Bigger hybrids are better, right?
A better application for hybrid technology?Small cars, so goes the thinking of some, are already fuel efficient, so why waste costly hybrid technology on small hybrid vehicles? Instead, putting that hybrid technology in large vehicles, they note, actually saves more fuel.
I thought about that this weekend as I watched a few Cadillac Escalade hybrid commercials. 'Why are hybrids always small cars,' the driver of an Escalade hybrid asks. Why not a vehicle with an 8 inch nav screen, dvd entertainment system and room for 8, yadda, yadda, yadda.
FINISH: Bigger hybrid vehicles are better, right?
Labels: escalade hybrid, fuel economy, hybrid suvs, Hybrid Vehicles, toyota prius
posted by Dahcredyns at
7:28 AM
10 Comments:
FULL STORY
Small cars, so goes the thinking of some, are already fuel efficient, so why waste costly hybrid technology on small hybrid vehicles? Instead, putting that hybrid technology in large vehicles, they note, actually saves more fuel.
I thought about that this weekend as I watched a few Cadillac Escalade hybrid commercials. 'Why are hybrids always small cars,' the driver of an Escalade hybrid asks. Why not a vehicle with an 8 inch nav screen, dvd entertainment system and room for 8, yadda, yadda, yadda.
The room for 8 is key. The driver asks this question as he drives alone in this vehicle made for 8.
Sure, if you regularly drive with 8 people in your hybrid SUV, then large hybrids are certainly better than small hybrids. However, if you rarely drive with 8, or even 4 for that matter, then you are wasting an extreme amount of energy and fuel.
Additionally, touching back on small hybrid cars. Small vehicles can have very good fuel economy during highway driving, but in city driving, a very fuel efficient economy car achieves about 25 mpg. The average small car probably achieves only about 20 mpg.
That's not great fuel economy. In fact, I don't even call that good fuel economy. It's only good relative to the horrible city fuel economy most US vehicles achieve.
On the other hand, the Toyota Prius averages 45 mpg, and many experienced Prius drivers can average more than 50, or even 60 mpg, in the very worst city driving conditions.
So, a 50 percent savings in fuel economy isn't worthy?
Sure, but it's not profitable, right?
Just like all new technologies, even the Prius was horribly unprofitable for several years. Today, however, manufacturing experience and economies of scale have turned the Prius into a profitable vehicle. The next generation Prius, according to some analysts, will be very profitable.
Still, yes, big hybrids do make sense, for those whom actually use their full functionality regularly.
Unfortunately, many, maybe even most, don't utilize their large SUV's functionality. They just like large SUVs. Hybrid technology cannot save the world from this kind of inefficiency.
And for city driving, especially commuting, nothing to date makes more sense than small hybrid vehicles - at least not until small EVs and plug-in hybrids become cost-effective, unless 8 of you are carpooling.
How many big SUV owners do that?
Agreed, we're pigs, we why not have Hybrid Tanks to drive to work. I'd just like to see the mantra that EVERY vehicle should be a hybrid...increase the efficiency on everything. That 3 cylider Yugo or Geo Metro or whatever the hell it was got great mileage (40-50 by itself, highway of course, city no) but why not make it hybrid and get EVEN BETTER.
DRILL, DRILL, DRILL!
I totally agree. Even if the first step has to include a lot of mild hybrids. Let's just move forward aggressively. The faster we move the faster the technology gets better and cheaper.
I very much agree with your article with the following addition of logic:
The key is the conservation and efficiency mindset. Don't let it end with the panacea of buying a hybrid like a trinket. Its about every little thing you can do to burn less fossil fuels: better aerodynamics, fewer trips with empty seats, applying limited production technologies to where they save most. Take the vehicles that consume most of the fuel and invest the technology there. Look at how fleets like UPS and the Post Office use CNG. How about hydraulic hybrid trucks? The US military is the biggest consumer of petroleum on the planet, what can they do?
I've already expressed my opinions about luxury hybrids getting the production volume because of the profit margin. Once factory battery production capacity is better, it will roll into consumer markets based on demand. The Toyota Highlander, Lexus RX400h, and GM's Yukon SUV hybrids will shed light on where the automakers will make them available over time.
Its just scary how people still avoid the obvious inconveniences like carpooling and economy cars. That's bad news for the longer term societal level decisions of Peak Oil such as how close you live to work, etc.
Great points and I'm in total agreement with you.
That one about the military is especially bothersome. The government needs to start taking real leadership along these lines.
I also agree that buying a hybrid is just one thing a person could do. If you use that hybrid to drive 2 blocks down the street to pick up a loaf of bread, it's still a despicable act regardless of your hybrid.
I know many that don't drive hybrids that are far more socially responsible than probably most hybrid drivers.
I wish the focus on hybridization of larger vehicles would focus on minivans instead of SUV's. With my family of 7, and with my wife acting as the neighborhood taxi for all of my kids freinds, we frequently load our Honday Odyssey to the gills. My dream is a clean diesel hybrid Ody...but I'm not holding my breath!
elf-
i absolutely agree. at one time chrysler made a name for itself with mini vans and the dual mode hybrid powertrain they share with GM would be perfect for such a vehicle. and it makes a ton of sense.
i guess too much sense.
The key is the conservation and efficiency mindset. Don't let it end with the panacea of buying a hybrid like a trinket. Its about every little thing you can do to burn less fossil fuels: better aerodynamics, fewer trips with empty seats, applying limited production technologies to where they save most.
People are too selfish and egocentric to care about such things. Look around you. Go to suburbia and just smell the pretentiousness and arrogance of people who live there. As I have said before many many times, NONE of these people (particularly ones who have kids....they are the worst) would give up a damned thing for their children's future...let alone their own.
Noz,
I live in suburbia and continue to make sacrifices like downsizing to the Prius and taking the bus because of my kids. I agitate friends and family alike because I get on THEIR case for not caring about the world we're leaving for my kids. I couldn't do that from the city and have any credibility.
I agree that its a near impossible battle that the people turned on by Sarah Palin's denial of reality assures them of. But its a battle that their peers have to drag them into. As long as your disdain is your leading edge, you'll only turn them off.
I appreciate the ability to vent among friends on this blog. I torment my conscience daily about hanging it up and taking a rocking chair and shotgun off to a cabin in the woods and wait safely for the rest of the world to crumble. But that's not realistic either.
I hope you're venting and your elevator speech on suburbanites has a little less vinegar.
also, i know many americans that are doing something, many.
and noz, we live in southern california. while all the bs coming out of hollywood makes la seem like some green city, we are, in reality, the most pretentious materialistic city.
LA is not a good barometer to judge america.
i traveled across a significant chunk of america this summer, including the more conservative midwest. they make la look pathetic.
kp - "I torment my conscience daily about hanging it up and taking a rocking chair and shotgun off to a cabin in the woods and wait safely for the rest of the world to crumble. But that's not realistic either."
i'm right there with you quite often. but as you say its not realistic and certainly doesn't make the world better. i'd rather fail fighting to make the world a better place than to just give up.
i think we agree that we owe that to our kids.
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