Actually,you have this exactly backwards.
That's what so misunderstood by some many people. They just don't know.

ELECTRIC motors produce much more "power" (torque) over a much wider range of rpm's than any normal internal combustion engine.
Electric motors typically produce their maximum torque "right out of the box", so to speak, that is from 1 rpm up to close to their maximum rpm range.
They produce a really, really flat torque curve, that people have been spending zillions of dollars for many, many years, trying to get internal combustion engines to do.

So, for your idea, we need the electric motor supplying the "awesome" pulling power from the start.

As a perfect example, how much torque does your 4Runner or truck produce and what's its torque curve (not flat at all).

My '95 4Runner's 3.0 puts out a maximum torque value of 180 lb-ft and that's at 3400 rpm. Above or below that range the torque drops off a lot.
The Toyota Prius's electric motor puts out 295 lb-ft of torque, and not only does it put it out, it puts out that much torque from 1 rpm to 1200 rpm's !!!
This is what's used to get the car going and it can get it going pretty quickly.

That's the problem here. So many people simply are clueless as to the power and power bands, torque bands of electric motors.
This is why locomotives use electric motors to turn the wheels. Because of the tremendous amount of torque that they (electric motors) develop at low rpms and how flat the torque curve is. That is they put out the same amount of power over a pretty wide rpm range.

Hybrids are already being built and used in racing. Toyota just recently raced a hybrid Supra and won the Tokashi 24 Hours race in July.





Also check out Electric Powered Dragsters:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20024352/


F1's are going hybrid, total, by the 2011 season and they won't be any slower than now, most certainly even faster, which is one of the goals of the FIA. They have almost unlimited research budgets and the FIA is betting that a lot of the technology that they come up with will be used in commercial vehicles.

BTW, batteries aren't the only way to store energy.
Large capacity caps can and are being used (such as in the Supra that I mentioned above) and flywheel storage is really huge. They can store a ton of energy in a very compact package and they can deliver it rapidly, something which batteries (currently anyway) can't do.
F1's are most likely going to be looking into flywheel energy storage. The technology is not new, it already exists and is in use.

GM just recently (in the last month or so) partnered with a major battery company to help design and produce batteries for their new hybrids.




Fred

 

I like that supra, thing since they are not making them anymore what did they do? Get an old 90's out of storage to use or since it is not really a supra did they just build it from scratch.

That was a good read BTW.

 

I said IMO. I'm pretty sure that means in my opinion. I didn't state anything that needed to be backed up by facts. I just said that most hybrids are ugly, like the Prius, and the Honda Insight, and that diesels can offer better economy in a MUCH simpler package.

 

You did NOT say IMO until you made the outrageous claim that they were 15 years too soon.

"diesels can offer better economy in a MUCH simpler package" Sounds like a claim that needs some facts.

You also stated that "the cars are too slow" and "cost too much"

DOnt try and back out of this one. I want to know where you got your information from.

 

Alright, I'm not trying to back out of this one. I've quoted my previous post for quick referance. And, yes, IMO, hybrids came out 15 years too soon. They need to be researched more extensively so that we can get maximum efficiency, so that maybe more people would take them seriously. Diesels ARE simpler than hybrids. I can back that up because coming from a family of mechanics, and getting up close and personal with what's under the hood of a Prius, and comparing that to a new VW diesel, I can say with certaincy that the VW diesel is MUCH simpler than the Prius. It's a simpler design overall. Just think, you have a basic internal combustion diesel burning motor, and in the Prius, you have a gasoline burning internal combustion engine, AND electric motor(s), and Battery packs, and complex computers that allow the two to operate together. That's a fact. It's nothing personal, and you have it your way, I did not back out of that one. I hope this clears up some issues.

 

screw it lets just combine everything, i want a MKV diesel 2JZ-GTE Supra...

 

Diesels can offer great economy. My VW TDi gets about 40 city and 50+ on the highway. Seats five, has a sunroof, leather, A/C, and every other creature comfort. Those numbers are observed MPG not window sticker. If you want more power then most guys put in larger injectors or play with the turbo and pretty much the economy drops. What I'm trying to say is diesel has been a viable alternative on the market a lot longer than hybrids have, and the latest generation put out no more emissions that a regular car. BUT, you pay a premium for that motor up front and service calls can be very expensive - $700 for a timing belt change for example.

 

And while that's great, it's still part of the problem.
Not only does mileage have to improve, but also emissions.
That's another area that's going to see massive change here shortly.

Hybrids, or what are being called "extreme hybrids" are what's coming.




Fred