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Comment by bsder | Hacker News Reader

And, yet, GM just quit producing the Volt.

The economics apparently don't support hybrid for very long.

More like people don't want cramped penalty box sedans. If GM had built the Voltec drivetrain into a more practical crossover SUV it would have sold better.

Strangely I find the Volt spacious and quite wide and long. Lowering the seats it can fit in a huge amount of cargo and the trunk is quite large to begin with.

It also consumes just about the same in gas as a Prius even when not charged which just shows Toyota does not know what the fuck they are doing.

Not even close.

The Volt is 42 MPG and the Prius Prime, which is the competitor to the Volt, is 54 MPG.

https://www.hybridcars.com/what-make-more-sense-chevrolet-vo... (among other sources).

Wow, is that all? Half my 2000 qnd earlier cars got/get that kind of MPG, as does my ICE only commuter. What is the reason for such poor figures?

Wind drag goes as something like the 4th? power of velocity--so highway speeds are a function of how aerodynamic you are (and everybody pretty much is) and how efficiently you convert stored energy to wheel torque (and at highway speeds at 2000-3000 RPM ICE is pretty much at max efficiency).

Your ICE commuter is burning lots more gas than any electric/hybrid if you are stuck in traffic at low speed for any amount of time.

And the Prime has horrific acceleration, an annoyingly noisy engine, terrible road noise, and doesn't even get enough mileage range on the battery to qualify for the California HOV lanes.

Toyota needs to go back to the drawing board for a hybrid rather than bolting a battery to a Prius.

All incorrect:

  - Prius Prime does qualify for HOV lanes
  - Prius Prime is much quieter than previous generation Prius 
  - Prius Prime acceleration in my experience is just fine.

Also, I regularly see 62 MPG on highway driving at 65 MPH.

I’ll never understand america’s Love of the crossover. Sedans just drive so much better.

A crossover is just a tall hatchback. They're better for ingress/egress and they have better ground clearance for roads in a state of disrepair, usually combined with longer travel suspension, which is more comfortable.

The crossover was the original type of car, if you think about it. In the olden days, all cars were tall and upright.

More room for passengers and items. General versatility. A Honda CR-V with the rear seats folded can pack around an amazing amount of gear. A Honda Accord can carry much less stuff.

A CR-V also has AWD which not every sedan is available with, giving it all season capability.

Also, the CR-V has acceptable fuel economy. 30 MPG on EPA's combined cycle...the same as the Accord.

Also, many of them drive very well. The new CR-V is a capable vehicle at highway speeds. No less so than an Accord.

And yet most Americans commute in them alone.

And they don’t drive better. They suffer worse body roll than their sedan cousins, and in my experience have a rough ride to compensate for the deficiencies of the chassis. Give me a sedan or hot hatch any day.

I have a subaru forester and it's quite addictive. It's easier to get in and out of, the view is higher, and the suspension is wonderful. The a, b, and c pillars are quite small to help visibility. The extra ground clearance and good suspension means that speed bumps, driveways, parking lot entrances/exits etc are less of a bother.

Generally crossovers/SUVS have smaller wheelbases, are easier to see out of, and easier to park. I find the extra space quite useful and while my Forester XT doesn't feel as good as my WRX, it does feel better than the vast majority of sedans I've driven. Sure a BMW 3 series or Tesla model 3 feels sportier.

Americans don't want "cramped penalty box sedans". In most other markets, a sedan is classed as a large family car and subcompacts are the norm. The four best-selling cars in Europe are the Volkswagen Golf, the Renault Clio, the Volkswagen Polo and the Ford Fiesta. The Japanese market is dominated by tiny Kei cars.

For what it's worth, pure EVs make incredibly efficient use of space and feel bigger than they look, largely because of the flat floor and the flexible bulkhead placement. The drivetrain components are so compact that you have a hugely flexible design envelope for the passenger cabin.

a shitty hybrid

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