Hybrid Cars, Do you think they're good? Options

[*steve330*]

I personally think they suck. The production of them puts out more emissions than would have been reduced due to the fact that it's a hybrid. In making the battery, they have to mine the nickel in Canada, ship to england for refining, ship to China for further refining, ship to Japan to be made into the battery, ship to America to be put into the production queue and does w/e from there on out. The quarry where they mine in Canada has had such horrible pollution that all around it, the acid rain's destroyed all vegetation.

Also I did the math and you would have to drive 212,500 miles on a civic hybrid to make it more cost beneficial than a regular civic. This was under the assumption that gas was 3.00 per gallon (which it is in Houston)

[*Elba*]

I personally think you suck. Haha, jk.

Seriously though, I would have to do a little research before I can really reply to this because I don't know what goes on when making a hybrid. I do have a couple of questions.

What's the difference in making a hybrid battery and making a regular car battery?

Oh, I guess it was only one question I had.

[*steve330*]

A regular car battery is a Lead-Acid battery, and all the mining can be done in the United States with far less shipping and less emissions(they don't create wastelands).

The exact spot for the mining in Canada is Sudbury. There used to be forests there and now it looks like
Nasa uses it as a test place for some of their moon vehicles because it matches the surface lol.

[brooklyneast05]

Also I did the math and you would have to drive 212,500 miles on a civic hybrid to make it more cost beneficial than a regular civic. This was under the assumption that gas was 3.00 per gallon (which it is in Houston)

what kinda gas mileage does a civic hybrid get?


my mom's toyota hybrid is averaging about 55 miles a gallon
i've heard the civics suck though

[*steve330*]

I think it was something like 45

Also did the math and it's more economically viable to buy a H3 hummer, due to how long the Hummer lasts and the short lifespan on the hybrids. Of course, given time, I'm sure hybrids will get better, start to last longer, become more cost efficient, and be overall a good buy, but at the moment they aren't.

[brooklyneast05]

i like mine

but i agree that they will become better, seeing as they haven't been around as long as others. i don't really know about their lifespans, everyone i know who has one seems to like it and hasn't had any problems with it but i don't know anyone who's had one over a couple years.

i could never afford to drive a hummer though, paying to fill it up would kill me

[*steve330*]

Paying to fill it up for 300k miles is actually cheaper than driving a hybrid that long because you have to buy multiple cars.

When you factor in all the energy it takes to drive and build a Prius it takes almost 50% more energy than a Hummer. In a study by CNW Marketing called "Dust to Dust", researchers discovered that the Prius costs and average of $3.25 per mile driven over a lifetime of 100,000 miles (the expected lifespan of a hybrid). On the other hand the Hummer costs $1.95 per mile over an expected 300,000 miles.

http://www.thetorquereport.com/2007/03/toy...s_efficien.html

[brooklyneast05]

u have to buy multiple cars?

is that a fact that it can't last 300k?

[*steve330*]

The average span is supposedly 100,000 miles. I'm using these numbers from places I've researched it, I haven't personally tested one so I could be wrong. This is just from what I've gathered. Oh and it's not just on that one site, there are sites all over the place (and I'm sure I can find credible ones) that back up this information, including the Washington Post.

[brooklyneast05]

oh yea, i thought it was just the battery that had that estimated life span, not the whole care itself.
the battery has a 100,000 mile warranty on it, but my boss for instance has put over 150,000 miles on it and hasn't had a problem. which i guess might just depend on which hybrid since there's quite a few out.

[*steve330*]

Yeah, like I said I haven't tested any of this for myself, and I'm sure there are exceptions to everything. Oh also, the cost to replace the battery ranges from 5-8 thousand dollars.

[brooklyneast05]

true, if not more probably

putting out less pollution and getting better gas mileage obviously influenced my decision to get one a lot, but there were other reasons i did. like the tax rebate, and because it just drives smoother and quieter than the non hybrid version of my car.

[*steve330*]

Yeah but the less pollution is only at the finish product. The production of all the parts and all the shipping pollute more than you would if you just drove a normal car.

When I Get home I'll pull up my paper on hybrids. Of course it's a little biased against, but it still has completely factual information, just the way it's worded.

[kimmytree]

I havent read up that much on hybrids, but I've heard that before.

