Quote:
Originally Posted by FredOnline
Bill, won't the gas in your tank go stale after a few weeks in the Texas climate?
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No, it does not. PHEV cars are designed for a wide range of driving behaviors and temperatures. My Ford PHEV has a fuel maintenance mode which automatically activates if you have not used a tank of fuel in 18 months. In fuel maintenance mode, the car runs in normal hybrid mode and does not allow full EV (electric vehicle) mode. Refilling the fuel tank after the level has gotten low (I believe it's a quarter of a tank) will reset the system to normal operation allowing EV mode. I have owned the car for 18 months, but I have used more than one tank full over that interval, so I have never seen this mode activate.
There is also an oil maintenance mode which may activate the ICE (internal combustion engine) from time to time to keep the engine lubricated and the oil system in proper condition. In normal driving I use the engine a small amount every week, so I may never see either of these modes activate.
We also have other methods besides automobiles to get around in the DFW (Dallas/Fort Worth) metropolitan area of North Texas.
- There are about 775 miles (1,247 km, with more being built) of bicycle and pedestrian trails in the DFW area.
- We have two large passenger airports (DFW Airport and Love Field).
- Dallas County (where I reside here in North Texas) has DART, with the longest light rail system length in North America (93 miles, or 150 km).
- The DART system connects in downtown Dallas to the TRE (Trinity Railway Express) commuter diesel rail line to downtown Forth Worth. TRE has a length of 34 miles (55 km).
- At the Fort Worth end of the TRE line, another diesel commuter rail line (TEXRail) runs from downtown Fort Worth through several other cities to the north end of DFW Airport. The DART light rail system also has a terminus at that same airport. TEXRail has a system length of 27 miles (43 km).
- At the northern edge of Dallas County, the Denton County A-train commuter rail line connects to the DART light rail system at a transfer point. This Denton commuter rail line has a system length of 21 miles (34 km).
- The total system length of these four interconnected light and commuter rail systems is 175 miles (282 km). The Dallas Streetcar line (1.6 miles or 2.6 km) and M-Line antique electric trolley line (4.6 miles or 7.4 km) are also connected to the system. And, of course, many bus routes connect to the light rail and commuter rail stations.
- You can purchase a system pass (on your smartphone, of course) which allows access to the whole interconnected system for an interval (such as a day).
Bill