bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

cars like this are good for limousine liberals... they can talk green even though they aren't.

maybe this should be called BMW 7 "Al Gore Special Edition"

RXSF

what's wrong with al gore

Koma

iTrader: (3)

Interesting... I was unaware Toyota made use of the same tech. Do they pair it with regenerative braking? I honestly think this is a GENIUS idea. It can't be that expensive can it? Regenerative braking already exists in the Toyota HSD.

I think a lot of cars could benefit from a mild hybrid setup with start/stop tech, regenerative brakes and "smart alternators."

nthach

The BMW system borrows a lot from GM - heck the Global Hybrid Cooperative was GM, DaimlerChrysler and BMW - until DCX dropped Mopar like a bad habit. It's more or less based on the GM 2-mode hybrid system and the Allison E-Drive hybrid system for transit buses.

And Al Gore is a hypocrite, and I think the whole "green" movement is more of a political construct than a "feelgood" movement.

SLegacy99

Al Gore aside, green technology = fewer carcinogens in the air. Fewer carinogens = less probability of getting cancer.

I8ABMR

For the money I still would prefer the look of the LS. I know that BMW is the kind of car you fall in love with after a 5 minute drive

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

off topic but as far as i can see the whole green movement has become obsessed with carbon dioxide, which is not a carcinogen.

FisforFast

Cheaper is nice and all but is it as reliable, (relatively) cheap to maintain, and does it keep its value as well as the LS600hL?

RXSF

no car in this price range keeps it value well

nthach

I know that
But more and more, the green movement has become more of a marketing buzzword than a status symbol.

spwolf

nope, just decouple altenator when there is heavy acceleration, it is performance option. European Fords have been doing it for quite a while too (in fact first in Europe was in Ford). Regenrative braking does not make much sense when you dont have battery to save that energy. There are some Toyota models that have start-stop as well, it greatly helps the official MPG figures, so expect most European cars to have it in 2-3 years. Problem with it is that it is mostly for the show, for instance Toyota has very quick and smart start-stop system (smart starter integrated in the engine requireing 5x less time to start engine than conventional) but Toyota made it so it wont shut off if your AC is working (because in that case your AC will stop working). On the other hand, European start-stop systems shut off AC during stop, which is good for journalist testing it but who would want to do that in real life? This is why this ActiveHybrid mentions AC continues to be working during stop (as it is mild hybrid setup it has big enough batteries to power the AC for 5-10 minutes).

SLegacy99

And that is my criticism of clean diesels. The CO2 output is greatly reduced, yes. However, the carcinogens are still There. I believe the Jetta TDI went from a 1 out of 10 to a 3 out of 10 on the air pollution scale. That is pretty awful. Whereas your average compact car is a 6, the Prius a 9.5.

LexFather

A report just showed the ten biggest cargo ships pollute more than all the cars combined. Not sure why only cars have to be cleaner....

I digress....this car is a showcase for their hybrid tech...even if its not much of a showcase

MR_F1

Don't mean to derail the thread, but large ships soooooooooooo need to go nuclear.

FisforFast

And burden us with 10 million years of half-life because of their nuclear waste? Energy is a double-edged sword, unfortunately.