Rolled Out On: 8/29/2006 12:56 PM

Ford is supposedly working on a hydraulic hybrid F-150.

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/02/60_mpg_ford_f15.php

Rolled Out On: 8/29/2006 1:08 PM

I've heard about those. Not being an engineer, I've always wondered what the delay was in doing things like this.

I believe that most massive automaker companies are not evil - just riddled with bureaucracy and staffed with VP's bound to the Peter Principle. I know my company can barely move at a snail's pace (we've still got VB 5 applications in production and being supported!) because of all the red tape.

But I've also assumed there was a true, engineering hurdle to overcome that made the economics of some of these systems damn near impossible to manage. I just don't know what they are.

Rolled Out On: 8/30/2006 7:16 AM

I work for a company that handles a lot of the installation hardware for the machines used to manufacture engines. I don't buy the "retooling is too expensive" argument.

Every automaker goes through a life cycle for a given engine design. At the end of that design, they purchase all new machine tools to produce the next engine design. [We make a lot of money during the change over cycle.]

All they have to do use Scuderi technology in the next engine design and at the next changeover the differential costs will be pretty minimal.

I think the larger inertia against change is the installed base of gasoline stations. It is hard to use alternative fuels like hydrogen if the equipment used for filling tanks is designed for gasoline.

Regards,
Dann

Rolled Out On: 8/30/2006 8:04 AM

Thanks Dann, glad to learn something. I figured they'd use most of the same tools since the engines themselves aren't totally different but alas, I'm incorrect. Being 8:02 AM, that's guaranteed not to be the last time today.

The Hydrogen thing has a hell of a lot more problems than just the filling stations. Portability is a big issue too (it's a gas. To compress it takes energy). Hence, something along the lines of a Scuderi would be instantly a hit as it fits into the current system we have.

I'm, of course, all about nuke-powered cars.

Rolled Out On: 9/14/2006 5:38 PM

The MDI Air Car was featured recently on the Aussie TV show Beyond Tommorow.