Allan Streib wrote: > Reminds me of a question I had -- do hybrids such as the Prius use the > electric drive motors at all times, and the gas engine is just basically > a genset (like in a locomotive)? Or is there both a "conventional" and > an electric drivetrain somehow?
Like all good questions... It depends. There are parallel hybrids and series hybrids. Series hybrids use an engine to power a genset to power an electric motor. The goal here is to only run the engine in its most fuel efficient range... Parallel hybrids (I think most of the ones on the road are this way, our ChallengeX car is) have a normal ICE drivetrain and an electric motor. The engine is smaller than a non-hybrid for better fuel mileage, and the electric motor is used to assist the ICE so you get the performance of a much larger engine. The Next Big Thing(tm) is the Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV). This is basically an electric car with a ~30-50 mile range on pure electric, with a small engine -> genset as a "range extender". The idea being that you only need to run on batteries for your daily commute, but you can still leave town if you need to. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Volt http://www.chevrolet.com/electriccar/ HTH! Not sure if I made any sense though.. ;) John _______________________________________ http://www.okiebenz.com For new parts see official list sponsor: http://www.buymbparts.com/ For used parts email [EMAIL PROTECTED] To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
