Saturday, July 24, 2004

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Idea: Improve Accel By Briefly Cutting the A/C My new car has plenty of pep, but the air conditioner does take a significant toll. That got me thinking...some cars have been designed to actually cut off the engine, to improve fuel economy (I think the hybrids do this). Why can't they briefly de-couple the air conditioner's compressor when the accelerator is depressed significantly? If feasible, it would greatly improve the responsiveness, with no noticeable effect on cooling. 10:53:51 PM    comment []

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Mastery of Hybrid Technology Will Lead to Toyota's Dominance NYT article: "Perhaps the most troubling finding for G.M. and Ford, the last two major automakers based in the United States, is that some foreign competitors, particularly Toyota, may actually be helped by tougher regulations because they have already invested much more in fuel-efficiency technologies, like hybrid gas-electric engine systems, that could generate profits." I am very much concerned that the Big 3 domestic automakers are making exactly the same mistake with hybrid technology that they made with small cars. They are effectively ceding the market, and will be playing catch-up--in terms of mindshare, as well as technology and production capability--for generations. I think there is a good chance that Toyota will dominate the world, somewhat like Wal-Mart or Microsoft. 10:32:04 PM    comment []