"Team Fate" - Designing the Next Generation Hybrid

Peak Moment 113: Students at UC Davis Hybrid Vehicle Research Center have been creating plug-in hybrids for national competitions for some time. "Team Fate" members Bryan Jungers and Patrick Kaufman describe how they "gut" the drive train of a standard vehicle, replacing it with an electric motor, a bank of batteries, continuously variable transmission, and some clever electronics. The resulting vehicle runs on electricity, assisted by a much smaller flex-fuel internal combustion engine only when needed. Bryan and Patrick also enlighten us on topics ranging from battery technology to hydrogen fuel cells. [www.team-fate.net]

For a look under the hood, check out Episode 114. These are two of the students working with Professor Andrew Frank, whom you met in episode 107.

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Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• plug-in
• hybrid
• transportation
• efficiency

[dugfriendly]

Great to have you back. This was great. These are the people working with the previously interviewed gentleman whom wanted dual use (home&auto) batteries, right? BTW: Trains get my vote, too. In fact, I'm trying to get a job with Union Pacific.

[peakmoment]

Yes, these are students working the Prof. Andy Frank. In his Peak Moment show (#107) on Plug-In Hybrids Power the Grid, he proposes using vehicles as mobile batteries. Charge them from renewables during the day, use them to power the house at night.

[oldhacks]

hycrids are a band aid.

unless we go back to trains and trollys. we're done for.

SF has started a car shareing program where theres 50 cars and you can borrow them for free as long as you bring it back with a full tank and dont take it outside of the city

I want trains though

[peakmoment]

I think hybrids and other vehicles are part of a transition. Most observers say there's no way we'll have the energy to support a fleet the size we have now, all electric or hydrogen. I think we'll need a mix of solutions: car shares, smart group transportation, electric trains. I want the trains too!

[Weaseldog2001]

As we slide down the Peak Oil Slope, we may be worried more about where our next meal comes from, rather than what kind of eco-friendly vehicle we want to tool around in.

I like the idea of hybrids. It's a shame we can't use time travel to send them into the past, along with a better attitude towards consumption and population growth.

Shoes may well be the sought after vehicle of the future.

[scientastic]

We want fully alternative energy vehicles... however, we do need a transition until, for example, hydrogen becomes feasible or battery packs improve significantly. We will NOT run out of oil completely for decades to come; if these plug-in hybrids sip fuel only occasionally and when you go long distances, then they will be good transition vehicles; their level of consumption will still be affordable.

[grundigmonolith]

Yeah, but anything less than transitional would cause a lot of people to lose their jobs and thus affect the economy. With plug-ins at least we have something we are used to and can improve on over time. The learning curve isn't as steep as hydrogen fuel cell power for instance

[alastair78]

Hardly anyone will buy a hybrid car that uses petrol/gas because they are a transition vehicle like you mentioned. No one wants a car that wont be used in 5-10 years because you wont be able to sell it. We need fully alternative energy vehciles.

[stephenantonyhanson]

Hybrid cars are just another form of business as usual, we need to change our ways completely before our politicians try to sustain the present insanity buy stepping up the war effort to control the oil.

How many barrels of oil would you swop for you Childs life? Because your politicians aren't sending their children to war, their sending your!!!!!!

Take the train or don't travel at all.