Would you turn your Camaro into a Hybrid?

[Norm Peterson]

Originally Posted by Rhyder

as far as cost versus recompense, its a bolt on, you can take it off the car when it goes away and bolt it on to the new camaro

Plus the cost of any changes required to make it fit different brakes/wheels . . .

.....try doing that with a regular hybrid.......

Non-starter. Wouldn't own one of those things.

as to room? really? you have kids and the only vehicle you have is the camaro? you obviously made the decision of a camaro over room already, so the limited space argument is not valid.....most everyone has an alternate vehicle if they have kids....take that one for groceries.

I know you weren't aiming that at me, but allow me to comment.

Our first new car was a 94.5" wheelbase hatchback subcompact, which served very nicely as the only car we had until the kids were ages 9 and 5. At about 2250 lbs curb weight it would have been a better candidate for this sort of bolt-on hybridization than a 3800 lb Camaro. But the loss of any cargo space would have been a deal-breaker all by itself.

In over 40 years, we haven't needed a vehicle bigger than an intermediate sedan anywhere near often enough to justify buying, registering, and insuring one. Definitely never wanted such a vehicle be it a SUV, minivan, or crossover. If we were starting out all over again, we still wouldn't.


Norm

[Captain Awesome]

Originally Posted by soloknight6

Answered

I just tried to explain to you that a bolt on system would be cheaper. A system that costs 3,000. I could buy a brand new camaro, and turn it into a hybrid, for 10,000 less than a factory hybrid. Thats the point.

You do realize that you are basing all of your cost estimates and mileage improvement estimates on the figures that were estimated in a video clip by the very same person who needs to impress people who would back his invention... no chance for any exaggeration here, is there? You should really wait until the system is available and tested by a 3rd party before you can make your claims.

Do you honestly think that a retrofit system is going to cost 30% less than a purpose built system? Do you think it would perform as well.

This system APPEARS to be only a motor and battery assist for the gas engine in your car, and so it saves money by omitting the battery charging and regenerative braking systems found on existing hybrids. This makes it much less efficient and vastly limits the range. They could also shave off cost by reducing battery capacity, thus limiting range.

I would suggest that the system could cost as low as you suggest, and perform as well as you suggest, with the limitations I just mentioned, thus reducing the range. What good is that if the range between times you need to plug it in is 20 miles or less? That could very well be the "fine print" this video is not telling you. That would make the system useless to a majority of people.

Oh yeah. I also noticed that the video doesn't explain what cost the charger for the system is. That could be another trick for reducing costs... make the charger an accessory sold separately.

Of course I am speculating here, but that's what you have been doing in this thread based on speculations in the video, so you cannot fault me for it.

Come on man, open use that thing in your head (your brain) and think about it. Not everyone will use it, and you can point out reasons it wouldn't work for you, but not everyone is you.

Nice ad hominem attack, buddy. You do know that's not allowed here.

[Captain Awesome]

Originally Posted by soloknight6

Im done trying to spell it out for you, go back and READ my posts until they make sense to you. I get the last laugh... Hahahahahahaahhahahahahahahahah.

This comes from someone who claimed there was no friction in space. You make me cry for our education system.

[Captain Awesome]

Originally Posted by liquidsmoke

You really sound like a grumpy old guy. Keep your hands off my gas engines. Lol.

If that's what you think, then you missed the point...

Keep your hands off my FREEDOM.

I don't need a bunch of masterminds telling me what engine I can own any more than I need them telling me what kind of light bulb I can own, or toilet I can own.

Maybe none of this affects you right now, but this stuff never ends. Eventually they will come after something YOU care about. Maybe you love to ski... well, people get hurt on skis, and we must act to stop these injuries by prohibiting skiing. Maybe you like videogames, but vidoegames are violent and cause bad grades in some kids, so we should BAN video games.

This crap never stops. Do you get the point?

Don't you think that there are BIGGER issues to solve than whether a car gets 35MPG or 55MPG? If that's the most important thing people see going on, then we are doomed.

[cbravoSS]

If I want a hybrid I'll buy one.

