Hybrid vehicles question

[Jomie]

Quote by Cyclone: The BMW i8 doesn't look like it encourages steady economical driving.

I wouldn't know - BMWs are way out of my league and I would not find them practical. However, I do have experience of the Toyota Hybrid and IMHO it does encourage steady, economical driving because the ev/eco modes are clearly displayed and give you something to aim for whilst driving.

[convert]

The Toyota Hybrids also have a 3rd button, in addition to EV and Eco; [Clarkson] Power...[/Clarkson]

 

This ALWAYS gets pressed on mine...

[Cyclone]

Practical? What makes a BMW inherently less practical than another brand?

 

(The i8 being a 2 seater is as practical as a Toyota MR2, you have to compare like for like with the type of car of course).

[unbeliever]

What happened to hydrogen? I read an article about it and the gist I got was that hydrogen has to be stored in a hydrogen absorbing material and the best at that are rare metals that there simply isn't enough of. Is that correct?

 

Batteries turned out to be more practical. There were many reasons for this but the extensive use of precious metals in the fuel cells was certainly one.

 

In the long term, we may have Lithium-Air batteries, or possible Sodium-Air, to look forward to. But even with the fast charging issue, Li-ION batteries have come a long way in the last 10 years and they have an impressive lead over other theoretical electric car options.

[geared]

Do you know what metals were using in the hydrogen fuel cells?? (I have no idea, are they rare earth metals?)

Isn't lithium quite costly to get anyway?

[unbeliever]

Do you know what metals were using in the hydrogen fuel cells?? (I have no idea, are they rare earth metals?)

Isn't lithium quite costly to get anyway?

 

Nope. Lithium is dirt cheap. That's why it's used. Sodium would be even cheaper, but that's still in development.

Worst offender in fuel cells is the Platinum.

[Tomm06]

Practical? What makes a BMW inherently less practical than another brand?

 

(The i8 being a 2 seater is as practical as a Toyota MR2, you have to compare like for like with the type of car of course).

 

The i3 is your practical BMW. The i8 is their way of showing hybrid vehicles don't have to be boring and practical, that they can be comparable to their M models and fun to drive.

 

No one out there is buying a LaFerrari, 918 or P1 for their fuel economy or practicality.

[*_ash_*]

I'm glad so many responses. All interesting ones, thanks, I've learned quite a bit.

 

As much as I like cars, I don't really keep up these days, and never thought of buying one of these. Way too risky in my job.

[ANGELFIRE1]

I have had a "HYBRID" for the last two years. Battery and 2 Litre petrol engine.

 

Forget all the headlines of a million miles per gallon (I may have exaggerated here) its all fibs. My car does around 30 ish to the gallon, plus 25 on electric then the battery is empty. I have always had diesels before this motor, all of them did better MPG than my Hybrid.

 

These Petrol/Electric cars have a couple of good points, free to drive in the charge zones in London, £9 a day for ordinary cars. You can claim tax back (think it's tax) if you are self employed.

 

The not so good points. If your battery runs out (25 miles) the petrol engine cuts in to keep the car running. If you wish to charge the battery while driving and not at the charge centers (Meadowhell has them) that reduces the 30 mpg as it takes power to turn the generator, a lot of power. Forget the idea of the engine ticking over to charge the battery, it does not happen, unless you park in a layby for an hour with the engine running on a high tickover. The battery lives between 3 and 5 years, it's replacement cost, get ready, sit down with a pot of tea - £5 THOUSAND. Here is another little "con," I have cards (credit card size) that I applied for to allow FREE charging at the majority of charge centres up and down, I am now getting emails advising me that this free charging is now going to be charged at the rate of £6 for 30 minutes. This will just about give you a full battery - 25 miles, if that £6 was a gallon of diesel it would give me 55 MPG plus. I will not bore you further dear reader, but these things have taken the shine off owning the hybrid.

 

Diesel for me next time - that's a dead cert.

 

Angel1

[unbeliever]

I have had a "HYBRID" for the last two years. Battery and 2 Litre petrol engine.

 

Forget all the headlines of a million miles per gallon (I may have exaggerated here) its all fibs. My car does around 30 ish to the gallon, plus 25 on electric then the battery is empty. I have always had diesels before this motor, all of them did better MPG than my Hybrid.

 

These Petrol/Electric cars have a couple of good points, free to drive in the charge zones in London, £9 a day for ordinary cars. You can claim tax back (think it's tax) if you are self employed.

 

The not so good points. If your battery runs out (25 miles) the petrol engine cuts in to keep the car running. If you wish to charge the battery while driving and not at the charge centers (Meadowhell has them) that reduces the 30 mpg as it takes power to turn the generator, a lot of power. Forget the idea of the engine ticking over to charge the battery, it does not happen, unless you park in a layby for an hour with the engine running on a high tickover. The battery lives between 3 and 5 years, it's replacement cost, get ready, sit down with a pot of tea - £5 THOUSAND. Here is another little "con," I have cards (credit card size) that I applied for to allow FREE charging at the majority of charge centres up and down, I am now getting emails advising me that this free charging is now going to be charged at the rate of £6 for 30 minutes. This will just about give you a full battery - 25 miles, if that £6 was a gallon of diesel it would give me 55 MPG plus. I will not bore you further dear reader, but these things have taken the shine off owning the hybrid.

 

Diesel for me next time - that's a dead cert.

 

Angel1

 

That's very useful.

Sounds like you have one of those chargeable hybrids. Avoid fast charging as far as possible and you'll extend the life of the battery pack substantially. Probably cheaper to burn the petrol than wear out the batteries by fast charging.