subterFUSE

I totally agree. This hybrid technology probably wastes more resources than it saves. As for the plug-in hybrids... all you're doing is shifting the pollution from gas emmissions to power-plant emissions. The electricity in the wall outlet has to come from somewhere, and if you live in the USA that most likely means coal. So while your car might not pollute as much, the power plant will pollute more to support the increased power needs for cars.

It's kinda like recycling paper. Recylcing paper wastes more energy and resources than making paper from trees. It uses more energy to run the plants, uses more fresh water in the process, and therefore pollutes the environment worse. Plus there are all the extra trucks which have to pick up the recyclables and then cart them to the processing center, and they create more gas emmissions. And then you have wasted human resources spent sorting the crap. And when you consider that paper is made from trees which grow on tree farms, specifically intended for paper production uses.... the only trees you're saving are on the farms. That's like growing a field of corn for people to eat, but then saying not to eat the corn. The trees which need to be saved are the ones in the rainforests. But they are not being used for paper, and never have been. They get slashed and burned to make room for human development. So recylcling paper doesn't save rainforests. It just saves tree farms.

subterFUSE

Most things are cheaper here.... because we're awesome.

aybeesea

And the weak dollar helps us economic tourists even more....

Yup, full of awe... (or is that awful?)

ABC

ipp

Or atleast you believe so...

timewa

I'm an electrical engineer myself and I'm pretty sure that if this system is engineered correctly, you can save a few percent or even more (unless you're doing constant speeds all the time, like any hybrid principle).

In most cars, there's so much energy wasted by "dumb" mechanics, which can partly be saved by doing things much smarter electronically, even when electronic energy is gained relatively inefficiently.

I think it's more than a marketing trick. If you look for example at the LCI 535d performance / fuel consumption ratio, it's really good. But of course that's only on paper and the proof is in the pudding..... I've read about people going from a pre-LCI 530d to an LCI 530d and I'm curious if they can see a difference in real life...

300TTto545

Do you really believe this stuff? Recycling paper is another issue. The US gets about 50% of it electricity from coal. Even if an electric vehicle was not any more efficient that a gas vehicle, you would still reduce carbon because 25% of the electricity is not generated from carbon. Now - there is no question that a large power plant is more efficient than your car and that electric motors are more efficient that ICEs - but even if not, there would be a 25% reduction in carbon just by a switch to a plug in EV. There is also no question that the percentage mix will change from carbon over the next 20 years, gradually lowering the carbon that you use. The other issue that should matter to anyone with some knowledge of international politics, war and terrorism is that oil comes from relatively unstable areas of the world. Coal and Natural Gas are plentiful in the US. So by shifting away from oil, you shift power ($$$) away from these unstable regions.

Ethanol is ridiculous but it does have the side effect of reducing the use of oil so does have some geopolitical advantage.

aybeesea

It's always interesting to bandy about percentages and efficiencies so I will too.

http://www.balancedenergy.org/abec/index.cfm?cid=7538

Something else about carbon footprints.

http://www.parliament.uk/documents/upload/postpn268.pdf

Personally I don't see what all the fuss is about since the globe has always warmed and cooled and the current "warming" phase started in the 1930s and has shown no correlation to energy consumption. It seems to be an excuse to raise more taxes.

I agree that we should conserve finite resources and generally preserve our environment, but let's apply some judgement to our decisions. Not mass hysteria.

ABC

vern

Ray, any information on the Stop and Go System that they are supposed to be using in some of the hybrids? TIA
cheers
vern

aybeesea

The 1-Series has such a "Stop-START" system. Stop-GO is the other BMW marketing name for the LCI Active Cruise Control function.

http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/26/bosch-s...w-bmw-1-series/

It will be rolled out to other ranges as appropriate. Expect it in the F10

ABC

narvselius

The Start-Stop function is due in the 5-series in September.