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Hybrids just seem like double the complexity. Maybe there are synergies that I don't know about. I wish we had higher gas taxes (we could lower other taxes to

by jmugan 2y ago

Hybrids just seem like double the complexity. Maybe there are synergies that I don't know about. I wish we had higher gas taxes (we could lower other taxes to compensate).

timbit42 2y ago
The engine in a hybrid is simpler and more reliable because it is not directly connected to the wheels so there is less stress on it. The engines in Toyota's hybrids don't even have a starter because the CVT just spins the crank shaft and then they apply spark to the plugs. My Prius is 18 years old and the only thing I've had to do to the engine is change the oil every 10,000 kilometers. The electric side has even less complexity and higher reliability.
- tharmas 2y ago
  I think if they were going to "mandate" what kind of engine to use it should have been the hybrid. This would've given the necessary time to build up the support infrastructure necessary for electric only vehicles. Along with a hybrid mandate they could've included a charging infrastructure mandate.
toast0 2y ago
There's a fundamental synergy in that electric motors get less efficient as you go faster, and internal combustion engines have their most efficient output at significant RPMs. Using electric at low speeds and ICE at high speeds lets you use the two methods for what they're best at. The Toyota Synergy Drive design (used by many, but not all, hybrids) uses the two electric motor/generators to let the ICE run in its efficient RPM range at most speeds. There's probably more moving parts than a full EV, but it's probably less complex than a full ICE. You add one motor, but the transmission/transaxle is a whole lot simpler mechanically. And you have access to the liquid fuel network which is mature and ubiquitous. My PHEV has a two year service interval, so maintenance is not too bad. Ford had a bad batch of transmissions, and mine had to be replaced, but if they had manufactured it properly, it would have been bullet proof. The engine can be even more optimized for the efficient RPM bands it runs in, because the engine control system means it will only rarely run outside those bands.

by jmugan 2y ago

Hybrids just seem like double the complexity. Maybe there are synergies that I don't know about. I wish we had higher gas taxes (we could lower other taxes to compensate).

timbit42 2y ago

The engine in a hybrid is simpler and more reliable because it is not directly connected to the wheels so there is less stress on it. The engines in Toyota's hybrids don't even have a starter because the CVT just spins the crank shaft and then they apply spark to the plugs. My Prius is 18 years old and the only thing I've had to do to the engine is change the oil every 10,000 kilometers. The electric side has even less complexity and higher reliability.

tharmas 2y ago
I think if they were going to "mandate" what kind of engine to use it should have been the hybrid. This would've given the necessary time to build up the support infrastructure necessary for electric only vehicles. Along with a hybrid mandate they could've included a charging infrastructure mandate.

toast0 2y ago

There's a fundamental synergy in that electric motors get less efficient as you go faster, and internal combustion engines have their most efficient output at significant RPMs. Using electric at low speeds and ICE at high speeds lets you use the two methods for what they're best at. The Toyota Synergy Drive design (used by many, but not all, hybrids) uses the two electric motor/generators to let the ICE run in its efficient RPM range at most speeds. There's probably more moving parts than a full EV, but it's probably less complex than a full ICE. You add one motor, but the transmission/transaxle is a whole lot simpler mechanically. And you have access to the liquid fuel network which is mature and ubiquitous. My PHEV has a two year service interval, so maintenance is not too bad. Ford had a bad batch of transmissions, and mine had to be replaced, but if they had manufactured it properly, it would have been bullet proof. The engine can be even more optimized for the efficient RPM bands it runs in, because the engine control system means it will only rarely run outside those bands.