Mixing gas and electricity

Electric cars have always had trouble being taken seriously because they lack power and need to stop frequently to recharge their batteries. But Honda and Toyota now are marketing hybrid cars in the U.S. that combine electric motors and gas engines in systems that sacrifice little power while greatly increasing fuel efficiency. Ford will roll out a hybrid next year, although in very limited numbers.

The Hybrid Car Rally held Thursday at the Dempster Hall parking lot at Southeast Missouri State University was designed to draw attention to the promise of hybrid cars to dramatically increase fuel efficiency and reduce pollution. Sponsored by the Sierra Club, the rally drew a few curious students and members of the media.

Jill Miller, a St. Louis-based representative of the Sierra Club, is driving a Toyota Prius car around the state this week to talk about the need for the U.S. to reduce its dependence on foreign oil through fuel efficiency. She points out that while America has only 2 percent of the world's oil reserves it consumes more than 25 percent of the oil produced annually. "It is clear we cannot drill our way to energy independence," she said.

The Toyota Prius and the Honda Civic hybrid, both four-door sedans, get about 50 miles per gallon. The Honda Insight, a two-seater, is the mpg king at 70.

In comparison, the gas engine Honda Civic averages 32 mpg.

Dr. Alan Journet, a university biology professor and Sierra Club member, has owned a Toyota Prius hybrid for two months. A computer screen on the dashboard updates the current fuel use every five minutes and gives a reading for each tank of gas. He's very happy with the car.

"If more people were buying these it wouldn't be a 'special technology' and the price would come down," Journet said.

Wieser Honda in Cape Girardeau currently has four Civic hybrids on its lot. The hybrid car looks like the company's perennial best-seller inside and out. "You won't know the difference between this and the Civic," says Lyle Hutteger, a salesman for the company. "... They knew most people don't want to give up their luxury."

Hutteger did not know how many hybrid cars the dealership has sold since they came on the market in 1997.

In an earlier version of the Civic hybrid, the battery was so huge that it took up most of the car's trunk space. In the newest Honda hybrid, the battery fits neatly under the back seat. The cars offer "cleaner air and certainly better gas mileage," he said. "We're moving in the right direction."

Soskin Cape Toyota does not sell the Prius. A spokesman said Toyota dealers must have a separate franchise agreement to carry the Prius. Mechanics have to be specially trained to work on the cars, he said.

The Honda and the Toyota use slightly different systems, but they basically work this way: The electric motor alone handles the start up and early acceleration. The motor and the engine both operate during normal driving. In acceleration for passing, for instance, the additional power is drawn from the batteries. The batteries charge during deceleration.

In both cars, the movement of the vehicle recharges the battery. "They never have to be plugged in," Miller said.

Both cars employ the Continuously Variable Transmission, a technology that provides the acceleration and economy of a manual transmission with the convenience of an automatic transmission. The Saturn View uses the same system. The CVT always seeks the most efficient gear ratio.

The hybrid engines also turn off when the car is stopped, immediately starting again electrically when the driver's foot comes off the brake. Miller said traditional cars waste 15 percent of the gas they use idling.

Hybrid cars cost about $2,000 or $3,000 more than a comparable model that only burns gasoline, but buyers of new hybrid vehicles are eligible for a $2,000 tax deduction. The Civic hybrid with automatic transmission has a sticker price of $21,000.

sblackwell@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 182