[Quietcars] How will the Start/Stop system affect blindpedestrians?

[michael townsend]

Jewel, all hybrids that I can think of have engines off at idle.  GM's
proved to be less expensive than did Toyota, and interestingly, several
other manufacturers used the Toyota developed system and stayed with the
first gen system long after Pri8us and Lexus developed another. Ford Escape
comes to mind.  

I don't think that the GM system was or is as seamless as the majority of
the systems out there.  

Some of these hybrid systems allow the cars to go as fast as 48mph on
electric alone, which amplifies the reasons why the Nissan Leaf and Mitsu
total electric cars have proven to be such a good example of how we all
should legislate and proceed.

Mike T

 

-----Original Message-----
From: quietcars-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:quietcars-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Jewel S.
Sent: Monday, October 11, 2010 2:22 PM
To: Discussion of new quiet cars and pedestrian safety
Subject: Re: [Quietcars] How will the Start/Stop system affect
blindpedestrians?

It sounds like the start/stop system is much less benefit than they think it
is, and much more disadvantage than advantage. Is there someone  you can
report these findings to, to help keep the start/stop system from being
implemented?

I remain very concerned that if the start/stop system is implemented, there
will be trouble for pedestrians who cannot hear idling cars sitting in
driveways, in a parking space behind a larger vehicle, or at a traffic light
or stop sign  where the view is blocked. This would not affect just the
blind pedestrians who would not be able to hear the idling cars nor see
them, but would also affect sighted pedestirans who are less than religious
in thier safety precautions.

On 10/8/10, Robert Wilson <bwilson4web at hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> Hi,
>
> Your article got me curious so I did some measurements and found our 
> Prius and Echo burn about 0.15-0.17 gallons per hour at idle. These 
> cars use the same engine block and because the engine idle rpms are in 
> the same ratio 700-900 rpm, they are functionally identical. To put 
> this in perspective, at
> 0.15 gallons per hour, it would take six hours and forty minutes to 
> burn one gallon.
>
> So going back to the Start/Stop savings, the Prius would normally turn 
> off the engine and cycle it just to keep the coolant temperature and 
> electronics running. Several years ago, I measured the Prius parked 
> but ready fuel rate,
> 0.06 gallons per hour with Start/Stop, versus engine running, 0.17 
> gallons per hour, about one third the rate. Start/Stop does save some 
> fuel but we're talking very small amounts, disappointingly small.
>
> Driving down the highway at 65 mph, the Prius burns 1.25 gallons per 
> hour and the smaller Echo 1.91 gallons per hour, or about 0.66 gallons 
> extra per hour. That would be just under four hours of constant idle 
> time in the Prius or nearly eleven hours with the default Start/Stop.
>
> When I commute to work, it takes twenty minutes and less than two 
> minutes are stopped. This means Stop/Start saves a small fraction of 
> my commuting fuel costs. Just many of the buyers of "micro hybrids" were
disappointed.
>
> Bob Wilson
>
>> Date: Tue, 5 Oct 2010 12:00:04 -0400
>> From: herekittykat2 at gmail.com
>> To: quietcars at nfbnet.org
>> Subject: Re: [Quietcars] How will the Start/Stop system affect
>> blind	pedestrians?
>>
>> Thank you for the explanation, Bob. I really appreciated it as well. 
>> I don't think these "micro hybrids" will really work in the U.S., . . .
>  		 	   		
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--
~Jewel
Check out my blog about accessibility for the blind!
Treasure Chest for the Blind: http://blindtreasurechest.blogspot.com

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