New hybrids - new gas - thoughts

[62champ]

Was thinking today after seeing a car on the road with hybrid pasted on the back of it.

Some of these electric/gas models are going to go long periods of time without adding any gasoline to the tank.

With that in mind, I was curious if the manufacturer's are going to recommend some type of fuel stabilizer for when the gasoline engine does kick-in it is not trying to suck up some vanquish stuff that will hardly burn.

Or maybe fuel manufacturers will be required to add something that will keep the fuel from going bad in less than a year...

[raprice]

Boy, that's a great question. I know I've been using Sta-bil in my vintage cars for that very reason. I was reading about the new Chevy Volt and they were saying that it might only need a refill once a year for the gas engine that on board.

Rog

[stephenj]

I have been driving a Toyota Hylander Hybrid for a year and a half and although it has saved me a lot during that time, I still need to get filled up every 400 miles or so. They are not as good as advertised as every time you use somthing like heat or A/C your gas mileage goes down and if you go over 50 miles an hour (to avoid getting rear-ended) you use more gas. My 50 Champion gets better MPG.

[Stude-Dude]

"hybrid" is a JOKE, if you ask me...
it's nothing but a "marketing ploy" (it's called "greenwashing")...

as stated above, a bullet-nose will cut through the wind with greater efficiency...

my '55 Dodge three-on-the-tree w/ OD gets better MPG than my get-me-to-work eleven-year-old POC...
not sure about the '61 Hawk "in-process" of being delivered (it's the four-speed, so i wouldn't be surprised if it's quite close in regards to MPG)...


what becomes more important than crud build-up is WATER BUILD-UP because of the ETHANOL that is now present in dang near ALL gasolines...

[Jim B PEI]

I'm not fussy about gas anything in new vehicles. I'd like to be able to get a DIESEL-electric hybrid--one that is skewed more for long(er) distance trips on highway, rather than the commutercar stop-n-go nonsense. A Prius, or even a Leaf or a Volt is fine for some/many, but it just isn't me. I do at least 100,000 km a year. My stoplight drag racing days are long gone, but I need something that can transport or haul a ton/tonne or two at times, on long trips. Something that has electric traction motors for power like the Volt, & can run on electric only for around town if needs be. And with a small diesel, like about 1000cc (or that new VW 1.6 L Eurospec high output superclean Jetta TDI) that both charges the battery pack as it goes down the highway on that 10 hour trip and also has a direct clutch to keep it rolling down the highway at 100kph/60 mph on level ground on cruise, with the electric motors there to provide all the acceleration up to that speed, or any passing, or for hills. Effectively, its an all wheel drive in electric mode, FWD in diesel traction only mode with patches of AWD when the electric motors kick in. Oh, and it should be a wagon with great airdrag CD, a huge rear door, flat folding seats in a body big enough to hold sheets of plywood or gyprock inside with the rear door closed, and 8 inches of ground clearance minimum, flat underneath with nothing sticking down like a differential, strong enough to haul a car or a small house trailer. Must have heated seats <g> And live very nicely with $1.25 litre or higher fuel costs. I actually drive one of these vehicles, just not all at the same time. So, my favourite car would be a mix of everything I currently drive. Sort of like an extra long wheelbase Jeep Cherokee/Wagoneer body, the Subaru Forester AWD system, and the sliding roof and flat floors of my Wagonaire, and throw in the Volt propulsion system with a VW TDI engine. And the comfort and suspension of the Peugeot 505 Turbodiesel wagon. And heated seats.

I drive the wheels off my 2003 Jetta (actually a Golf body) TDI wagon with a 5 speed, and recently tried out the new 2011 Golf TDI Wagon (actually the larger Jetta/Passat body) with the 6 speed DSG twin clutch manualbutitworkslikeanautomatic gearbox. Sheer heaven that transmission is, and even better mileage IRL, since it is always 'clutched' to the engine. 4000% faster shifts than the Smart diesel Manumatic too <g> It even has a panoramic glass sunroof. Now, if it only had AWD of some sort...and was a Studebaker.

[Stude-Dude]

here's a read for you all on how ETHANOL is rusting out our gas tanks from the inside out - http://fuelschool.blogspot.com/2009/...l-blended.html

[Bob Bryant]

Boy, that's a great question. I know I've been using Sta-bil in my vintage cars for that very reason. I was reading about the new Chevy Volt and they were saying that it might only need a refill once a year for the gas engine that on board. Rog

Rog, I have been using Sta-bil in my Studebaker and I have a question. I think I recall reading an article that the marine Sta-bil product was recommended. Which one do you use? Bob