Are hybrid cars actually greener?

Question

If they are a combination of petrol and electric then the electricity must come from somewhere, presumably a fossil fuel power plant. This is an extra process by which energy efficiency can drop, because no process is 100% efficient. So is it actually more ecologically friendly?

Answer 1

as others have said the current generation of hybrids use the petrol engine to charge the batteries.

they are greener than comparable personal transport because electric has a much better torque curve (hence the Tesla built by Lotus Norfolk UK can do 0-60 in 4 seconds), so the engine always operates at optimum speed and load. It recovers energy when slowing down, and uses no fuel when stationary, so beside lower Co2 there are less particulates especially compared to diesel in city traffic, hence the London congestion charge reduction.
Getting a Lexus SUV hybrid is not greener than a small runabout.

Plug-in rechargeables or pure electric can be far more efficient "well to wheel" because the primary fuel needs less refining, can be burnt close to source, less pipes & tankers, can refuel at home or work,

but the real benefit is electric is a much more pleasent & enjoyable driving, the Prius is one of the most relaxing cars to drive; and pure electic is just magic, smooth, quiet, smell free, instant power from start, no warm-up & flat torque curve

The NiMH batteries (which don't produce hydrogen like lead acid in normal car batteries) in a hybrid use less nickel than your stainless steel cutlery, and it can be recovered & recycled from the batteries; pictures of big open cast mines is just another case of mass media dissin' anything that threatens their sponsors, have you noticed the total silence in the UK motoring press about the Tesla & Phoenix vehicles.
pure electric vehicle batteries used in the Tesla & the Phoenix are Li-ion, so the Tesla has a range of 250 miles per charge, and the Phoenix 90mph SUT can be recharged in 10 minutes, predicted 20 year life and fully recyclable..

Answer 2

Your conclusion is based on the erroneous assumption that hybrid cars must be plugged into power outlets to be charged. In fact, they charge their own batteries by converting the energy used during breaking into electrical energy.

Others on here have pointed out that the big batteries in these cars are a source of pollution. This is true, but we shouldn't lose sight of the key point: Our single biggest environmental challenge these days is global warming, and the best way we can deal with it is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Hybrid cars accomplish this, even if they create a different kind of pollution (battery acids) in the process.

Hybrids are not perfect. All cars (hybrid or otherwise) are the products of massive industrial effort, which, at present, is harmful for the environment. But a hybrid is better in the overall picture than a regular car.

Answer 3

The common type of hybrid cars (like Toyota Prius and Honda Civic IMA) generates charges the battery on its own. They DO NOT NÈED to be plugged to a power circuit or so.

When the car moves (i.e you're driving it) the altenator charges the battery. If you brake, the unused kinetic energy that are produced during braking will also somehow charge the battery (Please correct me about the kinetic energy from braking to charge the battery if I'm wrong).

When you drive climbing a hill or accelarate than extra torque would be sent to the tyres, so that the petrol engine is not needed to rev up to compensate the accelaration.

The way I see it, yes, it is eco-friendly because it does not pump up so much CO2 like other cars, but what bothers me is during the production : is it as eco friendly as a normal car by the production ?

Answer 4

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If you are talking about plug-in hybrids, which can drive on electricity alone, yes they are greener, even when powerplants burn dirty fuel, and I will explain why, below.
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While it is true that multiple steps in any process can reduce efficiency, this is not the only consideration. You must take the actual efficiency numbers into account as well.
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Gas engines are about 25% efficient. But this is the optimum efficiency, that assumes the engine runs at it's most efficient speed. In reality, due to braking, idling, acceleration, and transmission losses, a typical gas auto is lucky to achieve 10 to 15 % overall efficiency.
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Electric motors are 90 to 95% efficient. They also have very wide powerbands, which means that electric motors can even be connected directly to the wheels (no transmission losses.) Also, EVs do not idle, and reclaim braking energy (regenerative braking.) Battery energy storage is also close to 90% efficient.
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If fossil fuel is burned at a large powerplant, it burns more efficiently there (up to 85% efficient in newer plants, 40% efficient in older plants.) Transmitting energy by wire to an electric car (the electric grid is 95% efficient) is also far more efficient than delivering gasoline by polluting and inefficient trucks to thousands of gas stations.
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Betcha didn't know your all-gasoline car uses electricity! Yep, large amounts of electricity is used to refine gasoline. See, gasoline has plenty of 'steps', too. Gasoline makes pollution when it's refined, it makes pollution when it's delivered, and it makes pollution when you use it.
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The efficiency argument is easily proved by looking at fuel prices. You can drive on electricity for a penny or two per mile. Gas costs nearly ten times that amount. Efficiency is the reason. Greater efficiency means more miles on less fuel, and therefore less pollution per mile.
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Incidentally, modern batteries (li-ion) are not environmental hazards, according to the EPA. Plus the newest EV battery designs have useful lifetimes of 100,000 to 250,000 miles, after which thay can be recycled.
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Answer 5

the new toyota prius (hybrid) has the same carbon emmissions as my toyota aygo (petrol) but i do not have a battery that needs charging/producing/maintaining/disposing of

I say you can get good fuel cars with low emmisions you just have to go for a smaller engine and maybe less speed altho mine is nippy and can break the speed limit without me noticing so what more do you need.

Its not like the old days when if you had a small engine you might need a hamster on a wheel for going up hills

Answer 6

Hybrid cars have huge batteries. How is a battery when disposed of good for the environment? Batteries have nasty chemicals that end up in garbage dumps and end up polluting the water. While a battery driven car doesn't emit as much in emissions it still emits fumes from the fossil fuel cycle of the car being driven in addition to the chemical pollution from the batteries. It is double bad.

Answer 7

on account that diffiCa is such an authority on the Prius, i'm particular he can provide help to be attentive to step by skill of step how a hybrid works and precisely what its barriers and strengths are. in spite of each little thing, he's in simple terms such an authority. i've got owned 2 of them, and at the instant very own one to boot as a Camry Hybrid. the only crap obtainable is the those that think of they be attentive to each little thing approximately issues which they be attentive to no longer something approximately.

Answer 8

No they are not "greener". The have batteries that require large scale mining operations which cause alot of enviornmental damage and the disposal of the batteries in hazardous waste. And the still need gasoline.And they still only get 50 mpg the same as my honda crx did in 1990. We just need smaller cars with smaller engines to get better mileage and cleaner air. Drilling a hole in the ground is better than a large open pit mine.

Answer 9

A little.

Hybrid cars don't use external sources of electricity. By generating their own, they squeeze a little more transportation out of a gallon of gas.

One tool of many we need.

Answer 10

My friend has a red one, Don` see many green ones.