EriK23z

Starting to be like those cars from the movie "I, Robot"

Driftster

I believe that's called "An Insight"

__________________
M Power is the Solution To the Energy Crisis - i
RIP Randy

slipondajimmy

hmmm. What are you saying? Diesel dont turn off/on or do as easy as gas. My Ford Deisel never had issues with starting. just wait till the alarm stopped and turned the key.

Now as far as hybrids go. it switches back and forth. they will use the gas engine during startup if the batteries are low and then again during cruising speed when batteries get low

Driftster

I'm not saying they have difficulty "starting"...I'm saying that just how the Deisel engine works...i'm fairly sure just turning the engine on and off at different points in time is both ineffective and not really good for the engine...

And on top of that..you'd need the batteries to keep the hot plugs going, so it'd cut down on the efficiency of the electricity...especially if you're just say going to the store....do you really want to wait for your desi's heat plugs to get warm? or are you just going to drive on the battery alone when you're taking short trips..which probably isn't all too "effective" or efficient

__________________
M Power is the Solution To the Energy Crisis - i
RIP Randy

slipondajimmy

Im not sure you totally understand how a diesel engine works. The glowplugs are not even used during driving, just startup to give the engine the first bit of combustion.

heat from compressed air lights the fuel

Driftster

Exactly, but you remember a diesels combustion area doesn't get hot enough for combustion in just one pop...
meaning you have to either let your car sit and get hot enough.....or...drive on electricity

__________________
M Power is the Solution To the Energy Crisis - i
RIP Randy

slipondajimmy

hmmmm . lets say you are driving down the hwy on battery they are running low. The computer tells the car to heat the glowplugs (takes a few seconds) and the motor comes on, batteries kick off and start charging. Am I missing something?

http://www.howstuffworks.com/diesel1.htm

Driftster

ok...Let's say you're watching TV with your wife..and you decide to go to hollywood video to rent a movie..

You hop in your diesel hybrid car turn it on..and leave....

Your trip from your house to hollywood video....is run 100% on the battery....Why?

You start your car and back out..meaning your using your electric part of the engine..then you start to pull out of your neighborhood with speeds no higher than 25MPH...

all done on the battery..

hit the main road and break the battery limit....then walla...your glo plugs are told to kick in..Oh wait..you're already at hollywood video!....

there's the trip there...run on the batteries....

not only that....now diesel engines often produce a decent amount of power right....Now a Honda inisights monsterous engine makes a whopping 67HP out of it's i3....so, that means development of a new weak/lightweight diesel engine for the job or else it's going to be inneffective at beating out the competition...

just a hellofa lotta variables to consider, all this while trying to make both the fuel...and the battery..last as long as physically possible....

__________________
M Power is the Solution To the Energy Crisis - i
RIP Randy

slipondajimmy

But the insight uses gas as its primary and then the electric kicks on when it needs a little extra. Now that in a desiel application would be great as well. the motor would always run but the electic would kick in as needed

BoricuaHermano23

well ill let u guyz keep going back and forth about this, i think the car looks and sounds reely good, especially with gas goin the way it is, lyke othr ppl have said, dunno if 125 mpg is realalistic (murdered the spelling i know) but if it is tht would b great, and the body looks lyke it was baded on a motorcycle with one of those attachments 4 another person on the side

huntingadmiral51

It sounds like you guys haven't read the article on Robert Q Riley's website. There is no computer that decides whether the diesel engine, electric motor, or both are running. You decide by the flip of a switch. The diesel engine drives the two front wheels and the electric drives the rear wheel. They are not connected at all. Plugging the car into a 120v wall outlet at night will give you over 200mpg. Go read the article. http://www.rqriley.com/xr3.htm

bennyboy

There is a company called GoingGreen in the UK which can add a performance electric motor (not exactly performance, but you know what I mean) to a Toyota Prius which gives around 125mpg, so it is probably realistic for a car to achieve that.

__________________
Has anyone told you before that you look a bit like Micheal Schumacher? LOL. - car lover!!

Mopar68

I like Hybrids, and this seems to be the way to go for the future. It focuses more on light weight and aerodynamics rather than outright power. However, the fact that it's a kit car puts me off. Don't get me wrong, I love kit cars. But hybrids are exceedingly complicated, and I couldn't ever imagine building one. Even the most basic kit car is a challenge. Even if the company builds them and sells them as turn key models, I wouldn't trust it. I know this firm has been around the block, but this is serious technology we're talking about. I'd trust it about as far as I could throw it.

So basically, if a major company like Toyota, Honda, Ford or Chevrolet made this specific car, then I'd be head-over-heels in love. But since it's an iffy kit car maker, I'm very skeptical. But it's a damn good idea, I must say.

P.S.- Ford made a turbo-diesel hybrid concept last year I think. I can't remember what it was called, though.

__________________
"....give it everything you've got cause it'll throw you back more than you could ever imagine." -WP

slipondajimmy

Well its not really a kitcar. The company does not supply a kit. They are a design firm. All they will be supplying is the plans to build it.

lambo or holden

^That would just make it even harder to build wouldn't it?

I think that the 125mpg is exgarated but if it get near there its damn good.

Yeah it is kind of ugly and it dosn't look like it has much space in it either.