If it's true it would be AWSOME and a great boost for light truck and SUVs. To me it sounds like a gyro por spin wheel (similar to what balances a segway). It would be interesting to know more.

If they can make a F-150 as fuel efficient as a Prius I would be impressed!

That said I've never heard of this site before and the text offers no real details

I try my best to keep an open mind about these things. If Ford makes an F150 that gets 60mpg, I may just have to re-think my very reality though!

Man. 60mpg. Figure out a way of "charging" these mysterious "hydraulic cylinders" without gasoline, and we're onto something GREAT! Can we assume that these are giant air springs or something?

Hmm while this hydralic hybrid seems real it's real world useage seems limited... See this article:

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artic.../512180348/1148

So no in the end it doesn't look real, But I hope UPS and FEDEX looks into this

hydraulic accumulators. Just like the one on the Prius brake system. Well I still think that there is no perpetual motion machine.

Oddly, I'm kinda worried. I trust batteries to store electricity through a number of recharge cycles, but I don't trust hydraulic cylinders to hold compressed liquid through a similar set of recharges without mechanical damage leading to failure. Some hose may fly off one of these trucks when something blows.

Once they get more than a few test vehicles to put on 200,000 miles apiece, and not have to rebuild the hydraulics, then I'd say they have a viable system....

In the end I can believe it could work in city traffic for UPS delivery trucks. If it does this would be great for fleet vehichles but the numbers that the detroitnews link shows aren't that impressive apart from the system being cheap. I don't think it's such a viable technology but if they get 60MPG in a truck then I'll buy a Expidition (my dog would love me)

And after they've been putting them out for 30 years and Consumer Reports says that they're as reliable as a Toyota, maybe I'll buy one.

Finally, something is being done. If the federal government was going to bail these guys out, they never would of had the incentive to create and introduce such a product. Capitalism lives!

Since they only quote city mileage, I doubt very seriously that the cylinders have much in the way of capacity.
Basically, they will act as big springs to store the energy of braking and provide a boost when subsequently accelerating.

There was a topic about hydraulic hybrid a while back. It didn't say ford would use them. good for them. It's a good step for them, i hope it turns out well.

I'm curious about how big these tanks are. :huh:

Hydraulic hybrids probably only have a place in the off-highway world (gravel pits, excavation, etc.) ... maybe garbage trucks.

For a truck, van, or SUV-type of application, the accumulators would probably have to hold 40-60 gals. of hydraulic fluid. They'd probably push 5,000 PSI at max charge. So what happens in a collision? All of that fluid on the roadway and spewed everywhere. What a mess.

Then there's the semi-constant "bleeding" of the system. Under that kind of pressure, every bit of air has to be removed from the closed system, and that's not easy. Especially when the valving is prone to leaks, sticks, etc.

Hydraulic hybrids do work. Their control is tricky for a parallel configuration ... series is a little easier.

I'll be amazed if they ever show up on a production, passenger vehicle.

No, this IS the Feds. The technology was patented by the EPA, not, as "Tech Spy" headlined, Ford. And Tech Spy claims 60 MPG out thin air, while it turns out the more realistic estimate is half that. (Click the link to the Detroit News story).

Regardless, sounds like a piece of the puzzle for a piece of the problem.

So much for capitalist incentives.

That's good.
Since Prius is 37% tank to wheel efficiency, the Ford will be 111% efficiency!!! :blink:
http://www.toyota.co.jp/en/tech/environment/ths2/output.html

Ken@Japan

To be fair, they're not claiming tank to wheel efficiency.

I imagine they are talking about capturing kinetic energy.

I have read that the Prius captures about 20% of possible kinetic energy; and darellid has posted that the RAvEV captures 50%. So this may certainly be an area that can be improved in.

Ultracaps, anyone ?

nah.. mr fusion

joking aside --

Maximum FE in a Prius is about 120 mpg, so people waste about half of their kinetic energy in city driving (and often more). Collecting half of it back would make for a 80 or 90 mpg city Prius.