Hybrid cars - expensive to maintain?

[Paul_B]

There's supposed to be an electric van coming out from ford iirc. A plug in hybrid. There are a few e vans out there since 2010 I think. Mostly small vans but also ldv and crafter sized large vans. Range not as good as cars obviously.

Just read the ford phev use electric motors and the petrol engine kicks in when the battery is flat to charge the battery not as the drive itself. Basically it's fully electric for drive but has a petrol to keep it charged so the electric motor can drive it.

Not tech I would buy just yet because at just under 90 miles for one of the larger vans to under 200 miles for the smaller vans it's not good enough tech for me, yet.

 

[snappingturtle]

In reality, taking in account the extraction and production of the fuel, a small, turbo assisted Diesel of the latest gen is the most eco friendly one.

One liter of Diesel fuel is much more energy packed than Petrol, also easier to produce.
Also, as less Diesel fuel has to be burned/used per driven kilometer by the end user, less amount has to be transported to the fuel station.

The emissions are also incredibly low with the latest tech.
They talk about the danger to our health of the diesel fumes/particles, but those are produced by badly adjusted, worn engines.

Good point Janne hence why I have a pug 206 2l turbo smoker, ace little car!

 

[Janne]

Ford have announced they plan to make the F-150 hybrid.
I hope they use the 3.5 l Turbo in it. That would be a nice package!

 

[MrEd]

In reality, taking in account the extraction and production of the fuel, a small, turbo assisted Diesel of the latest gen is the most eco friendly one.

One liter of Diesel fuel is much more energy packed than Petrol, also easier to produce.
Also, as less Diesel fuel has to be burned/used per driven kilometer by the end user, less amount has to be transported to the fuel station.

The emissions are also incredibly low with the latest tech.
They talk about the danger to our health of the diesel fumes/particles, but those are produced by badly adjusted, worn engines.

yes but they are often highly stressed, as are small petrol turbos, so longevity will be an issue. I have just been having this discussion with a friend who runs a garage and breakdown service in eastbourne.

 

[Janne]

True. Which brings in the manufacture that is hugely polluting and energy costing.

We can not ein, can we?
Back to horse and buggy.

But that would destroy the roads, coat the roads in hirse poo.
Vet bills are higher that mechanic bills.....

 

[Woody girl]

One problem for me with electric cars is lack of engine noise. I have to walk through a car park to get to my local shop and twice this year I have been nearly knocked down by an electric car reversing out of its parking space. Normally you can hear a car start it's engine which gives you a clue it's about to move and you can take appropriate action. The last one literally was so close a shave I had to bang on the car to alert him I was there. Scary! You could say it was his fault for not looking true, but I can see this happening more often. Maybe some sort of noise is needed for these silent cars.I can remember this debate when they tried to make motorcycles quieter.

 

[Janne]

Interesting, I have had the same experience!

I never understood why not all vehicles have one of those beep- beep reversing thingies.
Cost nothing to install. I have it on 5 of our vehicles, those with a really bad rear view. Diesel and petrol engines, two of them very, very noisy.
People sometimes ask me why I have that noisy reverse thingy, and I tell them I do not want the paintwork scratched by reversing into a pram or zimmer frame...

 

[Woody girl]

And I don't want my zimmer frame scratched by a blind driver... !

 

[Woody girl]

Those reversing sensors are fine ..... untill they stop working. Had that happen to me on a car in had a couple of years ago. Didn't know it wasn't working untill I bumped the post
No damage luckily but had it been a different scenario and a person.. doesn't bear thinking about . people can be lazy and rely on electronic gizmos which is fine untill they malfunction.

 

[Paul_B]

I'm not trying to be argumentative but have a question. If the car is reversing out of a parking space did it have reversing light(s)? If it did then did you see them? If you did then it shouldn't have been a close call. If you didn't see them then where you paying attention or is it like motorists not recognising cyclists despite seeing them?

It's like when I back my car out of a parking space I sometimes don't see a car coming. No accident yet just the other guy using his horn excessively. Ihave usually spotted the car and stopped before the horn abuse so it's really just a telling off use of horn. I miss the car despite seeing it if that makes sense. Well I do stop so I must acknowledge it in time if a little late.

Point being people miss things that could keep them safe or stop them hitting or being hit by what they should not be hit by. If the car near misses you could it be joint fault?

On my advanced driving course they made great effort to teach hazard awareness. Such as driving past parked cars look for the exhaust indicating the car engine is running. It stops someone might get out. If it's running there is a driver there who might suddenly move out having missed you. With hybrid it could be lights coming on (daylight running lights) or music in the car. There is likely to be something to spot. If not then we all need to be extra observant in carparks in future.

