Hybrid Hype
With the ever rising prices in gas, fuel efficient cars are becoming more and more popular. The increasing popularity of this type of vehicle has manufacturers constantly developing and releasing new models onto the American car market. Hybrids have been around for years, but it wasn't until the last several that they have become very popular and somewhat trendy. Some people believe that when you drive a hybrid car you are doing the environment a great favor, that this somewhat new technology makes the driver environmentally conscious. Are the drivers of hybrid cars correct? Are they in fact going to save the world with their battery filled auto's? Or are they simply caught up in a fad that means well but in reality does not really fix anything? This article, published by CNN money in 2005 states facts proving otherwise. There are many options to avoiding high numbers on the pump, but buying a hybrid car just isn't one of them.
This video also offers good information about the hybrid hype.
5 comments:
One word...Diesel!
With the new ultra-low sulfer diesel and high pressure fuel injection systems of the newer engines this technology is the way to go. Efficiency is on par and in some cases better than hybrids. The engines have far more longevity (I'm up to 150K miles on one of my diesels and I'm shooting for over 300K) and environmental concerns over battery waste are non-existent.
I will only buy into the hype if they start making a cute, really speedy convertible.
I not sure wether hybrids are good or bad but i know that i have a huge diesel truck right now and im seriously thinking about getting something smaller and a little more gas efficient. I definitely think that something needs to be done.
I somewhat agree on hybrids being environment saviors. Although some say that they help with the amount of pollution in the world, more are claiming that they not only use a lot more energy to manufacture than other vehicles, but they are giving off major toxins in the environment. The manufacturing of the batteries that powers the motor invovles the toxic processing of nickel. One investigator said, ”This plant has caused so much environmental damage to the surrounding environment that NASA has used the ‘dead zone’ around the plant to test moon rovers. The area around the plant is devoid of any life for miles.”
In order to reduce the discharge of fossil fuels the authorities in Sweden encourage at present the changeover to "environment cars". We call them "Bio Power Cars", (BPC).
That means cars you can refuel with either ethanol - a renewal fuel - or gas. It´s also possible to fill the tank with leadfree petrol.
A private person who buys a BPC get a reward of 10.000 swedish crowns from the State. If your employer furnishs you with a BPC you have to pay some income tax for this favour but the tax is reduced by 20 percent compared to an ordinary petrol car. In many cities in Sweden you are allowed to park your BPC free of charge or for a lower parking fee. In the city of Stockholm, i.e. central Stockholm, the car owner also has to pay a crowding fee, but not for BPC´s.
This is of course a good thing but personally I would also like to see the society promote the developing of sound electric engines for cars.
Gustav Abrahamsson
Göteborg
Sweden
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