Hybrids: More Mechanical Trouble? Really?
by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada on 10.17.05
"However hybrid cars are extremely complex, which eventually will jack up the maintenace bill, since they contain both an electric and a gasoline car system." We want to address this because we hear it often. It might even be a good idea for you to bookmark this post for the next time someone tells you that your hybrid will be "very costly" to maintain. Lets look at the Prius since it is the best selling hybrid: First of all, brushless electric motors are not something that breaks easily and they should last the life of the vehicle. The transmission is a relatively elegant planetary gearset CVT design; it should outlast most automatic transmissions and doesn't have a clutch that wears out like a manual. The starter of the car is one of the two electric motors, so it is very powerful and can spin up the engine to much higher speeds than weaker "normal" starters, and it does so only after the Prius has established oil pressure, something that gasoline-only cars don't do, so there's a lot less wear at ignition.
Also, the "regular" brakes get used a lot less since most of the stopping power required in everyday driving comes from the electric motor through regenerative breaking. The brakes only engage during hard braking and under a certain very low speed (I've even read somewhere that a mechanic said that the original brake pads of the Prius could last the life of the car is driven carefully enough). As for the gas engine, it usually revs close to optimal speed and stays there thanks to the CVT transmission and electric motors. No constant revving up and down and changing gear.
Most of the low speed power (where gas engines are at their less efficient) comes from the electric motor which has gobs of torque and delivers it from basically 1 RPM (electric motors have a very flat power-band, no need to wait a few thousands RPMs before there's useable torque). We've already covered the batteries and talked about the fuel economy and emission benefits elsewhere...
What else is there to say but: "Things might not be as simple as they look. It is common sense that tells us that a hybrid contains more things that could go wrong, but it is also common sense that tells us, at first, that the Earth is flat. We have to look a bit farther than that." Hybrids (I'm especially talking about "full" hybrids like the Prius, Escape hybrid, Highlander/RX400h, etc - "mild" or "assist" hybrids have some of the same benefits, but not quite to the same level) can have mechanical problems like any car - and they do have some downsides like price and availability - but they also have many mechanical advantages over "regular" cars.
You can read about a Vancouver cab driver who loves his Prius and puts lots of trouble-free kilometers on it. And if the Prius is not for you, the Honda Civic hybrid, the Ford Escape and Mariner hybrid and the upcoming Toyota Camry hybrid are all fuel efficient hybrids that look more like "normal" cars.
We're not saying that repairs on a hybrid can't be problematic and that (at least until most mechanics are familiar with them) you won't have to go to you dealer to fix things because other places might not have the expertise. What we're saying is to be careful when people tell you bad (or good) things about hybrids. Take the time to think about it and do your own research if you have to. Too many people will try to shoot down unfamiliar things without a fair trial (the same thing constantly happens with electric vehicles).
Yes, hybrids are complex. But lets not forget that gasoline-only cars are extremely complex too - we just take them for granted. You might end up paying more for some things (initial cost), less for others (small repairs, fuel), but whatever you do, keep in mind that nobody buys a car to save money (otherwise small cars would be really popular in the US) and that the current over-rationalization of every last dollar spent on a hybrid starts to look downright silly when you ask someone how they monetarily justify their engine upgrade, moonroof, subwoofer or mag wheels. We'd rather people paid more for a car that is cleaner than for a car with lots of chrome and a big wasteful engine. But that's not even true; sports cars and huge SUVs usually cost more than a Prius, yet nobody asks people if they makes financial sense the way people will ask you if your hybrid makes business sense...
Rule of thumb is the more moving parts, the more trouble. Hybrid problems, the major ones, will always arise between the motor and the engine, and how they interact with each other. The beauty of 100% pure electric cars is that they have a lot less moving parts than conventional internal combustion engines. Less things to go wrong, less things to fix, less maintenance. The moment you add a factor of complexity to a system, in this instance add an engine to work in tandem with a motor, you're asking for more trouble. But that's the only direction Honda and Toyota could go... Because in America, the automobile industry wasn't interested or ready to make the leap of faith to 100% electric. The reasons are all too obvious. With hybrids, Japanese auto-makers met the oil companies half-way. Now the trick will be to get totally rid of the engine part, which is what plug-in hybrids, already commercially available in Asia, are doing. When you have electric motors and batteries that can charge in 15 minutes, give you 300 miles range, and launch your car from 0 to 60 in under 4 seconds, who needs pistons! Hybrids are but a stop-gap measure, albeit a pricey, time consuming and ultimately, in the grand scheme of things, a very wasteful one. But one environmentalists and other folks who care about global warming and the air we breathe had no choice in developing as a steppin stone in the face of such immense oil economy resistance. Today Shell is talking about the end of oil. Hybrids are great, keep buying them... you are paving the way for 100% electric vehicles. Look at them as an investment in the future of life on the planet, because otherwise, the alternative, would be... well let's not go there, shall we, this is family viewing.
Remy, you're right when you say "When you have electric motors and batteries that can charge in 15 minutes, give you 300 miles range, and launch your car from 0 to 60 in under 4 seconds, who needs pistons!"
