Hybrid car haters transferring their gas-guzzling guilt
Amid another round of potential hurricanes and the announcement that foreign refineries would not able to refine more oil into gasoline, oil prices are rising significantly higher this morning. Oil prices are now up over $2.00 and the consensus amongst energy traders is that prices are not going down, which should keep gas prices high for sometime. Expect demand for hybrid cars to remain very high.
Still, the hybrid haters won't shut up. Despite the EPA and fuel economy, hybrid vehicles are still the most efficient vehicles. Hybrid buyers pay a premium to help change the world. How are gas-guzzlers helping the world - by driving gasoline prices higher, by increasing foreign oil dependency?
Still, the hybrid haters won't shut up. Despite the EPA and fuel economy, hybrid vehicles are still the most efficient vehicles. Hybrid buyers pay a premium to help change the world. How are gas-guzzlers helping the world - by driving gasoline prices higher, by increasing foreign oil dependency?
Labels: Foreign Oil Dependency, Hybrid Vehicles
posted by Dahcredyns at
7:40 AM
12 Comments:
Geez, in just the last half hour oil has spiked more than another dollar. Currently up $3.50.
This isn't going to drive gas prices down, that's for sure.
Good thing GM has practically bet the farm on large SUVs and trucks. Even if Americans don't buy GM's trash to save on gas and reduce foreign oil dependency, we'll still have to pay to salvage GM from bankruptcy.
Who is to blame, executives, the Unions, consumers? What a mess.
While I think all the above deserve some blame, I think the real blame should be put solely on the shoulders of Congress. They can't force automakers to make America stronger, but they can force taxpayers to build a $230,000,000.00 bridge to serve 50 people.
Could we really do any worse if we fired all of them and started with a clean slate? Sure we'd lose a few good politicians, but we'd get rid of a whole bunch lobbyist-controlled polticians.
Hybrids are good for the people who can afford to buy them new, but the others who can only buy them used will really get hit with the battery replacement cost.
E-85 Ethanol is the only way to go. It helps Americans all the way around. plus when gas was $3.15 E-85 was $1.61. Ethanol and Bio Diesel give the farmers an additional place to sell their product as opposed to the grain momopolies such as Cargil.
Ethanol is cleaner burning and renewable.
I don't really have a problem with ethanol, but ethanol can also cause problems to cars. And for cars with older gaskets, for example, ethanol can ultimately create considerable pollution.
Still, I only see ethanol as a temporary solution. Fuel demand increases significantly every year, not just in the U.S., but worldwide and ethanol cannot compare to the potential of hybrid technology in meeting this demand cleanly and efficiently.
Plug-in hybrids and experimental hybrids demonstrate that 'electric cars' are possible in the very near future - cars that will be able to use gasoline as a backup.
A plug-in hybrid vehicle, achieving 100 mpg is much cleaner and cheaper than even ethanol.
Additionally, while ethanol is cleaner burning, there is secondary pollution caused by ethanol production. Moreover, if ethanol became heavily demanded, price would also go up.
Thus, ethanol is a good short term solution, but it is not the answer. Hybrid cars can push electric, fuel cell, plug-in, and other experimental hybrid techonolgies that offer a much cleaner and efficient source of energy.
I support ethanol, but not at the expense of pushing hybrid technology.
Instead of arguing what the best form of alternatives to use, we should encourage each other to help develop ways to cut our energy usage. I think that much like electricity, we will see many ways to drive our cars and that will bring many advances in ways we can't see today. Hybrid diesels and hybrid fuel-cell engines are 2 that I can think of now. Yes to hybrids and ethanol/biodiesel!
I agree with your final point, yes to both.
Still, conservation is a dead issue in America. Too many Americans are either too ignorant, lazy, complacent, selfish or all of the above. In terms of automobiles, if you don't believe me, just monitor the AutoWeek combustion chamber forums for a few days.
People simply are not going to do the right thing without government interaction. Congress needs to provide real guidance with tough EPA testing and tough CAFE regulations.
Yes that will cost money, but instead of giving billions of tax payer dollars to oil makers that profited more than 23 billion in the first quarter of this year alone, we could give those billions to automakers.
Not all Americans don't want to conserve. I don't have a hybrid, but I have a smaller fuel efficient car, and a family of 4 that I squeeze into it. Plus I recycle everything that my town will take to recycle. My little family of 4 (I'm 6'2" not little) only uses 2 bags of garbage a week including the diapers. Not all of us are trying to ruin the world. I hope that everyone posting is doing as much as they can and their best to encourage their family to do the same.