 

[Woody girl]

I'm an advanced motorcyclist and taught to test standard for ten years. My senses are slowing down due to age as with anyone of 60+years but I'm still quicker than most to spot dangers. I'm a terrible passanger! I could not see reversing lights as I was side on to the car not immediately behind it looking at its rear end. This is a problem walking past a row of parked cars such as in a car park. You can't always see reversing lights at that angle and if you can't hear an engine start up the pedestrian has no clue as to the fact the car is about to move out. Luckily I still have quick reactions due to all my motorbike experience, but it doesn't help a little old lady on her zimmer frame who can't react quickly enough to jump out the way. The point I was trying to make is that a silent vehicle is a dangerous vehicle as there is nothing to catch your sublinual attention.and not many pedestrians have advanced driving creditation and an electric car doesn't have exhaust gases.

 

[Janne]

Not a reversing sensor, but a thingy you connect to one ( or both if you have two) reversing lights.
It emits a beep-beep-beep sound as soon as the reverse light/s are on, and tells the old lady with her zimmerframe I will scratch my paintwork on her denture unless she puts her legs in second gear...


I think many vans have it in UK, it is there I buy them.

 

[Janne]

https://www.ringautomotive.com/en/commercial-reversing-alarms

 

[Woody girl]

Hmmm so the onus is on the pedestrian to get out of your way huh? Actually I think in British law at least the pedestrian has precedence. Something is tickling my memory bud from my teaching days but total recall is lacking. Maybe on electric vehicles we need both gizmos. After all little old ladies... or gents (so as not to be sexist)and zimmer don't realy have second gear. Reckon they are single speed automatics 0-2 mph in 30 mins! My zimmer is on order racing green with go faster stripes, may even get a custom glitter paint job. Don't you dare scratch my paintwork.

 

[Janne]

Yes, it is to warn the pedestrian that you are about to reverse.
I have installed it in the cars with bad rear vision from the drivers seat.

 

[Woody girl]

Good idea. I wish it was standard in all vehicles not just an aftermarket add on as many won't bother.. It should absolutely be standard in those silent electric cars. I've walked thru that car park almost daily for nearly 20 yrs but only ever had a problem with electric vehicles. I'm all for them realy, but there is a problem with such silent running. I don't deny the benefits but safety has to be an issue. It could be serious for a blind or partially sighted person.

 

[Robson Valley]

I can't imagine the utter confusion in a shopping mall parking lot if 50-100 reversing alarm beepers went off, all at the same time.
Here, they are a requirement on commercial vehicles with poor rear vision.
In the highways maintenance yard, the loaders carrying sand and salt have the beepers shut off.
The facility has a 6' fence and the operator may be to only person in the entire facility at 4:00AM.
My home is less than 100m away from the work area so the quiet is much appreciated.
That's not to say that 4-10 deer won't have jumped the fence for the salt.

I can have a LCD screen fitted to my dash and wired to a rear camera.
Forget the price but quite cheap now.
Fantastic for idiots trying to reverse to hitch on a trailer. (That includes me).

 

[Woody girl]

Well there are not many occasions when 50 or 100 vehicles leave a car park all at the same time. . At least not in the UK, but I get your point. Rear view camera is a good idea too and I see adverts on tv for cars with them. Does it not just make if relied upon continually for lazy driving? If I was still teaching my mantra would be ...as it was then look signal look manoeuvre . That last proper look , not just a glance in your mirror before you commenced a manuvor is so important. Rear view cameras are a brilliant idea for reversing but then that's what mirrors and eyes are for. If you can't see , get out and look or get someone to see you back. Gizmos can fail and if you are not practiced in the techniques you got a problem. I can remember spending hours in the yard practicing reversing the tractor onto something that I wanted to hook up and tow. No fancy cameras on an old fergie just practice untill you could do it first time every time. In our busy world we rely more and more on these things.. pushbutton world. Am I a luddite? Perhaps in some ways. But that doesn't mean I don't appreciate my pushbutton washing machine or TV or kettle. I always have backup and use them often. Now I'm way off subject.! So ignore me if you wish and go back to the origional post. It was just a thought.

 

[Robson Valley]

Our mall shopping lots hold thousands of cars. Late in the day, the exodus can be substantial.
If hybrids were so equipped, I'd arrange to get the beeper shut off. The very last thing I need
is some noise distraction which might even be the car beside me.

A rear view camera is an important safety device for blind spots. Its time has come.
And as I said, for backing up to hitch a trailer takes only seconds when you can see what you are doing.
From where I sit as the driver, I have never seen the hitch point. What else is back there?

Hybrids? And I need to haul a Honda generator in case I run out of juice? No thanks.
With the batteries they are rolling chemical tanks.

I've automated a lot of my house. Table lamps do not need switches.
Kitchen lighting is on and off without my touch at all.

 

[Janne]

Servicing for a hybrid might be the same as fir a oure combustion rngined car, but ownership costs can potentially be much higher as they have more parts.

I spoke today to the owner of one of our larger car dealerships.

Rearview cameras are excellent if you have a stiff neck.
I have never owned a car with one. I try to own low tech cars.