In the end no. Energy can not be created or destroyed only changed from one form to another. When your not using it to build pressure the hydraulic pump is not adding that much drag. The increased electrical demand will place a greater load on the alternator taking more HP to drive it. You might not notice if you're got power to spare but when you've hot 55HP or likely less in the production model you'd notice for sure. There may be a tiny advantage depending on the engineering however, Its more likely that if a manufacturer is using an electric set up it's because if space issues not the almost unmeasurable fuel savings.
While true, energy is or is not, the concept is miss-applied. It's really about power consumption, but we'll consider this in terms of energy. Power = Energy / time.
The Wikipedia state is correct. A pump must be turned all the time. Hence, energy is always wasted when not in use. For 'power' steering, this is the case (waste) 99% of the time..
The alternator always needs to be be engaged and always draws power (energy), so no added waste by virtue of its existence. It uses 'extra' power only when electric load demands it.
When drawing power for an electric assist of any kind, only then is the energy consumed. Much more efficient. Consider the electric radiator fan. Auto makers stopped using belt driven fans in the 1980's for this very reason - waste of power (energy). Notice how it only turns on when needed. This is also what makes an pure electric car so efficient and can reduce oil consumption even if the power plant burns oil to generate electricity.
Living in the dawn of the re-emergence of electric vehicles, electrically driven accoutrements shall become commonplace, hence a fordable. Such devices also afford programability and flexibility that mechanical systems (like belt, chain, or gear driven components) cannot achieve. Think of fuel injection compared to a carburetor. Complexity and weight are often reduced in this process. Valve trains will be the next big success story if politics allow it.
Now that I've returned to this forum, ranted, and used up mental, electrical, and typing energy, ignore this post since there should be no need for power steering on an Elio. It's a motorcycle! Who puts power steering on a motorcycle? (As I write this, someone will likely find an internet pic somewhere).
-
.