Hybrid cars... Are they here to stay? Or the next future maintenance nightmare?

[airshaq20]

Feds Investigate Hot-Selling Toyota Hybrid

WASHINGTON - The government has opened an investigation of the hot-selling hybrid Toyota Prius amid reports of the engine stalling without warning, officials said Wednesday.

The
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said the preliminary investigation will involve about 75,000 cars of the 2004-2005 model years.

Toyota Motor Sales USA Inc. said in a statement that it was "an early stage inquiry to determine if further analysis is warranted, not a recall."

The company said it was cooperating with NHTSA and would provide the agency with the complete results of its internal investigation.

The Prius has been a hugely popular model in the United States, leading to waiting lists. Automotive experts have said it is the first economy car with a higher resale value.

Hybrid vehicles deliver better mileage by switching between a gasoline engine and an electric motor.
Toyota Motor Corp. leads in hybrid sales, with cumulative global sales of 381,500.

The agency said it has received 33 complaints of alleged engine stalling. The majority of the complaints involved reports of the engine stalling at speeds of 35 miles per hour and 65 mph.

Some of the complaints indicated that the vehicle was operated in electric mode for some period after the gas engine stalled, NHTSA said.

All of the complaints reported that the engine shut down without warning and about half of the complaints said that when the engine shut off, the vehicle would not restart and required the vehicle to be towed.

Toyota executives noted there has been no reported cases of deaths or injuries from the engine problems.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050601/..._investigation

[SubaruSti]

May namatay na sa pagseservice ng hybrid car,nakoryente.im serious.

[nugundam93]

jackpot. pero i think this'll be just one of the "teething" issues ng hybrids, like when the internal combustion cars were new...

[zildjian]

jackpot. pero i think this'll be just one of the "teething" issues ng hybrids, like when the internal combustion cars were new...

and through this refinements will be next.

hope they bring hybrids here sa pinas pero ang mahal cguro.

[A121]

natatandaan ko rin dito sa pinas nung ipinasok yung mga Front Wheel Drive cars. madali daw masira. pero ngayon, halos lahat ay fwd na. once na nagamay na yung technology, magiging at ease na ang mga mekaniko at drivers dyan.

[eljo3025]

Given The Enough Demand And QUANTITIES... Hybrid Cars Will Come To A Point THEY ARE STANDARD Cars... And If Its STANDARD PLUS With High Demand, The Cost Of The Car And Parts Will Tend To Go Down... Remember If Demand Increases Price Decreases... LOW DEMAND SPECIFICALY New Products TEND TO HAVE HIGH COST BECAUSE NO ONE WANTS TO BUILD HYBRIDS...YET... BUT IF THERE ARE BUYERS... THERE WILL BE DEMAND... IF DEMAND IS HIGH OTHER MANUFACTURERS WILL TEND TO BUILD HYBRIDS... If There IS Competition From Others... PRICES WILL GO DOWN...

AYAW MO NUN KUNG MARAMI NANG MANUFACTURERS NG HYBRIDS TAPOS PAGALINGAN SILA MEANING BETTER PRODUCTS AND MORE CHOICES AND LESSER GAS CONSUMPTION...

DATI NGA 13HP LANG ANG KOTSE... IMAGINE 500HP NA 50Km/L ang CONSUMPTION... In The Future A Hybrid Car May Cost lower To Maintain... Plus All That Savings In Gas... Why Not Give Hybrids A Chance???

[raine_s]

naks natutnan ko din yan sa marketing supply and demand hehe

[StraightSix]

Hybrids ... they're here to stay. That is, until the price of gasoline becomes too expensive even for hybrids. Or until a better alternative comes out, whichever comes first. The degree of maintenance needed before it becomes a nightmare is relative.

Sana, the prices go down.

[niky]

Hybrids will only ever be a footnote in the history of the automobile. But hybrid technology will filter down to cars anyone can afford.

I expect these hybrid traits to become standard on most automobiles:

1. Low rolling resistance tires.
2. Electric Airconditioning. Electric Power Steering has already filtered down to regular models.
3. Engine start-stop feature (in traffic), Cylinder deactivation (on highway)
4. Sleeker aerodynamics.
5. Regenerative brakes and/or starter motor/launch assist motor.

The problem with hybrids is the cost of doing everything in doubles. Why carry two powertrains when using just the electric would be more eonomical?

Normal car: engine - wheels.

Hybrid car: engine - battery - electric motor - wheels

Hybrids do save because of energy generated in braking and in steady cruising, but they are not as effective as they could be because of poor battery development. We've come a long way since cars like the EV1, but batteries for current hybrids and full-electrics still weigh as much as the rest of the car. And they're still toxic.

Hybrids will only become a commercial possibility for poor people like us if car manufacturers can find a way to develop cheap and effective supercapacitors.

Imagine, if you will. Car manufacturers charge an extra 50,000 to 100,000 for all-power amenities. Ouch na tayo dun. Hybrid drives add an extra 500,000 to the price of a car. If you wanted to save gas, you'd merely buy a smaller car instead. They're still a luxury, mostly for people who don't want to use as much gas, but prefer a bigger car.

The future lies in natural gas, biodiesel, alcohol or hydrogen powered vehicles... with all-electric (non-hybrid) vehicles for urban use.