Comments

The real work here is to get these technologies all in the same vehicle. AFS just turned the Saturn SUV into a 50mpg hybrid by using LIPO batteries and ultra capacitors and regenerative braking. The use of both LIPO batteries and ultra capacitors were responsible for about 17 mpg in efficiency. AFS (the folks who build the XH150) claim that this would add $8,300 to the cost of a stock Saturn SUV if built in the factory this way. There is a high compression engine that will be on Detroit vehicles by 2013 that at least doubles the gas mileage, and could possibly quadruple gas mileage. This would add $1,300.00 to the cost of a vehicle. If I understand the description, putting the compressor on an engine would add another 40% minimum to a gas engines efficiency. If all these technologies were put on the same car, you would get at least 140 mpg. Assuming our current fleet averages 20mpg, that would reduce our oil imports by about 58% over the next 10 years. This would reduce our need to fight in the Middle East or elsewhere in the world. As a side note, you can build vehicles as large as a city transit bus as a hybrid. This would reduce our need for oil considerable, but I have not been able to find figures that would let me estimate the savings. As for federal mandates, it's not just about social engineering anymore. It is a matter of foreign policy. To the degree we compete in the foriegn oil market, we have to be ready to fight overseas. If we can reduce our oil useage to something our domestic production can handle, then we reduce our liabilities overseas.