Does a hybrid, like the Honda Civic, really get that much more mpg than a regular Civic? From what I remember, Civics get at least 40 mpg. And if the average hybrid only gets 45, I'd rather just settle for the regular one.

[illriginal]

lol I've seen a Hybrid Toyota do 105 mph... we were sort of racing (I was barely even tryin) on the highway... and I idled with him at 105mph... it was the funniest shit ever. They're ok.... never had a problem with them existing.

[*steve330*]

Oo a hybrid that wanted to race?

[xKatt]

A regular car battery is a Lead-Acid battery, and all the mining can be done in the United States with far less shipping and less emissions(they don't create wastelands).

The exact spot for the mining in Canada is Sudbury. There used to be forests there and now it looks like http://www.thescreamonline.com/photo/photo...s/OLF_02_02.jpg
Nasa uses it as a test place for some of their moon vehicles because it matches the surface lol.

AHHH NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. Deforestation makes my insides churn.

[brooklyneast05]

I personally think they suck. The production of them puts out more emissions than would have been reduced due to the fact that it's a hybrid. In making the battery, they have to mine the nickel in Canada, ship to england for refining, ship to China for further refining, ship to Japan to be made into the battery, ship to America to be put into the production queue and does w/e from there on out. The quarry where they mine in Canada has had such horrible pollution that all around it, the acid rain's destroyed all vegetation.

yea, but that kinda sounds as if this is specifically due to the making of batteries for hybrid cars. this would be the case whether hybrids existed or not. they mine nickel and have been since sudbury canada was founded, in like the 1800s when they first ran across the nickel. yea the vegetation is absolutely ruined, no doubt about that, but it has been for a very long time, way before anyone purchased nickel for hybrid batteries there.

[*Elba*]

In all honesty, does anyone really keep a car for 300,000 miles? I have 125k on my Jeep and I want a new car. I'm sure some people do have cars past 300k, but I would imagine the majority won't keep it past 200k?

[brooklyneast05]

In all honesty, does anyone really keep a car for 300,000 miles? I have 125k on my Jeep and I want a new car. I'm sure some people do have cars past 300k, but I would imagine the majority won't keep it past 200k?

yea thats what im thinking, i dont know anyone who keeps their car that long. i read the average american puts like 13,000 - 15,000 miles on their car a year. at that rate...thats a long time
why not compare them at the same mileage

[illriginal]

Oo a hybrid that wanted to race?

Well I was idled at 75MPH, and this little Toyota just zooms past me, and I started to laugh. So I quickly punch it in third gear, shift into 4th, idled next to him, then shifted onto 5th and stayed there for a few minutes lol... I started to tease him by droppin the gear and punching it (I love the sound of my blow off valve from 4th to 5th, chirps really loud) makin him hear my force induction

In all honesty, does anyone really keep a car for 300,000 miles? I have 125k on my Jeep and I want a new car. I'm sure some people do have cars past 300k, but I would imagine the majority won't keep it past 200k?

I have a lil over 150,000 miles on mine, but it's Japanese and I baby it to death with healthy oil every 2 months, filter change every two months, and high quality/grade gasoline.

[*steve330*]

yea thats what im thinking, i dont know anyone who keeps their car that long. i read the average american puts like 13,000 - 15,000 miles on their car a year. at that rate...thats a long time
why not compare them at the same mileage

Long term economic value for the Hummer3 is greater. *Shrug* I'm too tired to argue right now :(

The nickel argument is like the gas argument. Buying the nickel only supports the mining out there, just like buying so much gas has made it an industry in and of itself.

I put 25k this past year :( 60 miles commute per day suckedddd

And Elba, I'm keeping mine til I can't drive it no more -.- I don't have the money to get another.

[popoberry]

personally i`d so get one so i don`t have to pay for gas . but they suck in the long run .

[brooklyneast05]

personally i`d so get one so i don`t have to pay for gas . but they suck in the long run .

how do u know they suck in the long run?
have u had one in the long run?

[Kontroll]

Stop bitching. Cows put out more emmissions than cars. Biotch.

[brooklyneast05]

Stop bitching. Cows put out more emmissions than cars. Biotch.

what do u suggest we do about that?

[*steve330*]

what do u suggest we do about that?

