Where's the steering wheel?

Honda Insight Ecological Drive Assist System Debuts at L.A. Auto Show

 

Rant about eco cars...

hmmm what a great idea! lets invent a car that efficiently uses what little is left of the earths resources that we as a race have squandered without thinking ahead, and probably create a bigger pollution / ecological cost to the environment with the nickel and batteries than a normal car - doh!

I don't see the point in these cars, eco fuels need a shit load of crops, battery cars are powered on electricity which in turn is generated by fossil fuels, hydrogen cars need very rare metal catalysers which apart from being hideously expensive means there won't be enough to go round. Every country in the worlds transport hangs on oil, be it from the tea stirrer you use in macdonalds, to the clothes we wear, to the car we drive, we're bolloxed, millions of redundant hulks of obsolete transport. Too little too late. I'm glad I won't be around in 50 years time! Its difficult to be optmistic when the worlds governments act like ostriches, and talk about the future like its business as usual.

 

The idea that hybrids like the Prius and the Lexarse are good is just one big "ecological" con devised to get us parting with our hard earned.

One of the easiest way to stop this whole ecological problem is to do the following:

1 - Subsidise the generation of renewable energy so that to go to a green tarriff saves money.

2 - Tax on all new products based on estimated environmental impact of manufacture and delivery to point of sale to cover the above.

3 - Stop this stupid situation where it's cheaper to buy new than repair.

4 - Population reduction.

However, as these are global solutions, it ain't gonna happen. But like you Smeagol, I'll be dead in 50 years, I don't have any kids to worry for and if the seas rise before then, I live on a hill anyway.

 

Actually although there is some doubt as to the real eco-credentials of the Prius due to the consumption used in build/cells etc .... the original Insight was actually very clever.

It was really eco. Not as practical as the Prius as it was a 2 seater - hence never really caught on. Plus it was more compromised and less like a reall commercial car - it was almost a concept car that escaped and made it out onto the roads. Very very light and with so many innovations and it has contributed much to more mainstream cars since.

Typical average for a mix of longer trips, commuting, around town and fun (yes - FUN) would be mid to late 70s in the mpg measure.
Longer runs it could top 100mpg.

And yet it was also good fun to drive and could be hustled along keeping up with the warm hatch brigade. (and shocking them!)

Interior looked cheap (aside from dash/steering wheel) but was very good ergonomically and felt surprisingly sporty.

As you can tell - I like the Insight and had the pleasure to cover a great many miles in one. The only downside for me was being so light, it wasn't great at coping with cross winds if your commute is on an open motorway. As for 2 seats .... commuting, how many people need more?

I know nothing about the new one. But if it drives as well as the old and doesn't lose it's charm if they have tried to make it more mainstream .... then I for one would be interested.

 

I agree that hybrids aren't the panacea that car companies would like us to believe.

However, also I hate the "electric cars are dirty because that comes from fossil fuel too" argument.

Yes, it does come from fossil fuels. However, the thermal efficiency of a power station (ie the amount of useful energy you get out compared to what is in the fuel) is in the region of 60% for current technology coal-fired stations. A state-of-the-art diesel engine is at 25-30%.

Additionally to that, there is a very significant amount of energy lost in the transmission of a car - something that does not happen to anything like the same degree in an electric car with a motor at each wheel. On the downside, there are losses through electrical distribution, battery storage, etc.

Overall, however, from coal to car movement, an electric car is more efficient than a petrol or diesel car is.

Of course, manufacture makes that much more complex, and hybrids and electric cars clearly have significant environmental issues in their manufacturing processes.

 

I think in general you could argue that electric cars simply move the problem (i.e. instead of the burning of fossil fuel happening where you are driving, it happens at the power stations) .... BUT some of the other innovations on the Insight (original) include using the energy from braking (usually disapated as heat) to recharge - so it is using energy that is otherwise wasted.

There are lots of other clever things which should work their way to more mainstream cars, though some will take a mindset change from people.

E.g. Aero. The Insight has covered rear arches (a la 2CV) which massively helps air flow. Also the alloy wheels are really light and flat (look almost like wheel trims) to the same effect.
Body panels are plastic (weight saving, and no rust) but obviously no solid 'clunk' when you close a door.
The seats are very comfy but light and look cheap as they are not what we are used to.
Many of these things could be put in normal cars and save fuel, but people need to realise that it makes good sense to reduce the weight of cars, and you do not need seats that weigh 20kgs a piece and a 'clunk' as you close a door has no bearing on either safety or build quality.