[SGVLUG] [OT]Hybrids and trains (was fuel prices and the dollar)

[Rae Yip]

Don't forget regenerative braking; this is a big win for hybrid and
electric vehicles because it saves wear and tear on the brake pads as
well as improving mileage.

So even if the Prius loses 1/3 of the energy it stores in the
batteries, much of that energy would simply have been discarded in a
regular car - 100% loss!

Naturally, you don't something for nothing. As people have said,
there's added weight. But I doubt the auto makers would add a
component that wasn't a net gain, and the real world data bears it
out.

In stop-and-go traffic (is there any other sort in LA?), I'm fairly
certain hybrid vehicles are more efficient, no matter how well you
follow your car's fuel consumption map.

-Rae.