hybrid cars environmentally friendly?

Question

I know that hybrid cars help the economy and produce less greenhouse gasses. But is this savings really a significant amount? Anyone have any writeup on this?

Answer 1

The savings are indeed significant. Here are some comparisions of CO2 emissions in grams per kilometer:

Prius: 104
http://www.hybridsynergydrive.com/en/prius_emissions.html
Civic: ~130
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2004/12/comparing_civic.html
Volvo V70: 172
http://www.autocar.co.uk/CarReviews/RoadTestsData/Volvo-V70-2.4-D5-SE-Lux/227442/
Corolla: ~175
http://cars.yahoo.co.uk/resultsmaxi_100354123_15790774/Toyota,Used_Cars,Toyota|Corolla,Estate
http://cars.yahoo.co.uk/resultsmaxi_100354123_15794765/Toyota,Used_Cars,Toyota|Corolla,Estate
Hummer H3: 346
http://www.autocar.co.uk/CarReviews/FirstDrives/Hummer-H3-3.7-Adventure/215257/
Escalade: 383
http://www.autocar.co.uk/CarReviews/FirstDrives/Cadillac-Escalade-6.2-V8/223902/
Hummer H2: 468
http://www.autocar.co.uk/CarReviews/FirstDrives/Hummer-H3-3.7-Adventure/215257/

There are a number of myths about the Prius and hybrids in general, some stemming from the 'Dust to Dust' marketing (not scientific) study metioned above. These are simply myths - the Prius is the greenest car on the planet.

http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUKL2733658020070727?rpc=44

Answer 2

So that nobody gets the wrong idea: I like "low fuel consumption" and especially I like "electric vehicles". Having said that, here are some simple facts:

1. Diesels (without hybrid drive) are just as efficient as "Hybrids". Say as efficient as the "Prius". Trouble is, the US does not have enough Diesel refinery capacity. We have not commissioned a new refinery, for either gasoline or Diesel since 1976/ 1979. I.e. we talk politics and "hybrid", lest US consumers wish for super-efficient European Diesel cars to be imported..

Especially noteworthy: America does not have sufficient refinery capacity for "clean" (low sulphur) fuel. That is the stuff which is mandated for air quality reasons in Europe for their Diesel passenger cars. At this time we import not only 6% of our refined gasoline, but also a major percentage of all diesel fuel.

2. The Prius fuel consumption "stinks" if driven hard, or in the mountains. Reason, the battery is too small, i.e. if driven hard the Prius runs just like a regular gasoline powered vehicle. Admitted, you do not hear this often: Prius owners do not usually "street race" their cars.

3. Nickel (as in NiMH) is expensive. This is one reason, why we try to keep the battery small. Also, NickeI is not exactly "healthy" and requires complex recycling.

4. Fuel consumption when driving below 45mph is essentially proportional to the weight of the vehicle. Translation: Big NiMH batteries, i.e those big enough for an efficient hybrid vehicle are enormously heavy -- compare that to two extra passengers in the small trunk.

5. Because "heavy" = "not fuel efficient", we should get rid of heavy vehicles (SUVs, especially the truck-based "Monstrosity -- Ltd. Edition".

"Heavy" however, is where Detroit makes the most money. Also, big psychological barrier for marketing lighter and smaller vehicles: Heavy vehicles provide the best crash protection.. "if it were my daughter, the "V-10 Brawny Special" is the informed father's choice.."

