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Hybrid Cars Don't Live Up to Mileage Claims

Posted by timothy on from the my-wagon-slurps-gas dept.

Omega1045 writes "Wired News is running a great little article about how hybrid cars (specifically Honda and Toyota models) do not come anywhere close to living up to their fuel efficiency claims. The article highlights that the EPA tests are more to blame than the car manufactures. Consumer reports has shown that the mileage for these cars can be as low as 60% of the claims. The article also links to a blog authored by hybrid enthusiast Pete Blackshaw detailing his failures getting any real answers on why his Honda Civic Hybrid isn't getting better fuel mileage. It looks like these cars are more hype than help in the battle against pollution and foreign fuel reliance."

3 of 1,528 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Biodiesel baby by Hatta · · Score: 1, Troll

    An interesting alternative fuel is biodiesel

    And many people don't know that the diesel engine was originally invented to run on hempseed oil. Fuel, fiber, food, medicine, a nonaddictive and nontoxic intoxicant. If there is a god, Cannabis must surely be a gift from him.

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  2. Re:Better than nothing by henley · · Score: 0, Troll
    Uh, I hate to point out the obvious, but just where do you think the precious electricity comes from that drives your hybrid vehicle? Bzzzzt! Time's up! It comes from fossil fuels, that's where it comes from!

    Umm... Since this is the good 'ol US-of-A, I thought a not-insignificant fraction of that electricty came from Your Friend, The Atom ?

    Or have I been lied to by US-sourced programming like The Simpsons again?

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  3. Re:TDI rocks! by ElGuapoGolf · · Score: 0, Troll

    but none are really threatening the saftey of the driver/passengers

    You try driving on the NJ parkway without brake lights and see how safe you feel. What's worse is, it was really hard to tell that they weren't working, because it was an intermittent problem. Sometimes they would work fine, other times they wouldn't come on at all.

    Second, my Jetta was in the neighborhood of 24K. Call me silly, but for that much money I expect some basic things... like the windows shouldn't fall into the body of the car on hot days.

    I'll grant, it goes like a bat out of hell. It hangs on the corners great. But when you've got to get to work on a regular basis, and the car needs more shop time than it should, it starts to irritate the hell out of you.