[ardailsmith]

Originally Posted by Captain Awesome

If that's what you think, then you missed the point...

Keep your hands off my FREEDOM.

I don't need a bunch of masterminds telling me what engine I can own any more than I need them telling me what kind of light bulb I can own, or toilet I can own.

Maybe none of this affects you right now, but this stuff never ends. Eventually they will come after something YOU care about. Maybe you love to ski... well, people get hurt on skis, and we must act to stop these injuries by prohibiting skiing. Maybe you like videogames, but vidoegames are violent and cause bad grades in some kids, so we should BAN video games.

This crap never stops. Do you get the point?

Don't you think that there are BIGGER issues to solve than whether a car gets 35MPG or 55MPG? If that's the most important thing people see going on, then we are doomed.

Based on everything your complaining about you should not be in a modern car.

You dont like battery's yet every car has at least one. I would love to watch you hand crank your SS to start it and Lets not forget your candles for headlights.

Why did you buy a 5th Gen anyway, It has mandated air bags mandated emissions requirements. You complain about the cars of the future yet you own a car with a built in tracking system and rev and speed limiters.

You even pay a yearly fee to drive it on public roads. Why do you do this?

You do it because it is the car you wanted so you are willing to deal with all the other things that come along with such a car.

This thread is "Would you turn your Camaro into a Hybrid?" so your answer should have been "no, its not for me" not "It's a plot by the man to control us all"

If the old ways are so much better why don't you get out your TRS80 and your 600 BAUD modem and your phone line and post from that while you listen to your 45s. IMHOP

[SGTMiller278CAV]

So.... this thread derailed kinda quickly lol.

I like the idea, I would like to see some real testing on the design, but overall I think it sounds awesome. Not sure if I would put it on my car or not, maybe on the wife's SUV.

But normally in life this quote comes to mind "If it sounds to good to be true, it probably is." Lets hope it DOES work and is NOT a gimmick.

just my .02

[liquidsmoke]

Originally Posted by Captain Awesome

If that's what you think, then you missed the point...

Keep your hands off my FREEDOM.

I don't need a bunch of masterminds telling me what engine I can own any more than I need them telling me what kind of light bulb I can own, or toilet I can own.

Maybe none of this affects you right now, but this stuff never ends. Eventually they will come after something YOU care about. Maybe you love to ski... well, people get hurt on skis, and we must act to stop these injuries by prohibiting skiing. Maybe you like videogames, but vidoegames are violent and cause bad grades in some kids, so we should BAN video games.

This crap never stops. Do you get the point?

Don't you think that there are BIGGER issues to solve than whether a car gets 35MPG or 55MPG? If that's the most important thing people see going on, then we are doomed.

Lol. Pretty much the same thing dude. Keep ur hands off my freedom. Everybody allways talking about freedom. Let me explain something.
You are not free. No one is. No one on this planet is free to do whatever they please. You have to fall in line with the majority or leave. Plain and simple. It's like that no matter where you go. That's why it's called a society, people have to compromise. And if there is anyone more pissed off about freedoms being taken away its me. I feel your pain. But we don't have infinite amounts of energy. If it gets to the point where we are forced to find alternative means of energy other than fossil fuels( and we are getting close), how is that taking away your freedom. If a car gets 35mpg vs 55mpg you can't see the benifits in that. You can see that a more effecient engine is a better engine. You don't see that just because the engine is good on the environment it can still be powerfull. You don't see how all these things are all connected and will affect everything you hold so dearly.
Enjoy your car man, I am. But there will come a time when society as a whole just can't keep doing what we've been doing without finding a better alternative energy source. And if we don't, things will change and it won't be "the man" taking away your freedoms. We just simply won't have a means to do what we want to do. It's called running out.

[Norm Peterson]

Originally Posted by SGTMiller278CAV

I like the idea, I would like to see some real testing on the design, but overall I think it sounds awesome. Not sure if I would put it on my car or not, maybe on the wife's SUV.

The only vehicles that it makes any sense to put something like this on are the smaller, lighter ones. Otherwise, neither range nor acceleration has much chance of being found acceptable by anybody who isn't already a hypermiler.

