Chevrolet: Why GM Shouldn't Fail (and why hybrids are crap)

On Apr 21, 12:36*am, "GasSaver" <com>
wrote: 


On a 650 mile super highway trip from DC to Detroit
I got 32.5 miles per gallon on a 1990 Honda Accord LX 4dr
with automatic transmission using a 2.2L motor.
A skilled hypermiler probably could have gotten
even better.

The report's I've heard is that in the hands
of a skilled/Hypermiler driver a 2009 Honda
Civic Hybrid can get over 50 mpg and a
2009 Toyota Prius can get over 75 mpg.

 


To gain the maximum advantage, a gas electric hybrids
requires that the driver learn a new skill set - not everyone
will be willing or capable of doing so.


 


Extra150miles.com is selling an on board diagonistic II
(OBD II) instantaneous fuel efficiency display (iFED)
called the Scan Gauge II which requires that your car
be newer than 1997 if I recall correctly. This after market
iFED cost about $150 to $180 dollars most of the time.
CleanMpg.com review of "Scan Gauge II" indicates
it can help the driver gain about a 20% increase
in fuel Efficiency (FE). An iFED tells the driver
how to save fuel by showing the car's instanteous
fuel usage. Reports I have read on the internet
suggest very light subcompacts like the
2009 Honda Fit benefit the most from iFEDs;
subcompacts could increase their FE by about
40%. - Smaller, lighter, more aerodynamic,
more fuel efficent vehicles would benefit more from
a iFED than a larger, heavier, less aerodynamic,
less fuel efficent vehicle like the Hummer H2.

Mileage improvenment gained from using any
iFED (aka Scan Gauge II) is dependent on the
driver learning how to slowly accelerate, coasting
when going down hill, learning slow down going uphill,
doing a technique called a Pulse and Glide (P&G)
on flat terrain, keeping the car speed under 45mph,
not stopping (e.g. adjusting the car's speed to match
green lights at traffic lights), turning off the a/c,
rolling up the windows, reducing the weigh/cargo
of the car, and keeping the tires at their max
rated inflation for lowest rolling resistant.
There are also additional FE techniques available
to PHEV and HEV which are not relevant to
non PHEV/HEVs..

On Sat, 25 Apr 2009 19:28:29 -0700 (PDT),
com wrote:
 

Most new cars (from GM anyway) have this function built in to the
engine management computer and dashboard display.

No need to buy it again from the Scan Gauge folks or
Extra150miles.com.

The weakness is that it is optionally displayed, not by default all
the time. And the intervals are not sensible to help as much as
possible in tuning your driving habits.

Also, in the owner's manual they do not explain very well if at all
how to increase your mileage using the display.

I would hazard an estimate that if all manufacturers would display
this information all the time by default, and make it slightly more
useful and accurate by doing a running average over a short time
period like approx. 3 to 5 seconds, and also educated drivers on how
to use it, we would see a vast reduction in gas-guzzling driving
habits like speeding, jack-rabbit starts, speeding up to a red light,
trying to maintain speed up steep hills (like your stupid cruise
control does), and other things that hit you right in the wallet.

By watching the display, but still travelling at a fair clip at the
right times, I regularly get 30+ mpg (imp.) in my 2009 Chev Uplander
Van.

If you only knew what it was costing you to drive like Jensen Button,
we'd never have a gas shortage!

GasSaver wrote: 

Why don't you try a Jetta TDI that gets 50mpg on diesel and will climb
those hills with the AC on.

Happy Trails wrote: 

The US car companies are feeding you all full of bullshit. They could
easily make a diesel hybrid that could get 80mpg but they WILL NOT!

"Hipupchuck" <com> wrote in message
news:com... 

Problem is US auto doesn't know how to make them. Seriously.

Even Chrysler has Cummins do it. Duramax is a hangover but hardly car
material.

"Hipupchuck" <com> wrote in message
news:com...
 

OK Mr. Engineer - please enlighten us... how could they produce this 80 mpg
diesel easily? No one else is doing it, but US companies could do it
easily? Beyond your bullshit, just what do you have to substantiate this
claim?

--

-Mike-
net

Get real! If any auto manufacture could build a vehicle, that buyers would
want to buy that got 80 MPG, they certainly would built it.

Think about it, dummy, they would control the market with such a vehicle.
LOL


"Hipupchuck" <com> wrote in message news:-> 

On May 11, 4:18*pm, "Mike" <com> wrote: 

http://www.popularmechanics.com/automotive/new_cars/1267946.html

GM's Precept Hybrid Gets 80 MPG
GM’s five-passenger Precept hybrid gets an honest-to-goodness 80 mpg.

Published in the January 2001 issue.