60 MPG Hummer?

[StorminMatt]

I certainly have my doubts about this guy getting 60MPG from a Hummer. Even if the gas turbine he is using is a VERY efficient design, it is not going to be MUCH more efficient than a diesel engine. But let's face it. The article says that the turbine is from 1985. And since it is inevitably a smaller turbine, it is probably of the rather inefficient radial flow design (axial flow turbines are MUCH, MUCH more efficient). So we certainly can't expect veryhigh efficiency from it. Combine this with the fact that it is a hybrid, and efficiency is probably not alot better than a stock Hummer due to electrical losses.

[zpiloto]

Who would have though that a Ford zx2 would get over 105 mpg.

[trebuchet03]

Originally Posted by Erdrick

Anything that sounds too good to be true is just that.

Not necessarily.... But low pre-evidence probability requires the highest quality evidence to enter the believability realm

This, so far, has low a priori probability and a lack of evidence

[trebuchet03]

Originally Posted by zpiloto

Who would have though that a Ford zx2 would get over 105 mpg.

With compromise, it sure seems more likely I don't think these hummer drivers are willing to swap/charge batteries, EOC, etc. Perhaps they will use engine/tranny heaters though...

[skewbe]

Currently, the 60mpg (as in regular driving) hummer is in the same category as bigfoot. It should be easy to prove me wrong, so go for it.

[rvanengen]

When I hear about someone that comes up with a garage "invention" that will "save the world" while being very "inexpensive" and/or "easy to install" or "inject" (whatever) that a simple rule of thumb might be:

Most Likely Real: They can get their own financing easily enough while keeping it secret until they are ready to sell it to the world.

Most Likely Real: They will just publish the instructions and let the world have it. Then if they are for real, there will be $$ coming their way for future ventures or even just speaking gigs.

Most Likely NOT Real: They want to get a "distributorship" or "dealership" network setup (read: $$$$$$).

Most Likely NOT Real: Nobody else can figure out the "invention" based on a sketchy amount of information.

Most Likely NOT Real: When fantastic claims are made w/o ANY good evidence citing some "conspiracy" that makes them keep quiet.

MIGHT Be Real: Using some alien technology that we just cannot understand yet, but the best scientists have free access to it.

Anyway...

[VetteOwner]

Originally Posted by Erdrick

Matt: I think you mean "leery"... Weary is kind of like... well, being tired.

Anything that sounds too good to be true is just that. May the Hummer rot in hell... or on the driveway of the idiot who bought it.

yea hummers truley do suck, not good for anyhting...(not even offroading...)

[DarbyWalters]

Why waste the energy and time making a Hummer get 60mpg? Spend that energy and time to make many FE Vehicles for the masses...4 Door Sedans...Small Suvs...FE Trucks...that get 60+mpg.

[zpiloto]

Originally Posted by DarbyWalters

Why waste the energy and time making a Hummer get 60mpg? Spend that energy and time to make many FE Vehicles for the masses...4 Door Sedans...Small Suvs...FE Trucks...that get 60+mpg.

Yea there are over 243 million vehicles sold in the US why worry about the 60,000 hummers. There are plenty of other places to focus.

[Wyldesoul]

The idea is genius, though... The turbine is one of the more efficient engines out there, if I'm not mistaken.
The only difficulty that exists with it is lag between applying throttle and acceleration, and more importantly, cessation of throttle and cessation of acceleration. That's the big thing that killed it's use with cars. It was tried back in the 60's.

But if you were to have the turbine completely detached from the wheels, and only powering a generator, and were to have electric motors powering the wheels.. That's an incredible combination! The efficiency and power of the turbine motor, but no worries about lag, and you could expand it even more by completely eliminating the drivetrain. Instead of a single large electric motor attached to all four wheels, have four small electric motors attached each to one wheel. Regenerative braking would be very easy, and without having a driveshaft, transmission or even transaxle, the underbody would be incredibly smooth...

If you were to design a car around that turbine/electric setup, you could VERY easily have both worlds of incredible speed and incredible FE. Or if you were to even to design it and have it not be powerful, you could have downright stupid high FE.