converting regular cars to hybrids.

[Jolly Roger VX'er]

Doesn't sound too good to be true to me... it just seems dumb.

$10,000 = 100+ *Fill ups = ~*30,000 miles So AFTER 30,000 miles(2.5 years average) you can start your savings. So if it doubles your gas mileage, the next 30,000 miles(2.5 years average) you'll SAVE ~$5,000 and it only takes 5 years to get there. By that time Gas will be $55/gallon (estimated based on current trends ) And you won't save anything, you'll just equalize.

As technology gets better, it's possible that the cost could come down on some form of retrofit system, but I'm sure they'll never be a reasonable alternative to buying a hybrid or economic car.

As for running a VX on water... this seems like a viable alternative HA!

http://ecomodder.com/

This site has smart people who do weird things to get better gas mileage. Pretty neat, I'd like to get a metro/swift and put in some forklift motors.




*on a vehicross

Very interesting viewpoint. After reading the article I saw the product(s) aimed at the consumer that doesn't want to trade-in or sell their existing ride in favor of a new (or close to new) vehicle for the sake of better fuel mileage. In short, many people will trade in an older vehicle and go in debt (or pay outright $$$$) over a new one just to gain like 10+ mpg. THAT always seemed stupid to me.

Let's just say you are a company that wants to take advantage of what could be perceived as a "resession". You see people "stuck" with cars that are now becoming obsolete due to less than admirable MPG. They want a car that gets better MPG but don't have the funding to buy a new one. Than, along comes some company like in the article offering a product that (hopefully) performs as promised. Now these people have an option of keeping "ole reliable" and spending say $7k plus install and getting (hopefully) twice the MPG they were getting.

I mean...one could argue to trade in the the Oldsmobile/Buick they've had in their family for 10 years and get zippo for it tradewise or outright and go in hock for a new cobalt which in their eyes might be 1/2 the car they currently own. So they strap-on (please, no jokes) this device onto their beloved Olds/Buick etc...family wagon and get maybe up to 10 more years out of it (provided gas isn't $55 per gallon ).

I have no urge to buy any of these devices but simply found them thought-provoking in whether they could possibly function as marketed and would they truly save money or not.

But, lets say people on this site want to keep their VX for many years to come; however, they don't think they can continue to afford the costs due to many reasons (i.e. increasing gas prices, income not keeping up with spending, family evolving, etc..). Just look how many VX's keep popping up for sale. THAT should be an indication that some people COULD be hurting. THIS could possibly (my views about it are pessimistic) be an option where you strap-on this device to your VX axle and perhaps get the MPG of a unibody SUV???

I liken these products to the hover-conversion in Back 2 The Future...lol. Do you trade-in the beloved DeLorean for one of those new hovering cars or do you get your DeLorean upgraded with the new "Hover Conversion". :-)


Thanks for the input!