Think carefully about whether you could ever live with 0 - 30 mph taking 15 seconds, or if needing over half a minute to reach 60 would be at all acceptable. Try driving like that to see.


Norm

[Norm Peterson]

Liquid - it isn't compromise when the same entity (in this case, that's you and me) are the ones making all of the concessions, without having a say in the matter. I think there was a little get-together in Boston harbor a few years ago about this same sort of thing.

I don't have anything against reasonable improvements in fuel economy. But grabbing the multiplier "2" out of some dark place, applying it to an existing mpg number, and making it a fleet average requirement by a given date is neither reasonable nor is it compromise. I wonder if this particular bolt-on device is just the first of several.


Norm

[Captain Awesome]

Originally Posted by liquidsmoke

Lol. Pretty much the same thing dude. Keep ur hands off my freedom. Everybody allways talking about freedom. Let me explain something.
You are not free. No one is. No one on this planet is free to do whatever they please. You have to fall in line with the majority or leave. Plain and simple. It's like that no matter where you go. That's why it's called a society, people have to compromise. And if there is anyone more pissed off about freedoms being taken away its me.

You admit to freedoms being taken away from you and accept it as something you have to put up with and accept it as the way things should be.

This way of thinking is exactly what those taking your freedoms have set out to teach you, and you absorbed their indoctrination to the point where you defend their abuse.

No wonder we are in such bad shape.

[suplex]

All I have to add is this. If the idea of turning "any" car into a Hybrid is already at this stage (the video clip we all saw) then imagine how much better it would be once it gets improved upon several times.

The guy in the video even said he would eventually like the price to get to $3,000 out the door, which means that currently the price must be higher.

Who's to say that someday, the price of something like this, couldn't be $1,000 installed? If it ever got to that level it would likely be a better product due to all the bugs getting worked out of it.

Considering most of my trips are short trips driven at slower speeds, I would do something like this only once it's been around and has improved upon itself.

You'll still be able to smash the gas if you like, but now you can take it easy in traffic and save gas. Great beginners idea...when it's flawless in the future...look out!

[Heaven_is_inferno_orange]

Nope. If I wanted a Volt I woulda bought one. I wanted a V8 and everything that comes along with it.

[liquidsmoke]

Originally Posted by Norm Peterson

Liquid - it isn't compromise when the same entity (in this case, that's you and me) are the ones making all of the concessions, without having a say in the matter. I think there was a little get-together in Boston harbor a few years ago about this same sort of thing.

I don't have anything against reasonable improvements in fuel economy. But grabbing the multiplier "2" out of some dark place, applying it to an existing mpg number, and making it a fleet average requirement by a given date is neither reasonable nor is it compromise. I wonder if this particular bolt-on device is just the first of several.


Norm

I can agree with that. People do need a voice in these matters, and I also don't agree with certain methods and procedures used to set laws and mandates ect.
That's why I vote and and as much as possible vote with my money by looking at the companies that sponsor and support any legislation I don't agree with. Short of doing things the old fashion way which would land u in jail it's really the only thing we can do. Make your voice heard.

Originally Posted by Captain Awesome

You admit to freedoms being taken away from you and accept it as something you have to put up with and accept it as the way things should be.

This way of thinking is exactly what those taking your freedoms have set out to teach you, and you absorbed their indoctrination to the point where you defend their abuse.

No wonder we are in such bad shape.

You again. Don't make assumptions. I'm not defending anyone on either side. I'm simply saying without a doubt something needs to change and some things will definately change. What those changes are and how they are done are a whole other matter. You on the other hand don't believe anything needs to change, and if something is changed then somehow you are oppressed. Lol.
If you honestly believe that at no point in our near future nothing needs to change. Then let's hear your argument as to why. And not that freedom crap, cuz just like beauty it's in the eye of the beholder. List to me some facts that support your claims that cars don't need to be more effecient with their energy use. Otherwise you are just upset ( and rightly so) that huge gas guzzlers are under attack. Defend yourself.