Something I stumbled across...

flareak · 10-16-2005, 12:08 AM

Striwhatever Hybrid?

take a look. it has some interesting claims

Potential Buyer · 10-16-2005, 12:51 AM

Looks interesting... speaking of interesting automotive technologies, I was reading a little while ago about quasiturbine engines. They look especially well-suited for diesel in my opinion, and would probably be very fuel-efficient if engineered well.

KTPhil · 10-16-2005, 12:56 PM

Claims are easy to make, and these look like the usual exaggeration.

As soon as I saw the word "clutch" I was turned off. One of the reasons I like the HSD setup is that there are no hydraulic valves, no friction clutches, far less to break or wear out. It's electromagnetic and computer-controlled.

tomdeimos · 10-16-2005, 01:37 PM

This not only seems to have a clutch but a regular transmission iwth gears that would be shifting far more than in a normal car. The thing might work great till it wore out.

I think Toyota will be doing something to improve efficiency, but it will hopefully be better than this. I could see sometihng with a clutch that never is allowed to slip so has no wear, for a cruising lock up like mode, but not something like this requiring lots of gears and non-optimum rpms on the engine.

One reason I bought the Prius was to get rid of automatic gears shifting. I can't stand them and would never go back. I'll buy another plain old manual shift car before I'd do that. I like the totally smooth acceleration with no feel of a downshift jerk every time I need some power, and the extra skidding in winter it causes.

Frank Hudon · 10-16-2005, 02:15 PM

clutch and transmission...... give me a break, were supposed to be moving forward not backwards in the evolution of the automobile.

LaughingMan · 10-16-2005, 03:13 PM

A novel idea, but I don't think they've actually tried to implement it. Somehow I don't think that their gearbox and much smaller electric motor will be able to facilitate the regenerative braking as well as the Prius.

There's a reason why MG2 sits where it does attached to the transaxle... it's there to regenerate as much electricity as possible.

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10-16-2005, 12:08 AM	#1
flareak Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 712 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	Striwhatever Hybrid? take a look. it has some interesting claims

10-16-2005, 12:51 AM	#2
Potential Buyer Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 287 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	Looks interesting... speaking of interesting automotive technologies, I was reading a little while ago about quasiturbine engines. They look especially well-suited for diesel in my opinion, and would probably be very fuel-efficient if engineered well.

10-16-2005, 12:56 PM	#3
KTPhil Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 1,201 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	Claims are easy to make, and these look like the usual exaggeration. As soon as I saw the word "clutch" I was turned off. One of the reasons I like the HSD setup is that there are no hydraulic valves, no friction clutches, far less to break or wear out. It's electromagnetic and computer-controlled.

10-16-2005, 01:37 PM	#4
tomdeimos Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Lexington, MA Posts: 995 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	This not only seems to have a clutch but a regular transmission iwth gears that would be shifting far more than in a normal car. The thing might work great till it wore out. I think Toyota will be doing something to improve efficiency, but it will hopefully be better than this. I could see sometihng with a clutch that never is allowed to slip so has no wear, for a cruising lock up like mode, but not something like this requiring lots of gears and non-optimum rpms on the engine. One reason I bought the Prius was to get rid of automatic gears shifting. I can't stand them and would never go back. I'll buy another plain old manual shift car before I'd do that. I like the totally smooth acceleration with no feel of a downshift jerk every time I need some power, and the extra skidding in winter it causes.

10-16-2005, 02:15 PM	#5
Frank Hudon Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 4,144 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	clutch and transmission...... give me a break, were supposed to be moving forward not backwards in the evolution of the automobile.

10-16-2005, 03:13 PM	#6
LaughingMan Senior Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Marlborough, MA Posts: 1,386 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	A novel idea, but I don't think they've actually tried to implement it. Somehow I don't think that their gearbox and much smaller electric motor will be able to facilitate the regenerative braking as well as the Prius. There's a reason why MG2 sits where it does attached to the transaxle... it's there to regenerate as much electricity as possible.