Hybrid Cars: Will the Philippines have a bite?

ELON MUSK OF TESLA MOTORS CERTAINLY 

THINKS SO

Updated: 6/13/14

Hybrid cars are getting better and better. They have definitely become more glamorous. Lately, with the introduction of hybrid sportscars and supercars, they have also been pushing the envelope of performance.

I see an opportunity here with hybrid technology. It is a “green technology”, which means that drivers of hybrids will always hold the moral high ground over ordinary internal combustion. Furthermore, as Tesla Motors has proved, it is possible for new players to enter the market.

The hybrid system that interests me the most is the one currently being used by the Tesla. Its formula is a battery powered electric motor for the rear wheels; batteries stored in the center tunnel; and an internal combustion engine which acts as a generator to charge the batteries on the go.^*

^{The Tesla Model S: What arguably started the trend for a 'cool' hybrid}

The McLaren P1:  Pushing the Envelope

Why does this system interest me? Allow me to enumerate:

1st It is versatile; a designer is no longer confined to stick to a certain layout. A manufacturer can easily create a rear-engined, front wheel drive car for example. A transversely mounted front engine with rear-wheel drive is likewise possible. A designer could put the engine on the roof if he wishes. The designer is limited only by his imagination.

This picture is from Tito Eusebio Jr, which was posted on the Top Gear Philippines Facebook Page.  Note how the engine may be located on top of the rear axle.  See, with a hybrid, one may position the components anywhere they like for better ground clearance, aerodynamics or weight distribution. 

2nd It is inherently powerful; an electric motor is said to generate all of its low-end power (torque/hatak) instantly. It is for this reason that this formula is also utilized by diesel electric locomotives.

3^rd It is very efficient; less power is wasted than in a traditional car with a lot of power being sapped through the friction created in the drivetrain. Regenerative braking can also be set up. The motor can also run at a constant speed unaffected by stop and go traffic. i.e. It need not rev so high when setting off, and theoretically, it can just idle at speed. This is because the engine is not connected to the wheels at all.

4th It can be cheap; the Asian Development Bank is trying to get us to use electric tricycles and local authorities are trying to get jeepney operators to go electric. An electric tricycle costs around P200,000.00 so the cost of a brand new electric motor from China (or preferably locally produced) is probably not that much. Furthermore, since the engine is only supposed to act as a generator, the engine need not be that big. One can ostensibly use an old motorbike or kuliglig engine to power the car.

5^th Maintenance should not be problem; an electric motor is built simply with only one moving part. They are very reliable. Jay Leno is said to have a hundred year old electric car that has never needed a service. In any case, if the electric motor is broken, it could be easily removed and overheauled/replaced. Furthermore, since the internal combustion engine is not stressed, it can last longer than one in a normal car.

6^th It is environmentally friendly; Its a hybrid!

To be fair, Autocar Magazine found it better than the REVA Electric Car

Drawbacks:

The manufacture of batteries is still very damaging to the environment. 

Towing capacity may also be less than a normal car, this is an inherent limitation of the electric motor.  

Electric motors may also be very susceptible to damage in case of a flood.

Tesla Motors:

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors recently just "gave away" all of its patents to their hybrid car technology.  He did it because:

According to Musk, Tesla made this gesture to—once again—try to nudge the rest of the automotive market along. Tesla’s Model S has proved that there’s massive interest in a well-made, fun-to-drive electric car. Still, Tesla is barely making a dent in the massive auto market. Musk wants to promote a more dramatic shift toward electric cars, so he will do what he can to accelerate things. “I don’t think people quite appreciate the gravity of what is going on [with regard to global warming] or just how much inertia the climate has,” Musk said during a conference call. “We really need to do something. It would be shortsighted if we try to hold these things close to our vest.”

This highly symbolic gesture is what, in my opinion, is just what the enterprising Filipino Entrepreneur-Inventor needs to get started.  No doubt, as we speak, a Chinese company is out there getting its employees to pore over Tesla's plans so they can copy and improve on it.  This country will only get left behind again. 

Conclusion:

Its high time that the Philipines should have domestic automotive manufacturing business of its own. Perhaps the way to go is with hybrids, especially considering its versatility and advantages. I am quite sure that an enterprising backyard owner jeep builder can come up with something better than the Hammerhead Eagle iThrust that the Top Gear UK Trio came up with. Why not give it a try? How hard can it be?

Related Posts:

http://www.rappler.com/business/features/71224-ph-electric-vehicle

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*I have to admit that I first got interested in the hybrid car after watching Top Gear UK. In one episode, the presenters built a hybrid car from scratch. They used the chassis from a TVR Chimera, an electric motor from a Milk Delivery Van, a diesel generator and a few 12 volt batteries. Autocar Magazine did a review. Read it here.