[ausev] Newbie Introduction

Fri Aug 4 20:39:33 GMT 2006

Rob, 

I'm also a newbie to this group, however we have a 04 Honda Civic Hybrid  
with 45,000 miles on it and can tell you more than you wanted to know about it  
and a little bit about the Toyota Hilander, all wheel drive. 

We have  friends with a new Toyota Prius (which was my car of  choice in Dec. 
'03 when we needed a new car, No Prius available at that time, 8  months just 
to get on the waiting list, so we bought the Honda.)  We have a friendly 
rivalry with the Prius owners, and I'll be  getting more comparisons in the coming 
months I'd guess.

Honda has 3 models for sale now, I'd assume they use similar protocol for  
operating. This is the major distinction I see right now between Honda and  
Toyota, and Ford/ whoever they bought it from. The Honda protocol is small gas  
engine running 2000 to 3000 rpm, very efficient, variable valve timing so  
electric starting is by switching wires on the electric boost motor. The only  time 
we hear the engine running is going up a mountain with cruise set on 65, it  
will use electricity with gas engine, and speed up to 4000 rpm to maintain  
speed. 

We are leaving for Montana in a while again with it. It just keeps going,  
oil change and tire rotation every 10,000 miles etc, standard Honda  
preventative maintenance stuff. 

The Honda Civic is a top of the line model with smallest engine, 1.3 liter,  
with the electronics and batteries and electric motor with Continuously  
Variable Transmission added. We bought it for my wife's town driving,  but it 
performs so well on highway, we take it everywhere. Mileage is  35 to 38 in town,  
and we get. 38 to 44 on highway, all with AC on,  driving the speed limit, 
cruse control on when safe.  

I worked for Sperry Phoenix in Developmental Lab working on electronics for  
autopilot for Boeing 727 and B52 retrograde. Then Motorola in new Process  
control systems group with systems sold for electric substation control, bulk  
fueling control systems, various computer controlled systems managing digital  
documentation and customer schools, and marketing literature. I retired from  
Fisher Govenor/Controls Systems which morphed into Monsanto Process Control  
Instrumentation (analog and digital). We were bought by, Emerson Electric Co.  
Moved to Austin with the Electronics group now called Emerson Process  
Management.

So, with a degree in semiconductor technology and 4 years Air Force  
electronics  and radar target tracking control systems and 38 years in the  process 
control system industries,  I have a lot of background  in  this area. 

I have found web sites for a company in Italy or France that will sell you  
all the components to make an electric vehicle. There is a great web site that  
allows Honda Hybrid drivers to log in their mileage and experiences and does  
calculations etc . Some folks commuting 100 miles each way in West Texas,  
debating value of speeding up going down hills and slowing down going up the  
other side. 

At this time the other Hybrid systems use batteries to move car to 20 mph  or 
so, they use both gas and Electric for highway, with electric boost available 
 for passing, accelerating etc. This has been more economical in town  
driving. This year, I guess they modified their programs for '06  Prius, because 
they get almost as good mileage on the highway now my friend  says. 

The plug in capability, I hear, is available in other countries in Gas  
Electric Hybrids, but not here yet. 

We got the Honda extended warranty (saved us $540 last week when a SRS  
module failed and was been replaced  under Extended Warranty) I'll not mess  with 
the electronics until we run out of that warranty. I purchased the  Maintenance 
Manual as usual and everybody agrees they are very secretive about  exactly 
how the systems work together. I would also like to have the P option so  let 
me know what you find out. 

I've been told that using plug in electric costs about 60 cents per  gallon 
equivalent. 

I'm assuming somebody has converted one from a Honda or Prius  somewhere, but 
I haven't looked hard. 

Good to meet you, please keep me posted on your search. 

Chuck Simms  
In a message dated 8/4/2006 9:06:29 A.M. Central Standard Time,  
rah at h-consulting.com writes:

Hello  AustinEV,

I've been lurking on the list for a few weeks and am glad to  join the 
crowd of newbies doing intros.  I've been interested in  electric cars 
since for a long time: in fact, I'm getting deju vu from my  10 year 
old's interest in them too.  He wants to be an AustinEV  member too!  
I'm very excited that the time for EVs seems to be upon  us.

I was impressed with both the WKTEC and the AustinEV display.   This is 
a very well organized group.  Kudos.

My background is  primarily in software that controls other things.  
Today I write  building access control systems.  In the past I've worked 
on controls  for robots, oil pipelines/platforms, injection molding, and 
virtual  servers.

QUESTION: I'm in the market for a new car (and don't have time  to wait 
for a conversion) - Does anyone have a suggestion for a  hybrid?  My 
first pick has been the Honda Civic, but I don't know  anyone who has 
one.  The Prius is a close second.  I'd like to  try get a PHEV option, 
but don't want to kill the warranty on a new  car.  Thoughts?

Rob  Hirschfeld

_______________________________________________
AusEV  mailing  list
AusEV at austinev.org
http://www.austinev.org/mailman/listinfo/ausev

Chuck Simms

Director, North Austin M.U.District  #1
e-mail: charlesvsi at aol.com
Phone: 512-331-9630
Cell:  505-331-1237
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