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Hybrid Cars No Better than 'Intelligent' Cars

eldavojohn writes "There's no doubt been a lot of analysis done recently on energy consumption, especially on the road. Now, a study released today reveals that cars with traffic flow sensors built into them can perform just as efficiently as hybrids. The concept of an 'intelligent' car that communicates with the highway or other cars is an old idea, but the idea of them using sensors to anticipate braking could vastly reduce fossil fuel consumption. From the article, 'Under the US and European cycles, hybrid-matching fuel economy was reached with a look-ahead predictability of less than 60 seconds. If the predictability was boosted to 180 seconds, the newly-intelligent car was 33 percent more fuel-efficient than when it was unconverted.' Now, the real question will be whether or not you can convince consumers that the three minutes of coasting up to a red light or halted traffic is worth the 33 percent less gas and replacing your brake pads/cylinders less often."

19 of 883 comments (clear)

  1. Disavowing by UbuntuDupe · · Score: 1, Funny

    Cue someone claiming that "real" environmentalists do/don't support hybrids/intelligent cars in 3 ... 2 ... 1 ...

  2. Re:Intelligent Drivers by eln · · Score: 4, Funny

    No, what we really need are magical leprechauns who can convert all of our cars to run on rainbows and lollipops.

    I think my idea is a lot more likely to happen than yours.

  3. That'll never be legal by snoyberg · · Score: 2, Funny

    Sounds to me like a peer-to-peer network. The RIAA will never let that happen.

    --
    Thank God for evolution.
  4. Hybrids not really hybrids by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    The hybrids today are not really hybrids. They are just fuel savers. True hybrids are cars that use 2 types of fuel such as the ford flex fuel. However the ethanol is not as good as other fuels that are out there. I have my car converted to run on hydrogen alone and can go 500-700miles without refilling the cylinders. We need to switch to electric, hydrogen, LNG, CNG, or something along those lines so we can cut off the middle east from U.S funds.

    and for those that can't read what I wrote here it is in hex

    54 68 65 20 68 79 62 72 69 64 73 20 74 6f 64 61 79 20 61 72 65 20 6e 6f 74 20 72 65 61 6c 6c 79 20 68 79 62 72 69 64 73 2e 20 54 68 65 79 20 61 72 65 20 6a 75 73 74 20 66 75 65 6c 20 73 61 76 65 72 73 2e 20 54 72 75 65 20 68 79 62 72 69 64 73 20 61 72 65 20 63 61 72 73 20 74 68 61 74 20 75 73 65 20 32 20 74 79 70 65 73 20 6f 66 20 66 75 65 6c 20 73 75 63 68 20 61 73 20 74 68 65 20 66 6f 72 64 20 66 6c 65 78 20 66 75 65 6c 2e 20 48 6f 77 65 76 65 72 20 74 68 65 20 65 74 68 61 6e 6f 6c 20 69 73 20 6e 6f 74 20 61 73 20 67 6f 6f 64 20 61 73 20 6f 74 68 65 72 20 66 75 65 6c 73 20 74 68 61 74 20 61 72 65 20 6f 75 74 20 74 68 65 72 65 2e 20 49 20 68 61 76 65 20 6d 79 20 63 61 72 20 63 6f 6e 76 65 72 74 65 64 20 74 6f 20 72 75 6e 20 6f 6e 20 68 79 64 72 6f 67 65 6e 20 61 6c 6f 6e 65 20 61 6e 64 20 63 61 6e 20 67 6f 20 35 30 30 2d 37 30 30 6d 69 6c 65 73 20 77 69 74 68 6f 75 74 20 72 65 66 69 6c 6c 69 6e 67 20 74 68 65 20 63 79 6c 69 6e 64 65 72 73 2e 20 57 65 20 6e 65 65 64 20 74 6f 20 73 77 69 74 63 68 20 74 6f 20 65 6c 65 63 74 72 69 63 2c 20 68 79 64 72 6f 67 65 6e 2c 20 4c 4e 47 2c 20 43 4e 47 2c 20 6f 72 20 73 6f 6d 65 74 68 69 6e 67 20 61 6c 6f 6e 67 20 74 68 6f 73 65 20 6c 69 6e 65 73 20 73 6f 20 77 65 20 63 61 6e 20 63 75 74 20 6f 66 66 20 74 68 65 20 6d 69 64 64 6c 65 20 65 61 73 74 20 66 72 6f 6d 20 55 2e 53 20 66 75 6e 64 73 2e

  5. Re:can't you just do this now? by TodMinuit · · Score: 5, Funny

    Can't we just teach people to turn off the water while they shave or brush their teeth to conserve water? Can't we just teach people to set their thermostats a couple of degrees higher in the summer and lower in the winter to save electricity and gas? ...
    Okay, I'm with you...

