http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/...re/0372491.htm

 

I suspect the first models will be sold to government agencies interested in 'evaluating' PHEV. But we need a little more information, the amount of energy stored in the batteries, to really understand what they are doing.

Still, a good start until the Volt arrives.

Bob Wilson

 

Boy, just what the country needs, for the common man. a multi-thousand upgrade. To have aWhat are they doing, throwing in a car too? How about you just change the computer that selects the mode and the conditions under which it runs and a differnt battery pack at most. Plug in would be good. Oh yes Ford Escape in case you wondered. In fact, doesn't anyone out there have a replacement chip that doesn't care what the temperture is, and shuts off the engine all the time (except as required)? That can't be that hard tp replace. Ford cetainly does not seem to care if it gets better or not. There have been no improvewments in milage or operatoing logic since model !.

 

jUST WHAT THE COUNTRY NEEDS TO REDUCE OIL CONSUMPTION AND FIGHT "GLOBAL WARMING" A MULTI-THOUSAND MODIFICATION FOR EXISTING MODELS. fOR IT TO HAVE ANY EFFECT, we must replace thousands if not millions of vehicles. It seems to me that a change of computer chips using operating logic allowing the engine to shut down at every stop (unless needed to charge it's batteries) and a set of more efficent battteries Temperature, if closely EXAMINED IS NOT RELAVENT AND SHOUILD BE A NON-FACTOR. Plug-in would be good but ineffectional if the heat requirement is not removed. I am speaking of the Ford Escape. That kind of modification is just for the few not the masses required.

 

Increasing plug-in vehicle means increasing coal power generation and CO2 emission.
"Potential Impacts of Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles on Regional Power Generation"
http://www.ornl.gov/info/ornlreview/...v_analysis.pdf

Ken@Japan

 

WIRED has just published (online) an expose on ZAP that is rather negative, so anyone who wants to do business with that bunch ought to go in with eyes wide open:

http://www.wired.com/cars/futuretran...6-04/ff_zapped