Aren't Hybrids and plug in cars almost as bad as regular ones?

Question

I mean charging the battery must require a ton of electricity and we all know how we get most of our electricity.

Answer 1

In part you are correct--we get a lot of that electricty from burning coal.

But--think this through. Electric is a practical means for powering cars for the kind of urban driving that most people do most of the time--and it doesn't produce any pollution directly (the same is true of hydrogen fuel cells, but you have the same issue--namely, where to get the hydrogen).

But--we CAN produce electricity without fossil fuels. There's a number of technologies that can be brought to bear:
>nuclear (which can be safe, if the engineering is done right)
>solar--the technology that's being developed now is going to make this dirt cheap in another 10 years or so.

My point is this: electric cars are one component of what needs to be an overalll energy production/distribution system. That's feasible, if we start making the changes now. Thats what the current system (oil/coal) is--a total system from the wellhead to the refinery to the filling station to your car. We need to replace that system-gradually --with a better one.

The good news is not only that its practical, but it will help our economy in several ways:
>ending dependance on oil, foreign or otherwise
>cleaning up the environment
>creating new industries, new economic growth, and new jobs
>in the long run, lowering eergy costs

Of course, if you'r an oil/coal company fat cat, this is your worst nightmare! :)

Answer 2

Electric cars, maybe. Hybrids, no. These cars use a different fuel source. Some electricity, others bio-fuel. Like using foliage and wheat grass. Things like that. I would much rather have a hybrid than a regular clunker that's bad for the environment.

Best of luck!

Answer 3

For the hybrid cars you can buy today, it's easy to check how good or bad they are. They don't get plugged in -- they get their energy all from gas, so it's really straightforward to compare them to other cars.

Using Yahoo's green car ratings:

- A regular Honda Civic scores 74 out of 100
- A hybrid Honda Civic scores 86, which is noticably better.

- A regular Ford Escape scores 63.
- A Ford Escape hybrid SUV scores 77 -- much better than the regular Escape, but similar to a regular Civic.

Bottom line -- hybrid cars can be better for the planet, but check the details.

Plug-in cars are different, and are still a ways off, so it's difficult to predict how they will compare to regular ones. But you're right, they draw power from the electric grid. How clean they are will partly depend on how your power is generated.

The comparison could look different in a state with low-emission power (Vermont, with only 0.03 pounds of CO2 per KWH) or high-emission power (North Dakota, with 2.24 pounds of CO2 per KWH).

Answer 4

No, because electric engines are very efficient, as I'll illustrate below.

PHEV = plug-in electric hybrid vehicle
ICE = internal combustion engine
HEV = hybrid electric vehicle (like the Prius)
EV = electric vehicle

PHEVs reduce CO2 emissions by 37%-67% compared with ICEs and by 19%-54% compared with HEVs in well-to-wheels (W2W) analyses assuming fueling with gasoline and electricity from the U.S. mix of power plants (and ignoring one or two outliers in the data). PHEVs reduce all other greenhouse gas emissions too.

EVs reduce CO2 by 11%-100% compared with ICEs and by 24%-54% compared with HEVs, and significantly reduce all other greenhouse gas emissions, using the U.S. grid
mix. If all U.S. cars were EVs, we’d reduce global warming emissions. Using electricity strictly from coal, EVs still would reduce CO2 by 0%-59% compared with ICEs (one analysis found 0% change; six others found reductions of 17%-59%) and might produce 30%-49% more CO2 than HEVs (based on only two analyses). On the other hand, if electricity comes from solar or wind power, EVs eliminate all emissions. Using natural gas to make electricity, emissions fall in between those from coal and renewable power.

Answer 5

you are right in this presumption, you are using another fuel type but if the electricity is produced at a hydro plant you are not using fossil fuels which add up to pollution
Electric cars run clean . hybrids use less gasoline.

Answer 6

That was my answer..how much coal or oil is burned to generate the electricty? It is really good for the environment considering that the fuel to produce the electricity is also causing pollution

Answer 7

HI your right, fuel, oil, coal etc makes the electricity. However it is produced much more efficiently then the gallon of gas is used in your vehicle.

Answer 8

It depends, some Hybrids (Toyota Prius for example) charge their batteries off the energy that is normally lost when you use your breaks.

Answer 9

Well, since that is the case, I say we should still go for it, because those coal plants will grow old and can be replaced with nuclear, wind, or hydroelectric power. And besides, we're working on clean coal technology to generate power.

Answer 10

Almost. But every little bit helps.