vtianvt

SO i saw this post on cnn this morning, thought it was interesting that they mention that they have converted normal cars to hybrid as well.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/08/15/h....ap/index.html

So wondering if anyone is trying this with the tc, or would consider it?

bOhEmIo82

Definitely! My next car will be a hybrid that's for sure!

vynsane

it sounds good, doesn't it? but unfortuanately, it has to be plugged into the power grid to charge those extra batteries - which means while it isn't using pump gas, it's getting that extra MPG with energy converted from other fossil fuels burned at the power plant that supplies his home power.

don't get me wrong, i'm an AVID seeker of renewable alternative fuel sources that give us ample power as well as environmental benefits. this ain't the solution, however. if gremban drove his prius all over the place, then went home and plugged it into his all solar- and wind-powered house, THAT would be awesome.

i would've been all over a hybrid tC (htC? tCh?) like a sauce, as long as it didn't look ANY different from the regular edition. the civic hybrid i was considering, before i realized hybrid tech just isn't there yet, just looked too frumpy. a hot, sleek looking coupe hybrid would be just the ticket to sell to scion's demographic.

still, this second generation of hybrid isn't there yet - the up-front cost is still an offset to any MPG gain in the long run. once prices come down a couple thousand and MPG goes up by 20-30, the gen. 3 hybrids will be HUGE. as hybrid models become more prevalent and the technology gets better, it's definitely sooner than later that we will see a true benefit from the purchase of a hybrid.

i also like the fact that they pan hydrogen at the end of the article. hydrogen is a pipe dream - sure, it's a readily available fuel source - if you live on the sun! hydrogen has to be split from water, or smashed out of helium and then compressed into the fuel cells to use as energy. still, it TAKES energy to "make" hydrogen, and the energy output is not nearly as much as the energy input. hydrogen fuel cells aren't the answer - they're just large batteries. you have to generate the energy to store in those batteries. once again, only if you use solar/hydro/wind generators is it non-fossil fuel based energy. plus the infrastructure changes to switch to hydrogen fueling stations - it's just too much of a nightmare.