General

[lenore]

Hey I was driving across the railyard here in Rosevile, Just remembered that the Diesel locomotive was the first true hybrid, using generators, electric motors and diesel engine, so how new is that for technology? Boy we sure are smart aren't we.

[NY_RX400h_Savanah]

;) Funny you say that- I was thinking about it too.

But honestly we all know the reasons for such a seback in alternative fuel technologies-it's our own goverment that is so tight with all big corporations making money on foreign oil. On the top of it big M...F..ers oil giants bought out all the patents and developements on that years ago-wonder why??Did you know that you can buy a brand new car in Europe with built in CNG system (Compressed Natural Gas) ?? Or that europeans make diesels running 65 miles on a galon. Big car makers love gasoline because it doesn't force them to think about anything else- and it doesn't cost any money. We have so many resources, so many possibilities and soon we'll see movement-hopefully-we're the pioneers. How else would you call people that go over the board spend more money than they have to on a car to help enviroment at least a little.

PS

Why should we help poor states or even other countries to grow products that can be use for Bio Diesel if we can grab all the money that is in Oil already.

[Legacy400h]

I've owned 2 Mercedes diesels in the past. Granted, they were powerful luxury cars, and as such, didn't get over 30 mpg. The first one had problems starting on very cold days, while the second never had a problem at all, so I guess they redesigned it pretty well.

They were much quieter than people think diesels are, and they had a lot of pickup, although not -quite- as much as a gas car. While I drove them, I used to think back of the days when gas was 34 cents per gallon and diesel fuel was 17 cents --- half the price. Now, good diesel fuel costs almost as much as premium. My next car was a gas Mercedes, and now an RX400h. So, in 22 years I went from diesel to gas to a hybrid. For me, it's not just saving gas, it's the principal of the thing.

Most people have misconceptions about diesel cars. Probably because the U.S. never produced a good one ourselves. Bio-fuel and alternatives are fine, but we could have been doing a lot better all these years with diesel, and even gas.

In Europe, the cars are lighter and smaller, and most have manual transmissions. Yet, even then, they get much better mileage than one would expect. I think this is because fuel has always been much more expensive for them. I remember 25 years ago, when they were paying around $2.00 per gallon. Now I think they're up around $5 or more. I hope gas prices stay high, so maybe we'll see more demand for hybrids and alternative fuel vehicles. We Americans tend to be extremely short-sighted lately (last 20 years), and only change when we're forced into it. As long as fuel is cheap, nobody cares much. I just wish U.S. automakers would lead, not trail, the Japanese. Maybe next year...

[katzjamr]

I agree that higher fuel cost does breed more conservation and make alternatives more viable. I do worry that it is also a brake on the economy and we all suffer for that reason. People forget that half of the fuel costs in europe are taxes added on and their real fuel costs without the taxes would not be that much different than ours.

[skyfish400h]

I agree that higher fuel cost does breed more conservation and make alternatives more viable. I do worry that it is also a brake on the economy and we all suffer for that reason. People forget that half of the fuel costs in europe are taxes added on and their real fuel costs without the taxes would not be that much different than ours.

Higher gas prices are what I expected when I bought my 400h. The price by itself is an excellent motivator for conservation and innovation and I have no problem with it.

What I object to is that the higher prices are lining the pockets of the oil companies rather than going toward taxes (as in the EU) that can then be applied to the greater good of the population... like investing in alternative energy sources for homes and cars.

The oil companies are begging for more regulation and with profits like these, they will get it. They should be regulated like a utility and either have their profits limited by statute or be directed where to invest those profits so that we can move off the dead dinosaur carcass we have been feeding on.

[wwest]

Hey I was driving across the railyard here in Rosevile, Just remembered that the Diesel locomotive was the first true hybrid, using generators, electric motors and diesel engine, so how new is that for technology? Boy we sure are smart aren't we.

First true hybrid....NOT!!

The Diesel/Electric locomotive always runs on fossil fuel, no batteries big enough for those suckers.

Hybrid, as in Toyota Hybrid Synergy Drive, means driving on fossil fuels, electric from batteries, or both.

[SW03ES]

Actually I believe the first true hybrid car was produced in 1917...

[Legacy400h]

Higher gas prices are what I expected when I bought my 400h. The price by itself is an excellent motivator for conservation and innovation and I have no problem with it.

What I object to is that the higher prices are lining the pockets of the oil companies rather than going toward taxes (as in the EU) that can then be applied to the greater good of the population... like investing in alternative energy sources for homes and cars.

The oil companies are begging for more regulation and with profits like these, they will get it. They should be regulated like a utility and either have their profits limited by statute or be directed where to invest those profits so that we can move off the dead dinosaur carcass we have been feeding on.

Agreed. At the current prices, it would probably go largely unnoticed if a 10-15 cent per gallon tax was added for research and development of fuel-saving technology, especially if the prices were more regulated to begin with. It might also help if the weenies in Congress hadn't backed-off the EPA miles per gallon requirements.