Flywheel Hybrid Technology - Less Expensive - More Efficient than Electric Hybrid
Other than being a path towards electric vehicles, (non-plug-in) electric hybrids are the wrong solution to a real energy recovery problem.
Electric hybrids provide less than 34% energy recovery efficiency because they require several energy conversions to store and release the kinetic energy of braking. On the other hand flywheel hybrids do not require any energy conversion and yield efficiencies of about 70%.
In addition to this doubling in energy recovery efficiency, flywheel hybrids are much less expensive than electric hybrids requiring no batteries and no additional (electric) engine.
Furthermore much of the energy efficiency provided by electric hybrids comes from not idling the engine. The same can be accomplished with low-cost stop-and-go technology where the engine is automatically stopped and restarted when needed. In such a system, the flywheel can again help restart the engine without requiring extra battery capacity.
Having two engines in the same vehicle is costly and inefficient. Cost-effective solutions are either 100% mechanical or 100% electric. Gasoline-Electric Hybrids are only good to reassure car manufacturers by adopting small steps towards electric cars but this comes at a price for consumers.
