Quote from: deisik on June 23, 2016, 09:47:23 AM

Quote from: bryant.coleman on June 23, 2016, 09:37:14 AM

Quote from: Zaelle on June 20, 2016, 10:23:40 AM

Combustion engine may be an "ancient" technology, but it is so pervasive because for the amount of energy you get for the cost, combustion engines are cheap and easy. I also believe electric cars are the future. I currently own a hybrid car.
Comparatively, a hybrid car costs a few thousand dollars more than the exact same non-hybrid version, about $2-3k. I've more than made up that cost in the years of driving it, so it's been a sound investment.

For short drives (10-20 kms), these can work. The Lithium battery which you get for $2,000 runs out of charge after 20 km max. Then you have to spend 3-4 hours to recharge it. The batteries which last 400 km or more usually costs around $30,000. The invertor costs another $25,000 to $30,000. So if you are using the car mostly for long drives, then 98% of the time, you will be running it using gasoline

For short term (lol) drives you could also use flywheel energy storage. Given the recent breakthroughs in the nanomaterials, which have outstanding qualities in respect to their mechanical strength, this technology may gain traction again (pun intended)...

They had been used, for example, in gyrobuses

Meh... IMO everything that requires highly calibrated mechanical parts is not very efficient. Not because of the yield of the technique, but rather because of the manutention needed. An electrical drive requires much less daily work and offers similar (or even better) benefits.