Ok, I think some people are confusing "electric" with "hybrid".
Pure electric is range limited and great for short trips. Once the battery is dead, you don't move until it is charged.Tesla comes to mind.
Hybrid is "unlimited" as it still has an engine, so when the battery runs down, the engine charges the battery while still moving the vehicle. When the battery is charged, electric takes over again. Repeat and go until you run out of gas.
. At times when you need more "omph" both will cut in.
Stop and go doesn't have much to do with today's better technology but you still get regenerative braking that helps charge the battery. My first hybrid (2005 Escape) definitely did not do well on long or highway trips - anything over 30 MPH and it went to gas.
My current hybrid (2013 Fusion) gets great gas mileage (over 60 mpg - but that's in imperial gallons
- US is about 45 -50 MPG) or as our unfortunate and confusing Canadian system, around 4.7 to 5.2 litres per hundred kilometres highway driving. City driving is a tad less. 90% of my daily drive is over 50 MPH (80 kph), the rest 40 MPH (60 kph).
Oh yeah, at anything over 65mph, its engine only - no electric.
Another benefit could be lower maintenance costs - I just had my first oil change at the recommended interval of 16,000KM (or 9941 miles).(Although the Ford service reps at the dealer nearly had a stroke and tried to argue that it was beyond the warranty recommendations - till I showed them the page in the owners manual and that the computerized oil monitoring system still said the oil was good and they became very quiet - they only get my money half as often
)
So do the added weight and cost make up for better performance and gas mileage? For a car - after a year I think I've saved enough to break even on the additional cost on a daily driver. On my 2005 Escape I think I lost even after 3 years so things are better.
Now for a MH, I think there is real potential, batteries are getting better and with Tesla promising new technology and new batteries ( I think Google has invested as well??) I think we'll see some good progress. However, just like electric cars/hybrids, a lot of the leaders were backyard mechanics that tinkered around and got things working - so who's up to convert their motor home to diesel/electric?
So I guess I have to agree with others, a "Hybrid" motor home is still at least a generation away (not going to talk about fuel cells this time).
Just a side note, do a google on electric motor cycles and snowmobiles. They've also come a long way as batteries have improved.
Chris
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