The point is, that you can achieve much better mileage by usung an efficient small diesel engine. VW and others have proven that.
It does not matter which kind of battery they use. Recycling costs energy, usually burning oil to generate the heat needed to seperate and melt parts. Hybrids have more parts and a greater mix of materials and are much herder to recycle.
Oh, and hybrid cars certainly have an electric motor (which doubles as a generator).
PLEASE! When will someone finally reveal that Hybrids are a complete useless hype. The Hybrid sytem requires so much extra weight in the car that the tiny bit of regenerative energy from braking is wasted in dragging huge lead acid batteries and a heavy electric engine around.
Just compare the milage of the Toyota Prius and the Volkswagen Lupo and Polo Diesel and you will see that VW gets considerably better milage while offering the same power and more space (like a true trunk).
But pressure on car manufacturers is so high, that even VW, who did extensive research on hybrids in the 80s, is now planning to release one. Why? Not because it makes sens, but only because the market is demanding it and paying well.
Still not convinced? Consider these points as well: turning a gas engine on and off raises and lowers the temperature of the engine block, creating high stress on the engine block, so expect your engine to die much sooner. That is not only bad for your pocket, but even worse for the environment, because building that engine block uses a lot of energy as well. Then, how much copper goes into that electric motor? And finally, what happens to the lead acid batteries when they are dead after three years? Recycling those takes energy and causes poisenous chemicals.
DOH!
Slashdot Mirror
It does not matter which kind of battery they use. Recycling costs energy, usually burning oil to generate the heat needed to seperate and melt parts. Hybrids have more parts and a greater mix of materials and are much herder to recycle.
Oh, and hybrid cars certainly have an electric motor (which doubles as a generator).
PLEASE! When will someone finally reveal that Hybrids are a complete useless hype. The Hybrid sytem requires so much extra weight in the car that the tiny bit of regenerative energy from braking is wasted in dragging huge lead acid batteries and a heavy electric engine around. Just compare the milage of the Toyota Prius and the Volkswagen Lupo and Polo Diesel and you will see that VW gets considerably better milage while offering the same power and more space (like a true trunk). But pressure on car manufacturers is so high, that even VW, who did extensive research on hybrids in the 80s, is now planning to release one. Why? Not because it makes sens, but only because the market is demanding it and paying well. Still not convinced? Consider these points as well: turning a gas engine on and off raises and lowers the temperature of the engine block, creating high stress on the engine block, so expect your engine to die much sooner. That is not only bad for your pocket, but even worse for the environment, because building that engine block uses a lot of energy as well. Then, how much copper goes into that electric motor? And finally, what happens to the lead acid batteries when they are dead after three years? Recycling those takes energy and causes poisenous chemicals. DOH!