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Modded Hybrid Cars Get Up to 250 MPG

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the now-give-me-my-water-powered-car dept.

artemis67 writes "Politicians and automakers say a car that can both reduce greenhouse gases and free America from its reliance on foreign oil is years or even decades away. Ron Gremban says such a car is parked in his garage. It looks like a typical Toyota Prius hybrid, but in the trunk sits an 80-miles-per-gallon secret -- a stack of 18 brick-sized batteries that boosts the car's high mileage with an extra electrical charge so it can burn even less fuel. Gremban, an electrical engineer and committed environmentalist, spent several months and $3,000 tinkering with his car."

9 of 1,359 comments (clear)

  1. So like... by Nuclear+Elephant · · Score: 3, Funny

    TFA talks about cars getting up to 250MPG, this dude has a car that gets around 80. Am I missing something, or do you have to overclock it to 7Ghz to get that kind of mileage?

    1. Re:So like... by Txiasaeia · · Score: 5, Funny
      Compare your Geo's zero-to-60mph time with a hybrid. You'll find your answer there.

      Not to nitpick, but the only way that a Geo's going to get up to 60 mph is if it's going downhill and you've got a sail the size of a Winnebago attached to the roof. And that's on a good day.

      --
      Condemnant quod non intellegunt.
    2. Re:So like... by falzer · · Score: 5, Funny

      The Geo's 0-60mph acceleration time is measured with a desk calendar.

  2. Adios, dude! by macdaddy357 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Build a better car that doesn't guzzle gas, and the oil industry will beat a path to your door, destroy the car, and kill you. Adios, Dude!

    --
    How ya like dat?
  3. Nonsense...neighbors hummer gets more than 80mpg.. by MickLinux · · Score: 4, Funny

    You can make a hummer get better than 80 mpg. Not too far from my house is a hummer that gets better than 80 mpg, but it's also a hybrid.

    It's a combination diesel-continental drift vehicle, and they fire it up maybe once in 10000 years.

    Of course, if they power it up and use the vehicle to drive down the street, it's back down to 6 mpg.

    --
    Correct Horse Battery Staple: 72 bits of entropy. Enter "Correct H" into google. When it generates the phrase, that's
  4. Re:In case you aren't aware by Nasarius · · Score: 4, Funny
    I like the environment and do my best to contribute to it's preservation, but please don't ask me to drive an 18 sec pussymobile.

    Translation: I am insecure and need to compensate with my penis car.

    --
    LOAD "SIG",8,1
  5. Re:In case you aren't aware by NanoGator · · Score: 4, Funny

    "Translation: I am insecure and need to compensate with my penis car."

    Translation: I'm envious of your ownership of the penis car.

    --
    "Derp de derp."
  6. Re:And to think a Motorcycle will do even better. by grozzie2 · · Score: 5, Funny
    Motorcycles are a brilliant concept. When you have an accident in a car, there's a couple thousand pounds of metal making all sorts of creaking a grinding noises, acting as an energy absorbing wear plate, before the impact energy starts to dissipate on the occupants. This is not very efficient at all.

    A motorcycle on the other hand is quite different. When you lay a motorcycle on it's side, there's a hundred pounds of human flesh and blood acting as a wear plate, before you scratch the paint on the motorcycle. The human rider is directly exposed to the energy of the impact, a very efficient transfer of energy.

    As an extra side bonus, when humans act as wear plates to protect the motorcycle, they are also helping with the culling process, improving the gene pool. I always get a big grin on my face when I see a big dumb biker riding down the road, jeans and a t-shirt, no helmet. Nature will always prevail, the culling process is natural in that scenario. The only real problem these days is the sneaking up of license ages. If they keep letting it sneak up higher, pretty soon, the culling process wont be able to take effect until AFTER those folks have propogated the genes that contain utter stupidity. But I have faith in nature, it'll find another vector around this problem....

  7. You do realize... by Mr.+Underbridge · · Score: 3, Funny
    ...that before the advent of the Suburban, American families were forced to kill any children past the 5th? Part of the little known "5-child policy" adopted by Nixon, who got the idea from Mao.

    As far as the over-active sense of entitlement, I think that's the parents who can't stomach the idea of driving a station wagon. Hate to tell ya, folks, but most SUVs these days have 8" ground clearance and soft-ass suspensions and probably can't deal well with potholes. You're not fooling anyone, it's as pathetic as a combover. Embrace the inner soccer mom - after you spit out the 7th puppy, that's what you are.