Edmund Storms wrote:
A normal car needs at least 100 hp to meet the needs of speed and
hills in the US.
The Prius ICE delivers 70 hp max.
As Stephen A. Lawrence pointed out, small cars such as the older VWs
had 35 hp motors, and kept up with traffic. However they were kind of
dangerous at highway speeds. Lightweight yet safe vehicles could be
developed using advanced materials and techniques.
My 1994 Geo Metro, which one reviewer affectionately called a
"hamster powered tin can on wheels" has a 55 hp motor which was
barely enough for U.S. highways when the car was new.
- Jed