But that's not the case with electrics today, nor is it likely to be the case any time soon. Electrics will be great, once we get decent batteries. I happen to think those decent batteries are going to be called "fuel cells", but I've been wrong before.
Here's hopin'.
PS: Administrators, I think the spam filter that prevents me from using an ellipsis as an expressive bit of punctuation is remarkably stupid.
As a Prius owner since 2001-- guess that makes me an early adopter, I have not had one problem with my car yet. There was a recall issue that I never experienced but Toyota took care by replacing the potentially defective part anyway. Keep in mind that internal combustion engines wear out over time, especially if they are always running. My lovely little Prius's gas engine shuts off when not in use. I mean, who can resist stealth mode? :)
"Rule of thumb is the more moving parts, the more trouble."
That applies to ICE vs. EV, but with hybrid vs gas-only, the number of moving parts is pretty much the same (electric motors added) but, because of what is explained in the post, you actually get less wear on these movings parts.
Great post. I agree with MGR, the hybrid is essentially a gas car with scaled up electric motor(s) and scaled down gas.
Scale enough and you get an EV. ":^)
-Jerry
EVconvert.comNice post MGR. Your points about hybrid ownership get more refined every day.
Remy ! You are one clever guy. A pleasure reading your comment. Enlightning. Keep it on.
The issue that proponents of electric vehicles don't often mention is, um, where the electricity comes from.
It takes a lot of juice to charge an electric car, which, in most parts of the U.S., comes from dirty coal-fired power plants. So, yeah, electric cars are cleaner at the tail pipe than hybrids (of course, they don't have tail pipes). But not so clean to people who live downwind from the power plants(which under BushCo's "Clean Skies" initiative are dirtier than ever). Imagine the load on the grid -- and the lungs of those hapless downwinders -- if just 10 per cent of our current fleet were all-electric.
Someday, maybe, we'll have solar-powered electric cars. Until then, ride a bicycle if you want to be truly green.
I believe that current hybrids are a necessary step in the evolution towards the ultimate electric car. At the moment, battery technology is simply not up to the task for pure electric vehicles.
We don't have batteries which know all of these:
1) Could allow electric cars a 300-mile range/charge
2) Recharge in a couple of minutes (also able to accept power surges coming from regenerative braking)
3) Have an 8-year lifetime (several thousand recharge cycles).
4) Safe enough for automotive application
5) Works within required automotive temperature range (e.g. -25 celsius) without quick degradation
Lithium-ion batteries are the most promising candidates and there are some good-looking developments for automotive-grade applications but they are years from mass-production at realistic prices. Some of them:
- Safe format lithium batteries (Valence)
- Quickly rechargeable (30seconds) lithium batteries (Toshiba)
Current lithium-ion batteries cannot be used in electric vehicles because they explode when abused (too quick draining, deformed in an accident..etc), require very long recharging time (even 15 minutes I wouldn't call satisfactory) and have other problems too. Other battery types also fail technical or economic requirements (e.g. ni-mh batteries don't have sufficient energy density / kg)
Other electric energy storage systems and fuel cells are in no better shape either. (Hydrogen fuel cell development seems to be a complete waste of time to me, I would spend the money on battery technology instead)
I believe lithium-ion battery technology will mature in the forthcoming decade in terms of capabilities and price. Then, EVs will be mass produced at unprecedented rates.
Until that time, hybrids are the way to since they use current, working technologies (.e.g. NI-MH batteries) and can be produced profitable.
Lee Gibson, you have obviously never heard of the Venturi Fetish, the tZero or George Clooney's new Tango (which was featured on tree hugger) ALL of them go from 0 to 60 in under 4 seconds, can recharge in 15 minutes (with algorithmic chargers) and have a 150+ miles range with li-ion. What more do you want? It's not about technology anymore, it's about political and financial will.
Think of all the crappy subsidiary industries that are involved with the internal combustion engine. Junk yards, garages, midas muffler, jiffy lube, etc. Well okay junk yards would still exist, but they might be nicer and cleaner. Internal combustion engline? Goddamn thing is obsolete.
The problem with pure electrics is that your average driver still wants to be able to drive to Utah (or just the distant exurb where Aunt Nelly lives) if they want to, without worrying about having to find somewhere to plug in or running out of juice. Sure, 90% of daily mission can be accomplished with an EV, but what about the other 10%? Any plans for Toyota to offer a "big batteries" option on the Prius? That way you'd get most of the advantages of a pure EV along with the advantages of a ICE. That will be how greener vehicles conquer the industry, especially if oil prices stay high.
It's the hybrid car. You're probably aware of hybrid cars because they've been in the news a lot. Most automobile manufacturers have announced plans to manufacture their own versions. The Prius is the best-selling gas-electric hybrid vehicle in the United States and the world. For 2006, Prius adds several styling, safety and convenience enhancements, further increasing its overall value. But it's also a fact that Ford has already revealed its plan of introducing the Mariner CUV hybrid for its Mercury brand this year, read more here...Auto Parts for American Car Lovers.