why are hybrids still getting terrible gas mileage per gallon when technology is better than that?

Question

I did some research on hybrids and I found that there was a guy who took a DC 10 starter motor and if i remember correctly a 20 horsepower gas motor, put the two into an opel gt along with some batteries way back in 1975!! that's right 1975... and he was getting 75 miles per gallon of gasoline. What happened to the gas milage in the new hybrids? What's the difference with this guys opel vs. new tech? I would think that if back in 1975 one could get 75 mi per gallon, with todays tech we should be in the high 100's. Anyways I feel the future of cars is in solar power untill we hit a major breakthrough with cold fusion...

you need to google opel electric car and read the story about this car. It is said the top speed is 90mph. Don't answer till you at least look this up online so you don't ask questions that need no answer.

Answer 1

I'll bet the guy got his 75 mpg under very special conditions. Like he stripped the car of excess weight, drove at 28 miles per hour, went downwind, didn't play the radio. didn't use headlights, didn't use heater, didn't use air conditioner, and drove alone.

My friend gets 52 mpg with his Prius on the highway at freeway speeds. That's pretty good.

Answer 2

The Prius gets 60 miles per gal city and 50 highway and weighs 2900 lbs and the small gas Toyota gets 34 city and 40 highway and weighs 2300 lbs. The hybrid technology does little more the compensate for the the extra battery weight at high speeds but doubles the mileage at low speeds. I owed an Opel in 1970's and it couldn't climb a hill without losing speed with 78 horsepower so I don't think it was a useful car with 20. Just because computer and communications technology is improving rapidly does not mean their are gains in other fields. Most things are much like the were in 1970. The reports on cold fusion was a error. It does not exist.

Answer 3

It is all about power. In 1975, some guy did a garage experiment with a 20 hp gas motor. From an automobile magazine,"Powering the new Prius are a 78-horsepower, 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine and a 67-horsepower electric motor" you can see that the power plant of the Toyota is almost 4 times as powerful as the Opel. I seriously doubt if the 1975 opel could attain freeway speeds or even be considered street legal.


Magazine reference: http://www.automobilemag.com/reviews/sedans/0310_toyota_prius/

Answer 4

You're correct, of course. My suspicion is that the oil companies are paying kickbacks to car companies to keep them from developing fuel efficient or non-gasoline dependant vehicles. For example, a few years back Nissan previewed a hybrid that got 250 horsepower while still getting 45 mpg. Then recently nissan scrapped the whole thing for an altima hybrid that doesn't get the same horsepower and doesn't get as good of a gas mileage... go figure.

Answer 5

It sound such as you have what I call "a boat" often 8 cylinders. If it a "Sled" it not properly worth lots and you will adjust your engine. IF, you be attentive to what Cylinders to "Drop" you additionally could make it run on 4-6 cylinders as a exchange of 8. do away with the Valve conceal and Disconnect the proper Valves so they not open and do away with the spark plug wires. you may do away with the Plugs, yet, that could get noisy. What you doing is reminiscent of the previous Cadillac 4-6-8 Engine, which exchange right into a flop, yet, solid collector automobile. it may initiate with 8 cylinders working and because it have been given up velocity it may close down cylinders till it purely ran on 4. This purely a theory and provided as academic purposes and that i not take accountability for in spite of. LOL. wish this facilitates and chuffed Sputtering.

Answer 6

Modern cars are simply too heavy. Hybrid is a nonsense technology, adding yet more weight and cancelling the benefits. The only way forward is strong, light weight electrical cars.