[Vwdiesel] 60 MPG Hummer,turbine hybrid, & more

[S. Shourds]

William J Toensing wrote:
> The following is a link to a VERY interesting article forwarded to me by a friend. What is contained in the article sounds almost too good to be true. I would like to hear your comments. Here is the link. www.fastcompany.com/magazine/120/motorhead-messiah_Printer_Friendly.html 
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I've not sat down and done any background research, but it sure is some 
interesting stuff.  My concerns are two.  One is that they're making it 
sound like you can get like 800 hp out of an engine running at 60 mpg or 
what have you.  That's maximum power and not where you're going to get 
any kind of milage.  The other is that it sounds like there's a chance 
they're double-billing the fuel milage.  Almost wonder if they're 
counting the milage as the petro-based fuel and not counting the 
additional fuel be it from hydrogen or what have you.  If you're adding 
energy from hydrogen, you're not cutting fuel consumption; you're just 
re-allocating it.  I think perhaps fuel milage should be no longer 
calculated in mpg or L/100KM.  Maybe something like BTU/mi or KJ/KM.  
That would keep everything more even in real terms.  It would cut the 
apparent Diesel advantage a little bit since it is a little more energy 
dense than gasoline, but I think it's worthwhile to achieve some 
clarity/honesty. 

Outside of that, I'm really warmed to be reminded that there are people 
out there working on things like that.  I've long thought that the 
gas/electric hybrid was lunacy.  Why, if you're re-engineering the whole 
drive train, would you take the second most efficient engine type in 
common usage and try and use it to make better milage?   I also can't 
help but wonder if there is a blue-tech MB Diesel laying about in a 
boneyard nearby.....  I reckon that would make the old heckflosse scream. 

-Shalyn