6. The other thing they do not tell you when you buy a hybrid is: Did you know, it is electric.. I.e. with "high voltage" and enough energy stored in the battery to melt through steel. This thought unpleasant enough to disturb the nighttime sleep of more than one First Responder. Especially, when he finds the thing 'parked' in a pond, or sparking like a cat's whisker as he approaches a crashed hybrid vehicle. By the same token, try "Joe's Repair and Towing" if your hybrid vehicle needs service.
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PS: Sorry, I forgot to actually answer your question.
Assume gasoline savings of 25% for the pure hybrid technology. Hybrid Technology works by making a smaller than usual engine run at its most efficient speed. The engine is running most of the time near that speed, regardless of the vehicle's speed. I.e. when you stop at a traffic light, the engine generates "unneeded" electricity which is stored in the battery. Later when you need extra "umph" for an uphill stretch, you can take an energy boost out of the recently charged battery. (Note, the gasoline engine does not have to rev up for that.) The "hybrid" concept is not without problems. Example, if the battery is too small, then half way up a long hill, you might loose the "battery assist". You are left in this situation with only, what the small gasoline engine can do on its own (see above para 2). This might be dangerous, e.g. if the intent had been to pass an 18-wheeler.

Answer 3

Hybrid cars do not use any electricity from power stations, they make all their power with the engine in the car. It is just more efficient to use the gasoline engine to run a generator to run electric motors to turn the wheels instead of directly coupling the gasoline engine to the wheels with a transmission. It is because gasoline engines only run efficiently at one RPM, and a transmission only has a few set gear ratios, so most of the time the engine is not running at peak efficiency. In a hybrid, the engine runs at peak efficiency all the time, and if there is extra power being produced, it is stored in batteries. If the batteries are all charged up and there is still extra power, the gasoline engine shuts down for a while. So the car gets better mileage and there is reduced emissions.

Answer 4

Fantastic question. Hybrid cars do use less fuel than non-hybrid gasoline cars, namely about 4 litres per 100km in the case of the Toyota Prius, when a comparable Corolla would consume about 7 (that would be about 55 to 60mpg for the hybrid, and 40 to 45 for the gasoline car).
BUT:
Modern diesels can easily get that kind of gas mileage without all those batteries, and incidentally, it's the batteries which make hybrid cars environmentally unfriendly, as their production and disposal poses challenges diesels don't.
As for pollution, Peugeot offers their cars with diesel filters which make them easily as clean as hybrids, and since they use only as little fuel as hybrids, I'd have to say a European diesel can be more environmentally friendly than a hybrid.

Answer 5

Well lets see, we bought an 04 Prius. It now has 50,000 miles on it. It replaced a Jeep Grand Cherokee that averaged 15 MPG. We AVERAGE at least 45 MPG in the Prius.

In 50k the Jeep would have burned 3300 gallons of gas at an avg cost of $2.50. Total $8250.00

Same for the Prius 1100 gallons. Total $2750.00

Savings in FUEL ALONE $4500.00 at $2.50/gallon. Try to find gas for $2.50 now.

Plus maintenance is nil, it's a lot bigger inside than it looks, has far more pep than people give it credit for, will go over 100 MPH( don't know the top speed.)

With repairs and maintenance plus fuel I figured we've saved over $6000.00.

If you bought a stripped Prius in 04 it was about $20,000.
Plus you're helping th environment. Plus here in Northern Va.
we can (with special tags) take the Prius in the HOV lanes with just the driver, much to the frustration of those poor souls in the slow lanes or those that have to pick up their buddys to get 3 people into their SUV.

Answer 6

Quite the opposite. Look at all the pollution produced in making those batteries. Hybrids are for publicity, not the environment.

Answer 7

not really. I know at the emission centers they are failing the emissions checks because they won't run the engine when they are on the dyno... they run on battery... and since they can't get an emissions test on the cars... they fail. You should see the looks on their faces when that happens.

Technologies are so good that even semi trucks are doing better with exhaust.... you don't see too many trucks that throw smoke unless they are old or in disrepair. I could go on, but you can look up stuff about the new technologies.

Answer 8

I don't know much about Hybrid technology but I know the dust to dust cost (beginning to end) to the environment by a hybrid is huge. Just how much it takes to build and destroy the battery is unbelievable! In 08 Mercedes is coming out with a diesel SUV that gets more mpg than most hybrids.

Answer 9

Yes, my girl friend's Prius gets almost twice the gas milage as my honda civic. Thats a very significant difference.

Answer 10

Well it depends; if you think that saving the ozone layer is a significant gain its probably worth it.