A mildly interesting article about our favorite car company. I predict we'll see another loss posted October 10th, but probably won't be as bad as the last one.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050921/tc_nm/...ford_hybrids_dc

 

Sounds good. I would like to see F-150 Hybrid so it can compete with Silverado and Sierra Hybrids.

 

unfortunately, according to this article, as it stands ford plans to make hybrid versions of its fwd vehicles only.
http://www.detnews.com/2005/autosinsider/0.../A01-323747.htm
to me that's a let down. Big trucks can probably benefit the most from hybrid tech. They have the worst mileage to start with, and the added weight of the hybrid drivetrain is probably less of a percentage of the total weight for a big truck, rather than shoving the batteries and motor into a small car.

I'm still super ecstatic to read about this.

 

The only thing about Hybrid trucks is that the you need a more powerful electric motor to move the vehicle under electric power only. That and once you load up the truck (towing etc.) the gasoline engine is needed.

I agree that the Hybrid truck is a great idea and I'm sure as the technology progresses we will see them. Right now honestly Diesel is the way to go for a large truck.

One step at a time. I think its great that Ford is focusing on the hybrid technology and I'm sure it will go great. The Escape is amazing and the Fusion is rumored to have a hybrid engine along the way.

As it stands right now, honestly the only hybrid engines that are worth it are the 4 cylinders. We had a gentleman in the other night that bought a Hybrid Escape after trading in a Hybrid Highlander. He claimed that the weight of the vehicle hardly permitted him to use the elctric engine whatsoever on the Highlander's V6.

We shall see where the technology takes us... Nice find though

 

 

I wonder if Ford will ever make a Hybrid Mustang...

 

hey! its not funny, that's my dream car! (check my sig)

It wouldn't be quite the same without the growl of a V8...
i think no matter what though, give us 50 years, and that lovely sound will be something you only get to hear when a classic internal combustion car goes by. It'll just make all our current mustangs that much more special.

"HEY MOM! look at that classic 2005 mustang, it makes sound!"

anyways, we've already seen many a time that hybrids have some serious performance potential, like the toyota volta and the mitsubishi e-conept, both pushing a total of like 400hp or something, (more like 200hp from the motor at this rpm and then 200hp from the engine at a higher rpm, but whatever)

Mitsubishi also just built an Evo that was all electric, with a motor basically inside each wheel. They said its performance was on par with the regular Evo, but i didn't read anything about range and charge up time. These things will come along though, battery technology is advancing.

 

wow... that sounds cool!

a electric assisted 4.6L would be beastly (i know, i've read ur sig over n over a ton of times lol)

 

speaking of electric assist... i was just at a demo day at the local bike hill. beside all the crazy downhill bikes they had a couple stands showing off bikes with electric motors and little battery packs. I got to try one, basically a system that can be adapted to any bike. just attach the battery pack, a special wheel with a motor/generator in the hub, and a controller on the handlebar hooked up to the back brake lever as well.
It was sweet, on the controller, you set a number between -4 and 4, -4 meaning you gotta pedal harder cause you're recharging the battery and +4 meaning the motor's helping you out. It was awesome, with the assist on, you feel like you're in crazy good shape, powering up hills no problem, getting up to your top speed in top gear pretty easily. Meanwhile, instead of using the brakes while going downhill, you can set it to all out recharge and it slows you down a fair deal without using the brakes. When you do use the brakes, it switches on the generator too, so that's cool.
I really liked it, it was so much fun. Its like a manual hybrid set up, i've always thought it'd be cool if you could get a hybrid car where you have to control whether its regenerating or assisting, especial if it was a manual tranny as well, that'd get confusing!
This bike was sweet though, i think it'd convince a lot of older people to bike into the city rather than drive, if they just have a little help, keeping them a little less sweaty, going a little faster.

 

wow, an electric assist that YOU charge. definately good for a workout i suppose. for the hardcore guys you could set it to charge while going uphill. lol if i still had a bike, i'd look into that.