taxes, gas prices, VLAC

[TWFAUST at aol.com]

In a message dated 3/13/2005 11:05:32 AM Eastern Standard Time, 
quattro-request at audifans.com writes:

> >I like the idea of hybrids, where a low-powered
> >internal combustion engine (gas, diesel, alcohol,
> >whatever) runs only to re-charge batteries, which
> >are the real source of power.
> >
> 
I haven't kept much of an eye on hybrids, so maybe I have missed something. I 
suspect that referring to the batteries as "the real source of power" was a 
misnomer. I have always thought of batteries as storage units for power, not 
sources of power. I have also always understood that there was inevitable loss 
of power in any conversion. i.e., not all of the power contained in gasoline is 
converted to "power" when the gasoline is burned, when "power" is applied to 
a generator/alternator, not all of the power applied to the generator is 
converted to electrical energy. Since there are two "power conversions" involved, I 
don;t understand why the efficiency is not lower. 

I understand that there flywheels used to store energy and convert motion to 
energy, etc. But, I would appreciate it if someone could explain why less 
gasoline, rather than more, is required to do equivalent amounts of "work".

Is it just better matching of the power produced to the power needed? i.e., a 
car traveling at 60mph is probably not using all of the power generated by 
the engine, so, producing only the power "needed" might be more "efficient". A 
car sitting at idle is producing more power than is needed, if it were 
operating a generator then, the wasted power would be stored for later use. 

Tom Faust