david_42

Oregon

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http://www.fishercoachworks.com/news.htm
Troy, Michigan - Fisher Coachworks LLC announced on July 22, 2008, its formal launch and plans to manufacture energy optimized lightweight hybrid vehicles using advanced materials and propulsion systems, as well as new manufacturing technologies. Fisher’s launch product will be a 40’ Transit Bus that is nominally half the weight and gets twice the fuel economy of current hybrid buses on the market.
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jjoe

Charlotte, NC

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Joined: 02/21/2005

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Link.http://www.fishercoachworks.com/news.htm
Here is a link.
04 Fleetwood Revolution, 06 Honda CRV
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KOG

Winterville GA

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Whoopee. If you want to start running a city transit route and you have taxpayers to buy it for you, this looks just wonderful.
As discussed before, a class A is about the last candidate for hybrid on earth right along with OTR class 8 semis.
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sch911

Rochester Hills, MI

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Hybrid's work great for city stop and go driving, they become a hinderance at highway speeds. A comparison recently published by a british car magazine which compared a Toyota Prius hybrid to a RHD Jeep Patriot with 1.8L VW diesel really opened my eyes. Around town the Prius was better, but after a 200 mile run on the highway the Jeep came within 1 MPG of the Prius overall at 38 MPG!. BTW: Mercedes has had hybrid powertrains in city busses for the last several years. I thought I read that NYC had a few....
2003 Damon Challenger 348 Class A - Triton V10
Posted by Macintosh
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Whtbass

johnsburg, Illinois

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sch911 wrote: Hybrid's work great for city stop and go driving, they become a hinderance at highway speeds. A comparison recently published by a british car magazine which compared a Toyota Prius hybrid to a RHD Jeep Patriot with 1.8L VW diesel really opened my eyes. Around town the Prius was better, but after a 200 mile run on the highway the Jeep came within 1 MPG of the Prius overall at 38 MPG!. BTW: Mercedes has had hybrid powertrains in city busses for the last several years. I thought I read that NYC had a few....
We own a Toyota Prius and my wife drives it about 50 miles per day . About 20% city and the rest on highways at 45 to 55 mph. Over all mileage is between 55 and 63 mpg and that depends on if I drive it with old driving habits. I know people that get over 65 mpg consistently with very conservative driving habits.
Dave & Mary Anne
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KOG

Winterville GA

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Yep, but you might recognize that 45-55mph is not the norm for highway driving in the U.S. Our "city" driving is over 50% over 60mph. I can tell that you don't live around Atlanta---
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Badeye

Bonaire GA

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I know that the road conditions and the driver's habits can greatly affect the mileage of a hybrid. We have a Camry hybrid and on tanks where we are mostly around town we get about 35 mpg. Driving between Warner Robins GA and Columbus GA we get nominally 42 mpg with the cruise set at 65. Have made that trip several times. The worst tank has been 33.4.
Badeye
"No one can guarantee success, only effort."
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2005 Coachmen Sportscoach Elite 40 ft DP
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sch911

Rochester Hills, MI

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Whtbass wrote: sch911 wrote: Hybrid's work great for city stop and go driving, they become a hinderance at highway speeds. A comparison recently published by a british car magazine which compared a Toyota Prius hybrid to a RHD Jeep Patriot with 1.8L VW diesel really opened my eyes. Around town the Prius was better, but after a 200 mile run on the highway the Jeep came within 1 MPG of the Prius overall at 38 MPG!. BTW: Mercedes has had hybrid powertrains in city busses for the last several years. I thought I read that NYC had a few....
We own a Toyota Prius and my wife drives it about 50 miles per day . About 20% city and the rest on highways at 45 to 55 mph. Over all mileage is between 55 and 63 mpg and that depends on if I drive it with old driving habits. I know people that get over 65 mpg consistently with very conservative driving habits.
It should be noted that the author of the article I was referring to in my post also pointed out that the Prius's computer erroneously reported the MPG's it was about 12 MPG's too high compared to actual. Be sure to check your MPG's the old fashioned way.
Also, the point i was trying to make in my post was to extoll the virtues of an efficient diesel powertrain and how they compare favorably to current hybrids, and not any Prius bashing was intended.....
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david_42

Oregon

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Obviously, this would never appeal to the "600 hp, 80 mph, towing my Hummer & speedboat up the Grapevine" crowd, but for people who are looking at being able to own an "A" and are willing to slow down for the hills, it is workable. Cutting the weight in half allows for a much smaller diesel engine and the battery pack means no generator is needed.
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