What should I talk about at Hybridfest

As The Dictionary says The Hybrid is the offspring of two plants or animals of different species; anything of mixed ancestry. Could this be something positive, that you could begin your lecture with?

 

I always like the angle on the impacts of burning fossil fuel and human health/economy. Yes it is rather ddepressing but it can go a long ways towards making people feel good about driving a fuel efficient car. No one likes to poising children's lungs and other internal organs.

 

Life's fragile yet eternal beauty, of course. The synergistic multi-dimensional web of cells and atoms, from rose petals and cloud shapes to ocean waves and phases of the moon.

Or cars. Whatever.

 

Why not talk about the way out of the mess we are in?
Don't concentrate on the harm we are doing or have done but rather on the path we are currently exploring to a better world. Talk about why Hybrids are a step on the way to clean independent transport powered by clean renewable electricity.

 

As I never tire of promoting my particular hobbyhorse, why not the OTHER benefit of hybrids? I view my Prius as a fine electrical generator that occasionally is also used for transportation. Especially if you're in an area that experiences utility power outages, a hybrid can be used to provide electrical power to your house. As they become more plentiful, the "V2G" (Vehicle to Grid) application becomes more practical, and the hybrid fleet can supplement the electrical grid in the case of wide-spread outages.

More info at PriUPS.com

Richard

 

Hi Evan & Tony;

Perhaps the key is NOT to get bogged down on the P&G stuff only. Frankly, P&G is just one of the techniques in the hypermiling toolkit and not even one that delivers for everyone or in all circumstances either. Again, some will crank out great numbers if you P&G, others will do even better by leveraging other yet unique attributes in the car. Helping people decide which are best and safest and WHY is where I see much value that could be of interest to the walk-in crowd.

In the end, I feel Tony can approach it from a basic perspective of practicality that is also rooted on good and easy to understand science. Also, it would not hurt to talk about the interpreted impact of hypermiling from a broader perspective, especially when relating to each of the techniques in the toolkit.

Cheers;

MSantos

 

Hi Evan

That is a good point. I don't know what Wayne is going to be talking about this year but we can always ask.
But I also say that when it comes to this kind of stuff there is a great deal of room left to accommodate different approaches and interpretations of the same basic issues as long as they enhance our understanding of hypermiling and not erode it.

For instance: Some have a more practical approach to hypermiling and Wayne is the most accomplished in that area, but an occasional incursion into the more theoretical side of it does not have to be seen as a potential conflict at all.
This would indeed be a new and much needed perspective that would not only validate but also support the inherently practical side of hypermiling.

Tony:
I and quite a few other people I know would be very keen listeners if you decided to dabble into it in this way.

Cheers;

Manuel

 

Revealing my personal bias here (which you know anyway) my suggestion would be: Hybrid vehicles as a stepping-stone to sustainability. Hybrids can change the way people think about cars, bringing them to understand that electricity makes a gas car better. Once they understand that, they will be more likely to accept cars that do not require fossil fuel at all, and that, with adequate infrastructure, can be powered by the sun and the wind.

Darrel "fuels" his car from the PV panels on his roof. Mine runs off of electricity from the Bonneville Dam.

It was my Prius that opened my mind to the wonders of driving on electricity. Those brief moments of pure, quiet, electric operation made me wish for a car that would do that all the time. A Prius only gets slightly better gas mileage than a good econobox, but it opens a window through which you catch a glimpse of a whole new way of running a car, and thus has the potential to educate the population for a grand paradigm shift from conventional gas cars to pure electric ones, as it combines the two technologies under a single hood.

 

Hyper-milers drive carefully, safely, comfortably, and rather slowly.
My perspective on driving has thoroughly changed since ditching the leaky Wrangler for Bubba, the Prius.

How about a topic relating to the new world of safe, simple driving in a hybrid.

Ok, a short trip takes me 5-10 min. longer, and a 200 mile trip takes an hour longer.

(What are the jerks-of-the-world gonna do with that time, smoke another cigarette?)

Why not a topic on the Good Life of comfortable, secure driving?
Remember those Florida plates that said "Arrive Alive"?

 

This would be an interesting topic for one of the upstairs rooms. Did I see you raise your hand and volunteer to present at the fest Richard?

 

I can imagine what George Carlin would say, sly, subversive prick that he could be. (And I mean that in a nice way)

First he'd ask for a show of hands:

"How many of you drove your hybrids here?"
Lotsa hands, smiles and nods all around.

"Did everyone come for this event, or were you on your way somewhere else?
Many quizzical looks. Isn't this THE event?

"How many of you tracked your mileage?"
More knowing smiles, a few chuckles.

"How many of you walked here?"
What, is he nuts? Nobody notices the homeless man in the back putting one hand up, the other still stuffing his pockets with free muffins.

"So, some of you smart people can tell us how much gas was used, and how many pounds of CO2 were generated, just for this event."

"And what is it we're here to talk about?...Oh, that's right...s a v i n g...g a s !!"



See, that's the thing with George. He'd take that smug and throw it right back in your @#*!! face.


edit: Holy crap, where did that come from? My mind was taken over by ghosts from beyond, I swear.

 

Actually, Tony, I thought your little talk about how you managed to never buy your own beer while in college was entertaining

Darn, I wish we could make it to Hybridfest this year. Unfortunately, it's too far to drive, I hate to fly, and DH's back is messed up. You all have fun without us...

...and if anyone should happen to score a lapdance, someone please, get a photo, okay?