Intimidating Drivers

[cqaigy2]

We just need to get the real cuttin...oint, why can't we get those here in the USA?

 

[Rayster]

I believe you have bad drivers in every type vehicle on the road. As far as electric autos, as long as they have a transmission they can keep 'em. When they design them like today's locomotives, I will be interested.

 

[houstonscott]

Volt. Volt is gas electric similar to locomotives.


S

 

[MossRoad]

Volt. Volt is gas electric similar to locomotives.


S

Locomotives are entirely electric driven off of a generator that is driven by an internal combustion engine.

The volt is a plug in hybrid that runs off of the battery until it gets low, then the engine CAN kick in to directly power the vehicle, depending on depth of battery drain and power required to the drive wheels. Locomotive engines NEVER engage the drive wheels ever.

Chevrolet Volt - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[troutsqueezer]

Volt. Volt is gas electric similar to locomotives.


S

And you talk about government-sponsored vehicles, sheesh...... Government Motors is going to try and make that car profitable no matter how much it costs them.

 

[houstonscott]

Gas engine in volt is not connected to drive wheels it is pure gas electric after batteries are drained. I'm not advancing Volt but I understand how it works. It is not a true hybrid, only power to wheels is electric motor.

HS

 

[buickanddeere]

2010 Volkswagen Polo BlueMotion Diesel - Quick Spin - Car and Driver


The batteries are not necessary for the mileage, and not worth the risk and added pollution and cost to manufacture. We just need to get the real cutting edge high mileage technologies into the country that the rest of the world enjoys.

HS.

Last thing we need is more tech.we need the EPA to buzz off and quit strangling our vehicles with regulations the rest of the world don't have to cope with.

 

[houstonscott]

Nice small car the VW polo TDi, 71mpg combined driving, pushing 100mpg on highway. I have seen them it looks just like a golf but just a little smaller, almost not noticeable side by side. High pressure diesel is clearly the way to go, hybrid and electric are inferior technology's.

HS

 

[MossRoad]

Gas engine in volt is not connected to drive wheels it is pure gas electric after batteries are drained. I'm not advancing Volt but I understand how it works. It is not a true hybrid, only power to wheels is electric motor.

HS

You are incorrect. The gas engine can engage the drive train directly when needed to assist the electric motors.

 

[houstonscott]

Four Modes of Operation Let's walk through the four modes in which the 2011 Chevrolet Volt works.
Mode 1: Low-speed electric-only mode up to 70 mph. The main traction motor-generator is turning, but it can only go so fast. Here the ring gear is locked so it can't turn. The second motor-generator and the engine are disconnected and out of the picture. The main traction motor is left alone to drive the sun gear from battery power, which sets the planets in orbit. The orbit speed is sent out through the carrier and is proportional to vehicle speed.

Mode 2: High-speed electric-only mode up to top speed (100 mph). The engine remains dormant. Now the ring gear unlocks and is instead clutched to the second motor-generator, which is acting as a motor to set the ring in motion. With the sun already spinning, any rotation of the ring in the same direction will increase the overall orbit speed of the planets, which in turn increases vehicle speed beyond 70 mph.

Mode 3: Low-speed series hybrid mode up to 70 mph. Gasoline is now the base fuel that's propelling the Volt in series-hybrid fashion. The battery has run down as far as the control system will allow. The ring gear is unlatched from the second motor-generator and locked in place as it was in Mode 1, and the main traction motor once again is solely responsible for making the planets orbit. But the electricity to do that now comes from the gas engine, which has been clutched to the second motor-generator, now in generator mode.

Mode 4: High-speed series-parallel hybrid mode up to top speed. This is classic gasoline-powered series-parallel operation. You can't have both electric motors driving the car at high speed like we saw in Mode 2 because the battery is discharged, meaning that the second motor-generator must continue to be a generator driven by the engine. This is where the engine begins to directly drive the ring gear. The engine is already clutched to the second motor-generator, so a straight-through mechanical connection is established when the ring's motor-generator clutch is engaged. Compared to Mode 3, the engine works harder here because it is simultaneously driving the ring gear and the shaft of the generator. Getting the Terms Right GM points out that the different planetary layout used by the Toyota Prius Plug-In makes its engine come on in Mode 2. On the other hand, GM's Voltec system has three clutches, while the Prius HSD system has exactly zero.

