Comments on: TRANSPORTATION TUESDAY: World’s First Zero-Cost Hybrid! http://inhabitat.com/afs-trinity-xh150/ Green design & eco innovation for a better world Mon, 20 May 2013 06:38:28 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc By: iwaboy http://inhabitat.com/afs-trinity-xh150/comment-page-1/#comment-86195 iwaboy Mon, 23 Jun 2008 18:38:22 +0000 http://www.inhabitat.com/2008/05/20/afs-trinity-xh150/#comment-86195 Driving 15K miles per year, with gas at $4/gal, against an hybrid SUV that gets 23 mi/gal, full reimbursement is re-couped in 4 years. The more miles you drive, the faster the return. You will be buying 552 fewer gallons of gas per year at $4/gal, that's a $2208 savings per year x 4 years = $8832. This also does not account for any tax breaks from purchasing one of these. I do agree that "zero-cost" is extremely misleading, but they are referring only to the drive train. Not really something to brag about at cocktail parties if you ask me. The concern as they say is the life and safety of the battery. No long term tests are available. That being said, even at $40K, I will buy one of these upon release. This is but one alternative. Who says that we cannot have multiple choices for this problem? Plug-in hybrids Conventional Hybrids Ethanol Bio-Fuel Diesel Hydrogen Full Electric Driving 15K miles per year, with gas at $4/gal, against an hybrid SUV that gets 23 mi/gal, full reimbursement is re-couped in 4 years. The more miles you drive, the faster the return. You will be buying 552 fewer gallons of gas per year at $4/gal, that’s a $2208 savings per year x 4 years = $8832. This also does not account for any tax breaks from purchasing one of these.

I do agree that “zero-cost” is extremely misleading, but they are referring only to the drive train. Not really something to brag about at cocktail parties if you ask me.

The concern as they say is the life and safety of the battery. No long term tests are available.

That being said, even at $40K, I will buy one of these upon release.

This is but one alternative. Who says that we cannot have multiple choices for this problem?

Plug-in hybrids
Conventional Hybrids
Ethanol
Bio-Fuel
Diesel
Hydrogen
Full Electric

]]> By: Science101 http://inhabitat.com/afs-trinity-xh150/comment-page-1/#comment-84036 Science101 Thu, 05 Jun 2008 17:48:00 +0000 http://www.inhabitat.com/2008/05/20/afs-trinity-xh150/#comment-84036 Ev erybody chill! Every article on technology topics is wrong. First, the authors are not experts, They rely on information from others and then they spin it into a tale that the public is willing to read. Second, even the inventors do not have all of the information. They are generally aerospace geeks who know engineering but do not know finance and economics. Third, this is unproven technolgy and nobody has all of the answers yet. And yes, by the time this vehicle hits the market it is likely to be very different as batteries, capacitors, controllers, motors and recharging systems evolve. Let's all be happy that somebody is working on solutions to the oil crisis and that we have something to look forward to, even if it does not pay for itself in 5 years. Ev erybody chill! Every article on technology topics is wrong. First, the authors are not experts, They rely on information from others and then they spin it into a tale that the public is willing to read. Second, even the inventors do not have all of the information. They are generally aerospace geeks who know engineering but do not know finance and economics. Third, this is unproven technolgy and nobody has all of the answers yet. And yes, by the time this vehicle hits the market it is likely to be very different as batteries, capacitors, controllers, motors and recharging systems evolve. Let’s all be happy that somebody is working on solutions to the oil crisis and that we have something to look forward to, even if it does not pay for itself in 5 years.

]]> By: varispec1 http://inhabitat.com/afs-trinity-xh150/comment-page-1/#comment-83842 varispec1 Wed, 04 Jun 2008 17:43:59 +0000 http://www.inhabitat.com/2008/05/20/afs-trinity-xh150/#comment-83842 Everyone here got it wrong. The thinking should be, where if everyone lowers their dependence on foreign oil, then the demand curve causing ever increasing prices of oil and gas will be moderated. Pros: Reduce Carbon Foot Print for each US citizen. Reduce Foreign Economic influence over our lives. Reduce Oil Companies Oligopoly. Cons: High Initial Cost for the drive train Everyone here got it wrong. The thinking should be, where if everyone lowers their dependence on foreign oil, then the demand curve causing ever increasing prices of oil and gas will be moderated.

