Hybrid vehicles: It's the technology, stupid
I was watching Team America last night, which provided a few laughs, but was mostly unimpressive. While making fun of Hollywood, the movie also poked fun at hybrid cars.
The other day I read an article about hybrids and the carpool lane. A man shopping for a Honda Accord was told of the Accord hybrid and the fact that it might qualify for the carpool lane, to which he said he didn't like the way hybrids were styled.
Excuse me? Isn't the Accord hybrid styled the same as the conventional Accord? Isn't the Ford Escape hybrid styled the same as the conventional Escape?
Is it just the winds of change that breed so much hate and ignorance?
Hybrid vehicles are not about styling, but about technology. The potential of hybrid technology could change the world, freeing it from pollution and foreign oil dependency - not to mention reducing the threat of oil wars and terrorism.
Is that really so bad?
Labels: Accord hybrid, Escape hybrid, Ford, Ford Escape hybrid, Foreign Oil Dependency, Honda, Hybrid Vehicles
posted by Dahcredyns at
9:56 AM
7 Comments:
I just wanted you to know that your rss feed isn't updating on Firefox or My Yahoo homepage. They are both stuck at "Jetta 'mild' hybrid within two years?" from May 31st. Keep up the good work and thanks for all the information that you provide.
Thanks for fixing the rss feeds. They are working on Firefox and on My Yahoo.
No problem. I'm very glad you find the site useful.
The "styling" issue that you reported on has always been a thorn in my side as well. Automobiles have been given personalities and are paired off with their corresponding driver. Styling is merely sheet metal (or plastic) and a conservative car does not have to look that way. I believe we can have a hybrid, hydrogen, or even a solar car that looks like a Ferrari.
I'm sure we could make any car look like a Ferrari, but doing so might increase costs. Of course there are reasons for the design of some vehicles. For example, the Prius is an extremely aerodynamic vehicle.
While other cars might look cool, but actually decrease the vehicle's peformance, such as with many SUVs, especially old ones.
My real irk was that I couldn't understand how it is that one could be shopping for an Accord, but not like the styling of the Accord hybrid. They are pretty much styled exactly the same.
hybrids will not save the world. they'll make it worse. do you know how much more resources it takes to produce a hybrid car than a normal one, just for a %25 increase in fuel efficiency??
if you want to save the planet, then send anything that does not get at least 25mpg to the scrap heap, make them illegal, and re-introduce the chevy metro xfi, a three cylinder car that costed only $9k brand new and reached FIFTY MILES PER GALLON.
high MPG is easy. it's the dumbass consumers that's the problem. and the more dumbass consumers that believe a higher-cost-per-production car is our salvation, the WORSE our planet will get.
good day.
travis -
so, i'm guessing you think peak oil is a conspiracy and that foreign oil dependency has no costs?
sorry, but i don't agree with you.
it would take about 50 mpg combined to end foreign oil dependency today.
50 mpg across the entire fleet.
in the future, as the population grows, that number will increase. so your solution has no merit for those concerned about global warming or foreign oil dependency.
in congestion, you simply cannot do that without hybrid technology, or some other form of battery technology.
the tiny smart car only does about 30 on the EPAs city cycle.
that's not enough.
so outside of hydrogen, the only option is a battery-powered vehicle.
as economies of scale, hybrids and other battery powered vehicles become more cost-competitive and efficient to produce. so, your efficiency argument is actually quite short-sighted.
anytime new technologies develop, they are ALWAYS less efficient because the supply chains, etc. have not yet been developed.
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