GM also reminds us that the Volt's gasoline engine (premium fuel required, by the way) never directly drives the car without the help of an electric motor. That's true, even in Mode 4 where the sun is still being turned by the main traction motor. None of their gasoline engines can move them an inch without an electric motor applying torque to one of their planetary elements.

I will give this one to you, except its not a true transmission with a gas engine driving the wheels.

HS

 

[MossRoad]

I will give this one to you, except its not a true transmission with a gas engine driving the wheels.

HS

I never said it was a true transmission, so thats real gracious of you. :laughing:

I know how it operates because I read how it operates before I posted comments about how it operates, rather than spread incorrect information as you did. Something you might want to consider in your comments about the Prius, too.

 

[troutsqueezer]

As MossRoad probably knows, it's a continuously variable transmission which means the engine only operates at its most efficient rpm's. It doesn't wind out the engine rpm before shifting gears, a good thing. People in the tractor world can appreciate this. They also should appreciate the fact that an idling engine has a shorter life span and produces more hydrocarbons (if I remember correctly) which is why the Prius engine shuts off when the car is at a standstill.

 

[houstonscott]

Modern transmissions all work that way, Prius was 10 years late to that party.


HS

 

[Bird]

I don't see what difference this discussion makes.:laughing: I've always known that most (not all, but certainly most) automobile purchases are based more on emotion than logic. And I don't know that there's anything wrong with that. You buy the one you like that you can afford. It doesn't really matter whether it's the one that gets the best mileage, lasts longest, has the highest resale value, best performance, etc., etc.

 

[troutsqueezer]

I don't see what difference this discussion makes.:laughing: I've always known that most (not all, but certainly most) automobile purchases are based more on emotion than logic. And I don't know that there's anything wrong with that. You buy the one you like that you can afford. It doesn't really matter whether it's the one that gets the best mileage, lasts longest, has the highest resale value, best performance, etc., etc.

Emotion perhaps but more of an image thing, I think. Most people visualize how they might look when they are seen driving a particular vehicle and that motivates the purchase. A need to be perceived as tough, intimidating, smart, cute or what-have-you dictates the vehicle that gets purchased. I don't deny that some Prius drivers fall into one of those categories, they're only human. To pigeon-hole all Prius drivers into any one category only shows ignorance.

I stated previously the reasons why I bought one, not the least of which is the fact my wife wanted one. My reasons had absolutely nothing to do with self-image and everything to do with fascination of all things technical.

Most discussions on here don't make a hill of a difference, right, Bird? :thumbsup: I never meant to defend the Prius in this thread. It does that well enough on its own, evidenced by the sales numbers and the migration to hybrid technology by all the major players.

 

[jerrybob]

Dave1949 has it right. Prius, while not perfect, was an important stepping stone on the path to finding new ways to build motor vehicles. That is another reason I bought one, I wanted to port some of my money over to a company like Toyota which has the gumption to try something groundbreaking than to keep giving it to big oil.

I know many people who drive one. They're all nice folks.

They should have called it something different.....like the Toyota High Mileage Stud......people would than be intimidated and not try to run folks off the road.

 

[bcp]

From:
Looking to Avoid Aggressive Drivers? Check Those Bumpers. - Washington Post

Drivers of cars with bumper stickers, window decals, personalized license plates and other "territorial markers" not only get mad when someone cuts in their lane or is slow to respond to a changed traffic light, but they are far more likely than those who do not personalize their cars to use their vehicles to express rage -- by honking, tailgating and other aggressive behavior.

 

[Bird]

And how many believe this?:laughing:

Study: BMW drivers are the worst « Bankrate, Inc.

 

[MossRoad]

I don't see what difference this discussion makes.:laughing: I've always known that most (not all, but certainly most) automobile purchases are based more on emotion than logic. And I don't know that there's anything wrong with that. You buy the one you like that you can afford. It doesn't really matter whether it's the one that gets the best mileage, lasts longest, has the highest resale value, best performance, etc., etc.

You are correct. :thumbsup:

 

[MossRoad]

They should have called it something different.....like the Toyota High Mileage Stud......people would than be intimidated and not try to run folks off the road.

Or at least hang some of those fake bull parts on the rear bumper.