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When Hybrids Do (And Don't) Make Sense
prostoalex writes "Recently NPR, CNN Money and Wall Street Journal Online have all dedicated some time and space to discussing hybrid vehicle pros and cons. It seems that hybrids do not make much financial sense if (a) you're buying after getting yourself into a debt with not really good interest on a car loan, (b) your battery requires replacement after being out of warranty, (c) your daily commute is not too long, so the price markup you pay for a hybrid does not translate into long-term gas savings." From the CNN article: "They may make a social statement you're interested in, but if you want to save money because of rising gas prices, you're heading down the wrong road, at least for now."
Buy a diesel. And if it's hard or impossible in your region, petition your idiot politicians to loosen up the emissions regulations (diesel emissions, even on older diesels, are generally speaking a lot better than gas emissions, yet diesel's more highly regulated).
Better efficiency (often) than hybrids overall, it's good on highways too, and it's far more cost-effective, too.
Fuck it
Not at all. The current generation of hybrids are all running Nickel Metal Hydride "D" batteries, which are pretty safe overall. See Panasonic's disclosure. The worst chemical in them is the Potassium Hydroxide... which you should avoid contact with but which is not generally considered toxic. (Like the lead used in convential starter batteries)
You can simple toss NiMH batteries in the standard municipal waste stream, although recycling them is always a good idea.
The batteries carry an extended warrenty, 7-8 years IIRC. Accelerated testing has shown that they will probably last considerably longer and the price for replacements has already fallen to about $1500.
Buying a hybrid might be hard to justify financially (since the gas savings are unlikely to offset the price premium for a long while) but its still a good thing environmentally.
Honda's hybrids all get better gas mileage on the highway than in the city:
I've been very happy with the Honda Insight that I bought in 2001.
What I can't figure out is: why not make a straight diesel-electric hybrid? No transmission, just diesel-->generator-->motors + batteries. The diesel wouldn't have to be nearly as powerful as, say, a TDI, because the batteries could handle short peak loads, then recharge during cruising/coasting/braking. The diesel could run continuosly at it's peak efficiency, as long as power was demanded. The cars would cost far less to produce, without the need for a transmission. It seems to me that such a car would be cheaper, faster, more fuel efficient, and more reliable.
If you don't know where you are going, you will wind up somewhere else.
"Unless the heater in the Prius is somehow different from about every other vehicle's on the road, it cannot run on electricity. A car heater is run by blowing air over basically a small radiator (heater core) that the 190F engine coolant cycles through. If the Prius's engine shuts off, the water pump will probably stop and so will the heater. "
Err ... no.. The Prius's Heater is quite different.. (IMHO ... Far
Superior). .
Machine Design 2004 Toyota Prius
"After 1,500 miles of driving in some of the coldest January temperatures on record, I'd summarize the 2004 Toyota Prius as a quiet, roomy car that happens to have a hybrid drivetrain and an excellent heater. Quick heat is no fluke. The Prius stores some coolant in an insulated reservoir when it shuts down. Later, when restarted, the stillhot coolant circulates into the engine primarily to reduce emissions, but an additional benefit is near-instant heat. This is one of several unusual features on this car.";