Pros:

Reduce Carbon Foot Print for each US citizen.
Reduce Foreign Economic influence over our lives.
Reduce Oil Companies Oligopoly.

Cons:

High Initial Cost for the drive train

]]> By: DanBailiff http://inhabitat.com/afs-trinity-xh150/comment-page-1/#comment-83665 DanBailiff Tue, 03 Jun 2008 17:47:15 +0000 http://www.inhabitat.com/2008/05/20/afs-trinity-xh150/#comment-83665 The math still doesn't work. "Zero Cost" would only be true if you were able to generate revenue using the car in some way, where by some miracle you were generating more energy than you used and sold it someone else. A car is an expense and liability, both energy-wise and dollar-wise. Period. There is no way to recoup the cost unless you are using it as a business tool to generate revenue. To say that the additional cost is a break-even situation after a set number of years compared to another vehicle is a fair comparison, but this article's wording is misleading and ignorant. It implies that the cost of the car is zero if you drive it enough. Shame on the author! The math still doesn’t work. “Zero Cost” would only be true if you were able to generate revenue using the car in some way, where by some miracle you were generating more energy than you used and sold it someone else. A car is an expense and liability, both energy-wise and dollar-wise. Period. There is no way to recoup the cost unless you are using it as a business tool to generate revenue.

To say that the additional cost is a break-even situation after a set number of years compared to another vehicle is a fair comparison, but this article’s wording is misleading and ignorant. It implies that the cost of the car is zero if you drive it enough. Shame on the author!

]]> By: Brian Lang http://inhabitat.com/afs-trinity-xh150/comment-page-1/#comment-81947 Brian Lang Tue, 20 May 2008 18:11:19 +0000 http://www.inhabitat.com/2008/05/20/afs-trinity-xh150/#comment-81947 I agree with FlatGreg. Looking at the math and graphs provided by AFS Trinity shows that the hybrid Drive Train cost of $8,666 will be paid for with three years worth of fuel savings. I agree with FlatGreg. Looking at the math and graphs provided by AFS Trinity shows that the hybrid Drive Train cost of $8,666 will be paid for with three years worth of fuel savings.

]]> By: FlatGreg http://inhabitat.com/afs-trinity-xh150/comment-page-1/#comment-81932 FlatGreg Tue, 20 May 2008 16:17:15 +0000 http://www.inhabitat.com/2008/05/20/afs-trinity-xh150/#comment-81932 I clicked through since the math didn't sound right. The above summary is misleading saying "it’s possible to recoup the hybrid’s $40,000 cost after 3-5 years!" To clarify, the extra cost of the hybrid drivetrain pays for itself in 2.5 years when gas costs $5/gallon. The entire vehicle won't be "free" until 12 years with gas @ $5 a gallon. At $4 a gallon, that'd be 15 years. This is a great accomplishment, and I suspect we'll see more ultracapacitor + lithium battery combinations in the future. I clicked through since the math didn’t sound right.

The above summary is misleading saying “it’s possible to recoup the hybrid’s $40,000 cost after 3-5 years!”

To clarify, the extra cost of the hybrid drivetrain pays for itself in 2.5 years when gas costs $5/gallon. The entire vehicle won’t be “free” until 12 years with gas @ $5 a gallon. At $4 a gallon, that’d be 15 years.

This is a great accomplishment, and I suspect we’ll see more ultracapacitor + lithium battery combinations in the future.

]]> By: dagny73 http://inhabitat.com/afs-trinity-xh150/comment-page-1/#comment-81924 dagny73 Tue, 20 May 2008 14:40:40 +0000 http://www.inhabitat.com/2008/05/20/afs-trinity-xh150/#comment-81924 This looks great. Although in 2-3 years who knows where technology will be. Hopefully there will be a ton of competition against this vehicle that will allow prices to drop and afford the average person a chance at owning one. Dagny McKinley organic apparel This looks great. Although in 2-3 years who knows where technology will be. Hopefully there will be a ton of competition against this vehicle that will allow prices to drop and afford the average person a chance at owning one.

Dagny McKinley
organic apparel

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