Reply #15: I'd love to see documentation of that claim regarding automobile ICE efficiency

[kristopher]

I did in-depth research a few years ago and the number I came up with as average was 12%. I don't have the documentation preserved, but it was peer reviewed literature that I trusted at the time. Perhaps the difference is that I was looking for and found an overall average, while you are pointing to "state of the art"; certainly a poor measure of what is on the road.

I really like to see the source you are quoting.

"Regular car engines are 20 to 30% efficient , not 8 to 10%

Large marine diesels can achieve 50% efficiency; all calculated from the ratio of mechanical power delivered to the chemical potential energy in the fuel.

Under reporting the state of the art thermal efficiency makes me suspicious of this guys claims. Anyhow, it should be easy enough to measure his 110 MPG claims and determine if they are real. This would be easy to fake over a short distance using battery power to help push the car, but may not be sustainable over a longer distance without larger batteries.

That begs the question, do MPG rating for plug in hybrids really mean anything? Dollars per mile, or grams of CO2 per mile might be a more appropriate measure."