    ... Can't we just teach people to take colder showers?
    NEVER!!!!
    --
    I wonder if I use bold in my signature, people will notice my posts.
  6. Re:can't you just do this now? by Tuoqui · · Score: 4, Funny

    Hey I turn off the water when shaving/brushing teeth but cold showers are where I draw the line. Ofcourse it seems like there are some people who are overly concerned about water conservation, you can smell them a mile away.

    --
    09F911029D74E35BD84156C5635688C0
    +2 Troll is Slashdot's way of saying groupthink is confused
  7. Re:Killing two birds with one stone by DragonWriter · · Score: 2, Funny

    We can end our dependence on fossil fuels and solve the obesity problem in the U.S. in one fell stroke: ban automobiles and give everyone a bicycle.

    Not to mention that road fatalities would drop to effectively zero.



    Millions of out-of-shape obese people forced, overnight, into bicycle commutes, often in the tens of miles?

    I think "effectively zero" fatalities is rather unrealistic.
  8. Re:can't you just do this now? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    There was a president once who told people to put on a sweater if it was cold. He didn't get re-elected. If only someone had thought of the children then.

  9. Re:Hybrid Intelligent Cars? by penguinstorm · · Score: 2, Funny

    I want a hybrid intelligent FLYING car.

    Where's my flying car? I was promised a flying car.

    Until then, I pedal my way home.

    --
    Skot Nelson music is my saviour / i was maimed by rock and roll
  10. Re:I always coast up to red lights. by tomstdenis · · Score: 2, Funny

    Yeah, how shameful of them for doing the speed limits!!! I love doing that. I hit the limit as close as I can then stick on cruise and watch the faces in the rear view mirror. Seeing people get angry for doing what's expected of yourself is just awesome. Watching them fly passed me only to have to slow down and stop at the same red light is priceless.

    --
    Someday, I'll have a real sig.
  11. Re:can't you just do this now? by drsquare · · Score: 2, Funny

    Yes, overpopulation problems for a start as the death rate soars.

  12. Re:can't you just do this now? by acherusia · · Score: 4, Funny

    Don't worry. When global warming hits, cold showers will look much more desireable.

  13. Convincing people by j00r0m4nc3r · · Score: 4, Funny

    Now, the real question will be whether or not you can convince consumers that the three minutes of coasting up to a red light or halted traffic is worth the 33 percent less gas and replacing your brake pads/cylinders less often.

    All you have to do is make it so people who have this feature get an extra vote on Dancing With The Stars or American Idol. BOOYAH! Instant success.

  14. Re:can't you just do this now? by finity · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...go buy too fast. The tacometer... The tacometer:

    Mild
    Medium
    HOT!!!

    Extra salsa on mine, please...
  15. Re:can't you just do this now? by Dancindan84 · · Score: 3, Funny

    ... Can't we just teach people to take colder showers?

    NEVER!!!! I'll compromise. I'll still take hot showers, and I'll have my wife take cold ones. Everybody wins.
    --
    "Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much." - Oscar Wilde
  16. Re:can't you just do this now? by JoeBackward · · Score: 2, Funny

    I've had a Honda Insight since 1999. s/n 152. Good car. It has a good suite of efficiency readouts. The lifetime mpg is about 55, pretty good. It's got a 5-speed manual transmission, a dinky 1 liter 3-cylinder engine, zero-RPM "idle," and an 18hp electric motor (on the engine side of the clutch and transmission) that serves as the hybrid motor, the regenerator, and the starter for the engine.

    The ammeter readout (labeled "Charge -- Discharge") trained me to optimize both acceleration and regenerative braking pretty well. Regenerative braking cuts out at 30mph in fifth gear. This isn't documented anyplace, but it's easy to sort out from the ammeter.

    I'll tell you, though, this Insight's design is uncompromising in saving gross weight, and I think a lot of the efficiency comes from the low weight. I have a fat friend. When we ride together places, efficiency goes down to 45 mpg. (And no, I don't hassle him about it, in case you were wondering.)

  17. Re:can't you just do this now? by nomadic · · Score: 2, Funny

    Hahaha, best mod down ever!

  18. Re:The idiot behind you by tentimestwenty · · Score: 3, Funny

    If someone's been tailgaiting me in normal traffic when there is no hope of going faster or making extra lights, I'll usually pull over and let them pass too. When they angrily speed by to the next red light, I'll coast up behind them and if they hesitate even a fraction of second when the light turns, lay on the horn to show my impatience at waiting for them!

  19. Re:can't you just do this now? by Gospodin · · Score: 2, Funny

    I just had a mental picture of the auto dashboard of 2050, complete with indicator lights reading "LOOK OUT!", "NOT SO FAST", "POTHOLE!", "SHARP TURN AHEAD", "DON'T FOLLOW SO CLOSE"... in other words, they've digitized my Mom and stuck her in the dash.

    --
    ...following the principles of Heisenburger's Uncertain Cat...