What do you think of hybrid cars?

Question

Will they actually save people money and the enviroment?

Answer 1

It will proabably take 8 to 10 years to make the the extra money you spend buying a Prius instead of a Corolla. By that time you probably need to spend more to replace the batteries!

I would buy the Corrolla and save money. You usesome of theextra money to buy a new bike and ride places, saving even more moeny!

As for the environment, what will happen to all the used hybrid batteries? What about all the new cars in China with very few pollution controls?

Answer 2

I'm not too keen on the hybrids. The batteries only last so long before they need replacement, about 5 years, and those are just more pollution. Additionally, they add a bunch of complexity, and possible (arcing in the event of an accident) increased dangers.

I like the small diesel engines, like those in the VW Jetta, New Beetle, Golf and Passat cars. The diesels, with a manual transmission, average in the mid-to upper 40s (44-46 mpg) overall (read: not for a short highway stint, but over multiple tankfuls), and burn cleaner than ever, thanks to ULSD (ultra low sulphur diesel)

Not to mention that these VW diesels cost less, and work better than the hybrids.

The diesels also maintain a higher resale value, have a much longer service life (@ 300,000 miles), and the cost per mile vs. gasoline is much lower.

Answer 3

Im all for saving the enviroment and everything but until i see a hybrid super car or a hybrid with a 350+ horsepower engine, or heres a better one. A hybrid car that actually looks good you can forget about me sittin my phanny in one

Answer 4

It depends on the model. Some weak hybrids like the Chevy Silverado pickup hybrid are hybrids in name only that simply shut off their engine when they come to a stop. Another example is the Ford Escape hybrid, which barely manages more than 30 mpg, when the gas-only Toyota RAV4 already gets 30 mpg highway. Because of the size of the vehicle, the electric motor can do little to help overall fuel economy. These hybrids are not worth the extra cost.

But for strong hybrids like the Prius, hybrids make a great deal of sense. Not only does the gas engine shut off when the vehicle comes to a stop, but energy is stored in the electric battery whenever you brake or go downhill, transferred from the brakes' heat and the rolling motion of the wheels. This allows the electric battery to assist in providing energy for the car's movement at highway speeds, improving fuel economy to 51 mpg, and at city speeds, the electric battery can do most of the work, which is responsible for the Prius' 60 mpg city EPA rating. If you do a lot of city driving, a hybrid makes a lot of sense.

The impact on the environment each time a hybrid is purchased is an immediate one. Right away, the car emits 90 percent fewer smog-forming emissions than its gas-only counterparts. The gain in fuel economy is enough as well, as gas remains near $3 a gallon, to pay for the difference in cost between it and its gas-only counterparts over the course of 3 to 4 years, about the time most people finance their cars. Currently available tax credits from the IRS help cover the difference even sooner. For the Prius, the current maximum tax incentive of $3150 covers the difference right away.

Let's take a closer look at the difference in cost between a hybrid and a regular car. The Prius base price is $21,725, compared with $19,290 for the similarly sized Matrix, a difference of $2,435. Right away the IRS tax incentive more than pays for this difference, but let's assume there were no incentive. With gas at $3 a gallon, the Matrix already makes better mileage than average at 28 city, 34 highway for a combined mpg of 31. The Prius on the other hand gets a combined mpg of 55. Let's assume 15,000 miles of driving a year. On average the Matrix will use $1391 of fuel a year, compared with the Prius' $784, a difference of about $600. That's a lot of fuel. So even without IRS incentives, you'll pay for the difference between a hybrid and a regular car in about 4 years.

As for the electric battery, Toyota offers a 10-year warranty on the battery, after which time it can be replaced (if necessary) for a cost of $1,000. By that time you'll have saved more than enough in fuel to pay for this maintenance cost, if you plan to keep the car for longer than 10 years. The battery will not harm the environment as long as it is disposed of properly at a Toyota dealer.

All in all, a hybrid is worth it alone for the environmental benefits, even if it didn't save you money. But if you take advantage of IRS incentives or are willing to wait it out for 4 years, you'll see significant savings. Even then, since most people finance their cars, you probably won't miss the $2,400 extra in car payments while you pay about 40-50% less in fuel costs right away. It's like getting one or two car payments back every year until the car is paid off, and you'll be saving money well beyond that.

Answer 5

Hybirds Carry a premium over a comparable gasoline engine. Negating any benefit in fuel mpg gained. By some estimates,
it would take you 3-4 years of driving to reap any beneifit.
And that is if gas stays at $3.
Hybrids have many more batteries made of precious metals lead and nickel not to mention acid, adding weight to the vehicle and creating serious disposal, ( hazardous materials) repair and replacement issues.
Hybrids Don’t get anywhere near the EPA estimates in mileage.
I do not think these vehicles will play a significant role in energy
dependance.

Answer 6

The common misconception with hybrid is that they only get good fuel efficiency. Beyond great fuel efficiency they pollute far less than conventional gasoline + diesel vehicles.

Let's do a simple comparison between the Toyota Prius and the VW Jetta Diesel (TDI). They're roughly the same size (the Prius is slightly larger).

Price - Jetta - $21, 605
Prius - $21, 725

Horsepower - Jetta 100hp
- Prius 110hp

Torque - Jetta 177 lb-ft
Prius 295 lb-ft (electric motor) + 82 lb-ft (engine)

Fuel Efficiency - Jetta - 36 mpg city, 41mpg highway
- Prius - 60 mpg city, 51 mpg highway

Annual Fuel Costs according to the EPA - Jetta - $1152
Prius - $784

Annual Greenhouse Gas Emissions - Jetta - 5.6 tons
Prius - 3.4 tons

And the winner is..........the Prius. It makes more power, uses less fuel, and pollutes less. Oh, and it'll save you almost $400
a year on fuel compared to the Jetta TDI. Seems like no brainer to me.

Answer 7

Hybrids are the best. And because they get from 55-65mpg (SUV Hybrids get 30-40mpg) they save you alot of money and the envirment.

Answer 8

The enviroment is beyond saving

We are all here just waiting now for the end.

It will save you money....

Answer 9

Good idea, but they need a lot more development to become practical. Power, replenishment, repair costs, all need some work in those areas before they become attractive to the general public.