On 29/09/2017 15:19, NY wrote:
"Tim Streater" wrote in message
.. .
In article , NY
wrote:

If the car has a range of only a mile or so on battery, how is a
hybrid any better than a petrol-mechanical car where the engine runs
all the time. I presume hybrids like the Toyota Yaris are
petrol-mechanical rather than petrol-generator-motor during the times
that the engine is running - ie that there is a mechanical
transmission (whether manual, torque converter or CVT).

I don't remember the proper term for the gear-box type but it can
accept two sources of input power (from the petrol engine and the
electric motor) and feed that to the wheels.

Oh, so the electric motor still goes through the variable-ratio gearbox
rather than being a single ratio from 0 to maximum road speed? Seems to
defeat one of the big advantages of an electric motor - that unlike an
IC engine it has torque at zero rpm and over the whole operating speed.

My C350e PHEV Merc has an all-electric range of about 13 miles with
Eco+E-mode selected, in Hybrid mode the ICE stops and starts whenever it
thinks it should (I presume/hope the oil pump is electrically driven),
light braking or over-run is regenerative and the hydraulic brakes come
on with slightly heavier braking. In Sport or Sport+ mode it forgets any
eco pretensions, lowers its suspension, tightens its steering and uses
the electric motor and ICE together to generate about 300BHP with very
rapid throttle response. Overall it's a great car but it's sometimes a
bit like HAL in 2001, and a longer all-electric range would be good.