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August 18, 2005

Hybrid cars sell but are they real fuel savers?

Source: Web India 123


Hybrid vehicles are gaining increasing market share in the US. Yet many motorists are disappointed when they find that they are not getting the low fuel consumption they expect.
Several sports utility vehicles (SUV), including the new Lexus RX 400, are being marketed as an alternative to the fuel-guzzling conventional off-roaders not fitted with the combined electric motor and petrol engines.

The Lexus comes with a weight of 2.5 tonnes and a 272 hp engine that spurts from zero to 100 km/h in 7.6 seconds. The manufacturer claims the car has a consumption of only 8.1 litres and carbon dioxide emission figure of 192 g/km, which is quite substantial for a car that size.

However, there have been reports that owners of the Hybrid SUVs are not buying them for the fuel saving but to use them for that extra bit of acceleration power. The fuel saving by hybrids is mainly achieved in stop-and-go traffic, long idling periods and potential for energy recovery through braking.

Hybrids carry extra weight. They consume more fuel on flat country roads than their conventional petrol-engine counterparts. The consultant J.D. Power Associates in the US has reported that poor fuel economy has been a main complaint on the part of hybrid-car owners with the consumption figure not matching the figure advertised by the manufacturers.

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has also confirmed that it has held discussions with manufacturers on complaints that advertised consumption figures do not match. Nevertheless, hybrids are very popular in the US with German car expert Ferdinand Dudenhoeffer estimating that they will have a market share of up to 20 percent by the year 2015 with the trend likely to sweep Europe also.

Most major car manufacturers are working on hybrid concepts with Toyota saying it is between three and five years ahead of its competitors on the technology. The hybrid technology, however, plays an important role in bridging the gap between petrol and hydrogen fuel technology. Toyota is actively working on a hybrid concept with fuel cell technology. A Fuel Cell Hydrogen Vehicle (FCHV-4) based on the Toyota Highlander SUV is currently undergoing road tests.

If it really comes to reducing monthly petrol bills, it is worth looking at alternative fuels such as Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG). Already one million Polish motorists have converted to LPG gas. Germany at present has 852 gas filling stations with a rising trend.

LPG gas costs half the petrol price and reduces carbon dioxide emissions by as much as 80 percent. Conversion costs between 1,500 euros ($1,856) and 2,000 euros.

The main criticism is the lack of filling stations, but petrol drive is possible with the flick of a switch when the gas tank in the spare wheel recess is empty. (IANS)