re: Bah's to the electric cars

[Tessie McMillan <tessmc@domain.elided>]

Hi guys! I admit I have a really short attention span these days, 
so in skimming I may have misunderstood the point of this 'electrical' 
thread. Trying to stay off drugs but I still have pain 24/7.... &:-]

I just wanted to give my $0.02 on a *hybrid* engine. I've driven a Honda 
Insight a few times that a friend of mine owns. He bought it to overcome 
a MAJOR commute situation every day.. Now this is a car that doesn't 
really thrill me -- kinda reminds me of an emasculated Citroen without 
the European chic, but I gotta admit it is a damn fine commuter car. 60 
mpg in the city! The electric motor has a flat powerband, which was quite 
a shock the first time I drove it (especially given the way I tend to 
drive). Folks I know who drive 911s and Bimmers flip sh*t the first time 
they see the car: "oh yeah, and trying to get one of those up to speed is 
like peddling a Fred Flintstone car", but they are full of beans. I drive 
barefoot, and I barely *touch* the loud pedal and the car is at 30 mph in 
first gear. It's quite a shock -- they go like stink! When you stop the 
car, the gas engine powers off and the car is silent. I do not really 
understand where the electrical kicks in and where the gas kicks in -- 
there seems to be some sort of overlap. Anyone know how this works? It 
would be interesting (if perhaps a wasted exercise) to tune a car like 
this for the track, just to see what you have to do to keep it in the 
powerband, given the quirky powering-off.

Also, I don't know about the pollution involved in manufacturing these 
vehicles, but having driven numerous gas-engine cars I argue that carbon- 
and nitrogen-based pollutants just HAVE to be WAAAAAAAY low in comparison 
with a standard gasoline engine. And if most big-city pollution is caused 
by cars sitting still in traffic, well, the engine is off then in a hybrid 
car. That's zero emissions. 

So what was this thread about, anyway? Sorry if I misunderstood.

Tess

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