Mechanisation, from the steam engine onwards, lightened the load of manual labour, creating jobs and wealth.

BBC: Technology

Ask any engineering executive at any car company: In order to meet new and ambitious fuel-economy standards in the global markets including a U.S. Corporate Average Fuel Economy standard of 54.5 mpg by 2025 cars and trucks of the near future will have to exploit the advantages of electric drive (low rpm torque, low-speed efficiency, regenerative braking) in urban driving, while reserving the gasoline-fired engine for times of peak load and sustained demand.

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Instead of stepped gears like a conventional transmission, it has a fixed planetary gear, and changes engine speed by adjusting the generator electric load.

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Carrying too heavy a stress load is like running a car engine past the red line or leaving a toaster stuck in the 'on' position.

BBC: Dealing with anger

The vibe in the Fusion Hybrid is one of abiding integration: the subtle slurring of ratios in the continuously variable transmission, the share-the-load cooperation between electric and gas engine (2.0-liter, 141-hp Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder), a sort of light, transparent flickering of power sources.

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The wizardry in this engine is that Bentley managed to lighten up the Co2 emissions load by 15% in its engineering and physics (lighter materials and increased air flow).

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You can also buy a car that shuts down one or more engine cylinders when it is coasting, or cruising under a light load, reducing fuel consumption without sacrificing performance.

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