Electric cars produce less brake dust pollution than combustion-engine cars • Hacker News Board

Re: Electric cars produce less brake dust pollution than combustion-engine cars

#781

Post by seanmcdirmid » Sat, Aug 02, 2025, 4:08 PM UTC

pkolaczk wrote: post #271

cperciva wrote: post #176

Earlier quoted context omitted.

which is the whole point of hybrids Part of the point, not the whole point. Regenerative breaking is absolutely a win; but there can also be a significant benefit from allowing the ICE to remain in the RPM "sweet spot" rather than moving around a larger range.

Another part of the point is that you can pack a much smaller and more efficient ICE and then substitute the missing power and torque from electric motors when needed. Most cars are not used at max power all the time. You need max power only at short times when accelerating. With pure ICE there is the tradeoff - a bigger engine will get you more max power / max torque but is going to be less fuel efficient because of…

This reminds me of the short lived dilbert cartoon when Dilbert is complaining about how pokey his Prius, and when he hands the car over to Dogbert, he somehow is able to rip out of the parking lot at high speed.

Seriously though, hybrids seem like a bad compromise to just getting an EV. Hybrids have an electric drive train with an ICE drive train, and somehow that double complexity will be worth it? In the long run, EVs are winning on cost alone (especially in China where making cheap EVs is a thing).

Re: Electric cars produce less brake dust pollution than combustion-engine cars

#782

Post by seanmcdirmid » Sat, Aug 02, 2025, 4:11 PM UTC

jhallenworld wrote: post #709

usrusr wrote: post #285

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On paper, yes, but did that ever happen? Sorry for being sarcastic, but where I live the frugal hybrid is exceptionally rare and the "same big engine, but driving a much heavier car" hybrid is omnipresent. The kind of people who might buy the frugal one buy second or third hand while almost all buyers of factory new pick the "same big engine" option, and those are the ones who decide what's available on the second ha…

Yes, check out BYD's hybrids. The petrol engine is 46% efficient, which is pretty damn amazing. This is more efficient than most power plants (combined cycle plants are better- but most power plants are not combined-cycle). So what is the well to wheel efficiency of this vs. pure electric? There are fuel transportation losses in one, and transmission line losses in the other. In many cities electricity is quite a bit…

Which cities are those? I can think of maybe a few in the Middle East with subsidized gasoline, but I’m coming up blank after that.

Re: Electric cars produce less brake dust pollution than combustion-engine cars

#783

Post by seanmcdirmid » Sat, Aug 02, 2025, 4:14 PM UTC

pmg101 wrote: post #535

bryanlarsen wrote: post #514

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Consumer reports found that HEV's were the most reliable, and PHEV"s the least reliable. That's nonsensical, there's little difference between the two. Toyota is the biggest seller of HEV's, Stellantis of PHEV. That's the difference. EV's on paper should be the most reliable, but Tesla is the biggest seller of those. If you want reliability, choose by brand rather than engine type.

I was comparing a Hyundai Ioniq EV with a Hyundai Ioniq PHEV and was surprised to find more problems reported by the owners of the Ioniq EV. Mostly issues with 12V battery, it seemed like. In the end I bought a Stellantis EV so I probably deserve everything I get - but they are cheap!

12V batteries dying in EVs has been a consistent problem. I think it got better for Tesla when they moved from lead acid to lithium ion for the 12V (like the much bigger battery).