis Of Hybrid AutomobilesWhy hybrid cars kick fricken ass [...]
Dahc,
I appreciate all of your efforts to keep good topics covered in the blog. There is so much misinformation out there on hybrids that your positive, logical stance is certainly needed.
I, too, use an RSS reader (Google Reader) to follow the blog, so the site is not critical, per se and might be easier and cheaper with a tool like WordPress. For educated people that are willing to discern fact from fiction via the internet, I think your content fares well. Unfortunately, it is the sheeple believing Super Bowl commercials that keep all the gas-guzzlers coming. Peak Oil information is probably what’s needed for people to understand, otherwise they don’t see the need for hybrids. If there was another tree to bark up to sell your point on hybrids, perhaps carbon footprints and Peak Oil are the is the better drum to beat.
Dahc,
I still enjoy the info you are putting out, even if the volume has decreased.
I too have noticed a drop off in the amount of news regarding hybrids. Everywhere, not just on your blog.
Is hybrid becoming old news? Is the technology so well established that there is not much else to report?
Battery technology advancement has been very slow, so there is not much new information to report on batteries on a daily basis. The only question lately has been Lithium or NiMH?
Every major automaker is now making hybrids, but the design is not much different than what Toyota and Honda have been doing for over 10 years, so what is newsworthy about that?
On the other hand…….
Just because there is no “news” on the hybrid front, does not mean that we are not on the verge of a hybrid boom.
We are seeing record numbers of hybrid sales this year. I that will continue.
The Toyota Prius is now considered main stream. Toyota’s has proven there is a market for a well built hybrid. The other automakers will “have” to respond.
I think what you suffer from the most is impatience…..
We “have” made great strides even though hybrids have not been adopted as quickly as you want. When I think about how far we have come since 2006 (when gas prices first started to go up), I can’t help but be excited.
Keep a chin up Dahc….and keep putting out more of this excellent content!!!
[...] Praising the hybrid, and missing the points of why the don’t “kick ass”, which is that hybridization of vehicles only pays if they are already far too heavy (you get less and less payback from hybridizing as the vehicle gets lighter). [...]
I get HybricCarblog via RSS. I think we’re at a pause point in the technology and so would urge Dach to just time his posts according to what he finds worth talking about but keep the blog unless and until he has gone a while without anything more to say… I would not get rid of it altogether UNLESS it’s no longer what you want to do and ultimately it’s about what suits you and the rest of us are beneficiaries of your generosity.
Well I certainly would like to see the site continue. I have however noticed a drop off in both the amount of content and the number of individuals commenting on the content.
But I have learned so much from this site and maybe that is part of the problem. Before I found the site I had some idea what was happening in the hybrid field but now I feel like I really understand it. Now I can tell you the advantages of series hybrids, parallel hybrids, a plug-in and an electric vehicle. Also before I began visiting this site I did not fully understand what was meant by the term ‘legacy effect’. And it is not going to get any easier either if the Republicans gain control of Congress. More emphasis on drill-baby-drill and less emphasis on vehicle fuel economy.
I don’t really know the reason for the reduced number of site comments but possibly it is because most of us now have a pretty good understand hybrids vehicles and we need new challenges. Maybe its time for the readers to be challenged to more in depth knowledge? More technical data? How do the vehicles perform on the EPA city cycle course? Maybe more vehicle to vehicle comparisons? Maybe more linking to other sites to bring new blood to the site. Maybe less work on your part by trying to do everything – save the best parts of the site and lets the others rest in peace. Maybe having more diversity. Hydraulic hybrids, Ford and Chevy truck hybrid news. Maybe some stuff regarding research and development. Periodic articles on batteries, controllers and electric motors or the components that make up a hybrid vehicle.
Maybe a section where individuals who own a specific hybrids can go to carry on a conversation [Volt section, Toyota Section, etc]. Maybe a section for newbies to learn or do research and a section containing more technical stuff like formulas for wind resistance, energy content of fuels, etc. A spot where the topic[s] only dies after some period of no comment and other sections stay as reference data. Maybe more surveys and then an analysis of the survey results we can discuss. Maybe a section where members can share personal messages between each other.
All I can tell you is that every morning at about 7:00a.m. Arizona time, I work my way across my bookmarks tool bar clicking and reading each site in order. Hybrid Cars is on that bookmarks bar 5th from the left and I hit the site AT LEAST once per day. Sometimes I just glance at the article and sometimes I study it. Sometimes I even comment even though I don’t even own a hybrid vehicle.
We have so much more work to do before we give up trying to convince people to consider buying a hybrid vehicle the next time they go shopping for a vehicle. It takes a tremendous amount of time and effort to change the behaviors of a society.
Love the blog. Thanks for the info the last couple years