A Hybrid RR Evoque

I love the idea of a student project being used to guide LR in their decisions about a possible Evoque hybrid. While I don't doubt it's a serious exercise, I expect they are more likely to be amused than guided.

Hybrids exist only to reduce fuel consumption and bring down the fleet average in an attempt to meet the mandated EU limits. For the buyer, they are a non-starter. The real world fuel consumption improvement does not justify the expense, massive complexity and weight of the additional hardware and pales into insignificance compared to the depreciation.

The Range Rover Sport hybrid is being sold at the same price as the top petrol and diesel options and at a loss (or reduced profit) to try to stir some interest. That car can travel - wait for it - ONE mile on electric power alone before the (hugely expensive) battery pack calls time.

It's not helped by the fact that the official tests to determine fuel consumption allow a full battery pack at the start and an empty one at the end which leads to nonsense fuel consumption figures which are away with the fairies.

Still, I wish you luck with your project. Would love to know where you are going to put the battery pack without raising the C of G.

Hybrids do not only exist to reduce fuel consumption...
Many manufacturers are using to increase performance. Electric engines have maximum torque from zero RPM so the ability to increase acceleration (max torque from start) and increase overall power with the added electric motors. They will also improve efficiency at the same time because petrol engines use most fuel during acceleration which the electric motors can do instead, using braking of the car to charge the batteries.
Check out the Hybrids from Lexus, Porsche or even the new GTR ( not released yet). They are not using to just reduce consumption.

I think this is a great idea and believe it's only a matter of time before all cars run on hybrid technology of some kind so the sooner a manufacturer adopts the better.

Can't wait to see the results of this project!

Done.

Completed

BA74 and I will have to agree to disagree on JLRs motivation to do hybrids.

They're not building the Porsche 918 here, they are doing it to reduce fleet average fuel consumption because things get really tough for them from 2020. The success of the Evoque has pushed them over the 300,000 production limit under which there are some partial exemptions and it's no surprise Germany and the UK, as major producers of high consumption cars, are lobbying to get the regulations changed.

The landscape is going to change dramatically over the next few years, the big V12s and V8s will be taxed and regulated out of existence.

That's why I'm going for the 5 litre Supercharged Range Rover Sport, a sort of last hurrah and if it only does 15mpg, so be it.

OK. You would sell the crap out of them in California. The little electric Fiat 500 is back ordered at dealers and Tesla selling like they were on fire... so to speak.

What really annoys me about hybrid or full electric cars is the tail pipe emissions and fuel consumption claims. If they took into account the additional manufacturing processes to make the electric motors, transmissions and batteries then I don't think they would look so good. Also the actual testing is a farse eg the Porsche panamera hybrid can apparently do circa 90 mpg. Absolute b0!!0cks in the real world.
I remember on top gear some years ago they did a consumption test between a BMW M3 and a Toyota pious on a track. All the Poius had to do was keep up with the M3. At the end of the test the M3 did 16 mpg, the Prius did 15

Hi, just done the survey, but thought I'd add my two-pence worth, having just sold a hybrid to buy a diesel Evoque.

At the moment, I would steer well clear of another hybrid. Whilst they are more economical and the technology is now mostly proven, the buying public does not trust them. The reason I say this is that the depreciation on my car (a Honda, normally one of the least depreciating cars you can buy) was over 50% in 22 months - that is appalling, and all the dealers agreed that it was due to doubts over the longevity of hybrid batteries and future resale values. So until we get to the stage where hybrids are perceived to be a safe investment, they are still too risky for most people.

Done... Would be happy to take Hybrid any day do you have one ?

Like I said, Hybrids/electrics are a hot item in So. Cal. I have mentioned to a couple of friends that when they plug their car in it's being charged by electricity generated from a coal-fired power plant in Arizona. Blank stare reponse.