Fuel Efficiency

Fuel efficiency
I'd like to begin the topic about fuel efficiency with a hybrid automobile. What makes Hybrid cars fuel efficient? Major changes under the hood have combined electric powered motor with a gasoline engine to drive the wheels. A large lithium battery pack is installed at the rear of the car to balance the power to weight ratio. At low speed the lithium battery pack powers the electric motor through the transmission which in turn drives the wheels. As the car begins to accelerate and the load increases a small gasoline engine augments the electric motor to provide the additional power for acceleration and hill climbing. As the car begins to coast the gasoline motor is shut down and decoupled from the transmission and the electric motor is driven to become a generator that recharges the battery pack. When the car is stopped at a traffic light the gasoline and electric motors are both turned off conserving energy. Additionally, as the brakes are applied the energy of stopping the car is converted into electrical power that is once again used to recharge the battery pack. With all the virtues of a hybrid automobile some consumers are still dissatisfied. Many find the prospect of having a large battery pack that may need to be replaced at some point in the future to be an expense they are unwilling to accept. The lithium batteries are designed in individual cells to allow them to be replaced one by one, on an as needed basis thereby reducing the cost and disposal of the batteries. The new technology incorporated into the lithium batteries has improved the reliability and longevity and should not be considered a cause to refuse this fuel-efficient automobile.
Diesel cars and trucks have a long-standing track record of reliability and fuel efficiency. Diesel engines have been used in trains, ships, heavy equipment, and power plants for nearly a century. The Volkswagen Jetta has an EPA fuel economy rating of approximately 50 miles per gallon on the highway. Diesel cars get better mileage on the highway and more power than gasoline or hybrids so why are they not more popular. There are several reasons and they all seem to be from the status quo. Diesel engines used in automobiles are not the same as those used in large trucks and other equipment. The days of the noisy diesel are gone diesel are not as quiet obviously as a conventional automobile engine. But they are considerably quieter than days of old. Another reason not to own a diesel car is simply the unfamiliarity with the engine. Most folks like to be able to understand or work on the engine at least a little bit, and a diesel engine is a complete mystery. The higher cost of diesel fuel is obvious deterrence to the uninformed, although the cost is higher the increased mileage more than makes up for the difference. Although the engine is unfamiliar the lack of required maintenance is once again a benefit the few who have not owned a diesel understand. The maintenance I'm referring to is; a diesel does not use spark plugs has no distributor cap and rotor to replace and no plug wires that are susceptible to misfire when they get wet. Diesels are just plain reliable! And I look forward to the diesel hybrid that is being introduced in Europe.