Steve,
Keep up the good work. If the majority of Americans were willing to live the way you do, we wouldn't even be having this conversation.
I know plenty of Americans that want to conserve and do their part. Unfortunately, I know more that don't even care, and don't even think about conserving.
Of course, I live in Los Angeles, so perhaps I'm jaded by the materialism of a society that wants to look cool, rather than do the cool thing, where appearance is more important than action.
Still, I believe in the evolution of society, and it is technology which leads that evolution. Thus, transportation will and must evolve. In my opinion hybrid cars are the greatest way to make that happen and are a significant investment in the future - an investment that should be appreciated not criticized as some left-wing, treehugger nonsense.
Dahcredyns,
I can't say that Congress is the answer. I believe that there is far more power in the people than government will have in a day. Although I understand it becomes very very difficult for private corporations to research and develop alternative forms of energy to compete with that of oil, I think that, if successful, it would make a far greater impact than a few governmental regulations would have.
Along these lines, a few of us here are trying to raise awareness about such issues and the power of the people with a day without oil. Our website is www.adaywithoutoil.com - it's simply about starting a dialogue about this issue. We're not about shutting oil down, but making a more competitive energy market. So, leave a thought on our forum page and direct people there to try to make a difference in this area. Sorry about being so pedantic about this, but its something that I feel is important for the sake of a true free market.
There is not a single answer to the United States addiction to fossil fuels. Hybrid cars are a feasible answer, however, for most, it doesn't make the economic sense to purchase one right now. For most Americans, money talks.
I have been using E85 in my car (downgraded from a 2000 VW Jetta GLX VR6 to a 2000 Ford Taurus FFV). Here in Denver it costs $2.39/gal VS $2.99/gal for regular unleaded (and I was pumping midgrade into my Jetta at $0.10/gal more). Unlike what someone else said ... E85 is DEFINITELY NOT the ONLY way to go. Cargill was mentioned, they are getting into ethanol/biodiesel production in a very big way.
Here in the next 30-90 days, I'll probably be getting an older diesel vehicle with the intent of running it on Biodiesel so that I can curb the other primarily driven gasser in the household.
What I would really be intersted in seeing is a hybrid FFV or a hybrid diesel. Although I haven't seen anything planned for sale here in the US anytime soon.
Jason Younker
Alternative Fuels Awareness Organization
http://www.iE85.com/
fromplacetoplace-
While I think the people are more important than the government....O.K., let me rephrase that. The people have the potential to be more powerful than the government. When almost half the people don't vote, the people have no power.
The reason I believe in hybrid cars is not so much that they are the perfect answer right now, but the message they send. They allow consumers to say, "Listen, I'll pay for technology that helps make the world a better place."
Whether we like it or not, America is a consumer nation, and only the choices we make as consumers can make a difference - other than 90 percent of us voting and willing to vote everyone out of office. Then the lobbyists have no control.
My wife was in an accident yesterday, so I'm just catching up on e-mail, etc. I will check out your site and contribute to the discussion within the next day or two.
Jason,
I believe that hybrid diesels are coming, unfortunately, not for another year or two. Also, in places like California, or the Northeast, they might never become available, though I think that is silly.
You are right that economically hybrids aren't feasible for everyone right now, but that is somewhat of a mute issue. There aren't near enough hybrids available for every consumer, regardless of the cost.
I just want to ensure that the technology advances. I think hybrids give attention to all alternative fuel choices and can make all alternative fuel choices better choices.
Additionally, I'm beginning to question the 'hydrogen economy'. It isn't that I wouldn't love to see it happen, I just think it is only an extension of the oil industry and the current status quo.
Plug-in hybrids, experimental hybrids, including diesel and biodiesel hybrids challenge the oil industry, the energy sector and the status quo, which seems to be our mutual goal.
Keep up the good work.
I was finally able to find some pics of a diesel hybrid, all-be-it, only a concept car currently ... but SHE IS A BEAUTY.
DaimlerChrysler Mercedes-Benz Bluetec Hybrid S-Class (concept car)
another pic
I tried to find some info on Benz's site, but could not find anything referring to bluetec (at least not on their English site).
Jason Younker
Alternative Fuels Awareness Organization
http://www.iE85.com/
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