Hybrid Discovery Unlikely - but it's coming

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Originally Posted by vnx205

If you accept that cars like the Prius or a hybrid Disco are really just research platforms to develop technology, some of which might have applications in future vehicles, then hybrids make a great deal of sense.

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I wouldn't be seen dead in a Prius, but this is the crux of it. Although I wouldn't want one yet, I think its a good thing that Land Rover are involved in developing this technology.

JLR have been getting some of their hybrid technology from Williams, technology which was originally developed for F1 but never used. The hybrid technology that is now appearing in sports car racing (and F1 in the near future) is very interesting. If you look at it as a means of recovering energy, thereby increasing power, instead of just improving fuel economy it is a lot more appealing. This is the way it will develop in the future - a way of developing more powerful cars with less emissions in order to meet the EU targets.

Cheers,
Jon

Land Rover makes me laugh at times. The brand we all love so much should concentrate on reliability in their existing combustion engines before they experiment with alternative types of energy sources.

Land Rover through their original heritage the Rover Co Ltd have always been involved in developing engine technology. The original Whittle jet engine proect, the Rolls Royce derived Meteor tank engine and Meteorite engine in the Thornycroft Mighty Antar. The turbine engined prototype Rover cars the 5 cylinder engines of the late 1960s and eventually the TD5.

Most of the problems can be traced back to bean counters and other manufacturers wanting Land Rover technology whilst at the same time saddling the marque with hand me down engines. Think Ford, the current Ford 2.4/2.2 Puma and Mondeo derivative 2.7 and 3.0 TDV6s remember these engines are still manufactured by Ford and fitted to Land Rover.

I find it interesting that GM announced last week That they were dropping Lithium and going back to lead acid batteries in their hybrids citing cost and reliability.

So if recent advances in energy recovery and control enable hybrids to be sold at a reasonable price with good range and performance maybe they will become a viable alternative for central city dwellers.

Regards Philip A

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Originally Posted by ak

Land Rover makes me laugh at times. The brand we all love so much should concentrate on reliability in their existing combustion engines before they experiment with alternative types of energy sources.

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They don't have much choice if they want to stay in business. To meet the EU requirements in 2015 the new car fleet sold in Europe will have to average the equivalent of 4.9 l/100km of diesel and by 2020 this will reduce to 3.6 l/100km.

Cheers,
Jon

THANK YOU, Silence is Golden, you hit the nail right on the head!! My two s1's (1950, 1951) my S11 (1958) my 110 County (1985) have created, due to their longevity, far less polution than any modern car, including hybrids, even tho they may use a tiny bit more fuel, which doesn't come anywhere near to that of building a NEW vehicle.....long live LANDIES (the grown man's Meccano Set)

MOST of the modern rules and restrictions are applied, NOT to cut polution, but to keep governments and Big Business in Business......building more vehicles, by puting perfectly good reliable older vehicles off the road in the name of economy, safety and ecology!!

Absolutely right, Dick180641, it is all about big business and money, not the environment.
A similar thing happened in NSW twenty odd years ago. The annual roadworthy check was made insanely tough with the aim of getting old cars off the road to the benefit of big business. They claimed of course, that it was "safety driven" but it wasn't. My car was knocked back for life threatening cracks in the vinyl on the dash top!
As it happened, the tough checks didn't last long. Those people of limited financial means whose cars failed just kept driving them without rego. Huge loss of revenue for the state. People power!

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Originally Posted by Silenceisgolden

...As it happened, the tough checks didn't last long. Those people of limited financial means whose cars failed just kept driving them without rego. Huge loss of revenue for the state. People power!

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So the Government turned them into criminals and by cancelling registration for unpaid parking fines increasing the revenue from the tens of dollars for the parking fine to $1,200 for the unregistered and uninsured penalty

Ok all you haters, let's change the thinking. What if you decided to make a hybrid not to save the environment but to make a vehicle which utilises the best of both worlds, the range of a diesel/petrol and the huge torque and fast acceleration of electric motors.

Imagine an electric boosted diesel D4 with the characteristics of both modalities fully integrated into the terrain response system. Might give you a pretty much unstoppable Vehicle with long range and which which could accelerate from 0-100 in sub 6 seconds on the highway.

Worth thinking about?

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Originally Posted by AnD3rew

Ok all you haters, let's change the thinking. What if you decided to make a hybrid not to save the environment but to make a vehicle which utilises the best of both worlds, the range of a diesel/petrol and the huge torque and fast acceleration of electric motors.

Imagine an electric boosted diesel D4 with the characteristics of both modalities fully integrated into the terrain response system. Might give you a pretty much unstoppable Vehicle with long range and which which could accelerate from 0-100 in sub 6 seconds on the highway.

Worth thinking about?

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They already weigh in at 2.7 tons, they'll just slide back down whatever they try to climb :p