Skip Gundlach wrote in news:27721b1b-bcc4-413b-
:

It's way OT, so I'll not go into it, but research how power is
delivered to the wheels and stored and generated. Seriously cool.
It's a gas (again, pardon the expression) to take an empty SUV to the
pump and *almost* squeeze in 12 gallons...


I don't know what the current prices of Next Gen's sets are. Ask them.

As to hybrid vehicles, the cost of gas isn't the only consideration.
They have much higher maintenance costs because you MUST go back to the
dealer for service, and even then lots of dealers have no electrical
engineer aboard to fix them, so they start parts swapping and praying on
the prayer rugs installed in each bay of the service department. Any
car part only available from a dealer marked "MODULE" is, of course,
prohibitively expensive as if it were made of Rhodium ($9400/oz today).
Every module, of course, that didn't solve the problem must still be
added to the bill, as usual. A hybrid is fine until it's broken.....out
of warranty. Then, it becomes a terrible burden far outstripping any
gas mileage increase. I want a car any bubba in a service station can
fix. You've been in mine...(c;

Drive by a Ford dealer's parts department and price a new battery pack
after the warranty has run out.....(c; These long battery pack
warranties hybrid manufacturers are eating are the only way to disguise
the replacement cost. (Hint - It's NOT $89.95)

The other note is resale value. The hybrids might as well be disposable
because, once out of warranty, with a battery pack that needs replacing
that's 4 years old, no fool in his right mind wants it. The hybrid
manufacturers keep coming out with "improved" models, rendering your
hybrid "old and obsolete" like no other vehicle ever produced since they
installed gearshift sticks to get the clutch pedals off the floor.

Add up all these costs.....even today, gas is cheaper.

Not to worry, FINALLY the oil company politicians are going to allow the
Smart Cars to come in from Europe.....well, only the least fuel
efficient ones. What America needs is a good 2-cylinder diesel city car
with 2 seats in it like a Smart Car. Don't hold your breath.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5217861
Watch the video. It demolishes a Mercedes sedan....

Watch what happens to a concrete wall crashed by it at 70!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=ju6t-yyoU8s

Of course if you get bored, you can swap out to the Suzuki Hayabusa
500hp motorcycle engine and eat Ferraris for lunch at the drags.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=vExpEl0_5-Y

You're right...It's way OT....(c;