Date:         Wed, 2 Jul 2008 08:50:40 -0700
Reply-To:     David Marshall <mailinglist@FASTFORWARD.CA>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         David Marshall <mailinglist@FASTFORWARD.CA>
Subject:      Re: Hybrid Vanagon
Comments: To: Dug Smith <dug@DUGBERT.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <2238.64.30.111.167.1215012461.squirrel@cp10.shieldhost.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

The average North American driver is too stupid to deal with anything else
other than a stop sign.  In Europe, Germany at least, most non-major
intersections don't have any stop or yield signs, they are unmarked four
way yields meaning always give way to the guy on the right... meaning that
you don't stop at every intersection...

David
Marshall

http://www.hasenwerk.ca
Box 4153, Quesnel BC,
Canada V2J 3J2

Engine Conversion FAQ -
http://www.hasenwerk.ca/faq

On Wed, July 2, 2008 08:27, Dug
Smith wrote:
>> Around town you'll get the benefits of
regenerative braking, but
>> I'd be surprised if that alone
bought you more than 2-3mpg or so in
>> around-town driving.
>
> I did wonder whether this would be a more efficient way
of charging the
> battery than using an alternator, hence
eliminating that drag on the
> engine.  That's got to help right
there :o)
>
> The hybrids also have juiced up starter
systems, allowing them to shut
> down the motor whenever you stop
for more than a few seconds - I shudder
> to think how much fuel
we waste sitting at red lights.
>
> At the end of the
day, if the government really wanted to help fuel
> economy,
they'd do away with all the 4 way stop signs.  Accelerating, then
> braking, a 5000lb vehicle continuously to get from A to B is
incredibly
> inefficient.  I drive my Vanagon to the gym a couple
of times a week, and
> I make that 5x 4 way stop signs (and 2 sets
of traffic lights) each way
> for a 3 mile drive (if I weren't
carpooling, I'd cycle).
>
> toodle pip,
> --
>        Dug Smith         | Terry Pratchett: It's almost
>
(mailto:dug@dugbert.com) |  impossible to ride a rock and roll
>
(http://www.dugbert.com) |  motorbike and stay on for three verses.
>