I think the point he's getting to is that we shouldn't be worrying so much about what our cars are doing (especially hybrids after their whole production cost), and be spending our time focusing on taking care of a major issue (not to say that pollution isn't a major issue).

[xKatt]

what do u suggest we do about that?

Eat them.

[brooklyneast05]

I think the point he's getting to is that we shouldn't be worrying so much about what our cars are doing (especially hybrids after their whole production cost), and be spending our time focusing on taking care of a major issue (not to say that pollution isn't a major issue).

i'm worried about other issues, there's just not a lot i can do about them i guess. pollution to me is that we can all do something about it. rather easily. and other more major issues we can't.

i love eating cows

[MrElsewhere]

Water car > all.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Rb_rDkwGnU

[*steve330*]

i'm worried about other issues, there's just not a lot i can do about them i guess. pollution to me is that we can all do something about it. rather easily. and other more major issues we can't.

i love eating cows

Well, you know that Americans sequester more carbon than anyone else. Mowing lawns sequesters carbon. Building houses does, not directly though. Landfills, replanting trees after tearing them down (young trees take in way more than old trees), etc.

[brooklyneast05]

Well, you know that Americans sequester more carbon than anyone else. Mowing lawns sequesters carbon. Building houses does, not directly though. Landfills, replanting trees after tearing them down (young trees take in way more than old trees), etc.

yea i know
thats why i think we should cut back on the things that are easy to cut back on, and i think not driving cars that get 14 miles a gallon is one of them.

[*steve330*]

well, 14 miles/gallon is just ridiculous lol. I don't think that means we have to cripple our automotive industry or anything though. Besides, new cars (such as the new suburban's) are getting this new engine that only uses the amount of cylinders it needs to. If you don't give it too much gas, for instance, it only uses 4 cylinders. If you floor it, it uses all 8. Then there's always flex-fuel.

[kimmytree]

well, 14 miles/gallon is just ridiculous lol. I don't think that means we have to cripple our automotive industry or anything though. Besides, new cars (such as the new suburban's) are getting this new engine that only uses the amount of cylinders it needs to. If you don't give it too much gas, for instance, it only uses 4 cylinders. If you floor it, it uses all 8. Then there's always flex-fuel.

Well, I think what she means is - there are so many vehicles on the market that get poor mpg. Like large SUV's, Jeep Cherokee's (only get like 15), and large pickup trucks. I understand that some people do need large trucks, but alot of people driving them do not. Same for large SUV's... some of the people that drive them dont need the extra room. They just drive them because they can afford to.

I dont think it would cripple our economy at all to try to get people to drive more efficient vehicles. It would help our economy actually. We're spending a record amount on fuel, which financialy hurts alot of Americans. Gas isnt $1.50 anymore.

[brooklyneast05]

well, 14 miles/gallon is just ridiculous lol. I don't think that means we have to cripple our automotive industry or anything though. Besides, new cars (such as the new suburban's) are getting this new engine that only uses the amount of cylinders it needs to. If you don't give it too much gas, for instance, it only uses 4 cylinders. If you floor it, it uses all 8. Then there's always flex-fuel.

agreed
14 miles is what fueleconomy.gov gives the hummer
that new suburban engine sounds good, stuff like that would be a huge improvement and probably make quite a bit of difference. i think if we've got the technology we should use it.

[*steve330*]

I think she is a he lol. I understand that too, and see the logic there, and don't see any reason why more people shouldn't drive cars instead of SUV's. Also, if everyone learned to drive manual they could get better mileage that way haha.

[*Elba*]

My Jeep only gets about 15 i remember having to fill it up every week at like $60

[brooklyneast05]

My Jeep only gets about 15 i remember having to fill it up every week at like $60

wow
i'd be broke

my ford escape is hybrid and gets 35-40 usually

[*steve330*]

I drive a mustang GT standard, and the way I shift I am pulling 22 mpg city, which is pretty damn good for a modded 8 cylinder car with only 5 gears lol.

[NoSex]

Greater gas mileage encourages more driving - which, even though emissions may be better, result in greater pollution. When people drive cross country cause it's cheaper than buying a plane ticket, it's going to cause an increase in pollution. Silly heads.

Alternative fuel, there is a joke and a half too. Ethanol, expensive and filthy! Awesome!

[brooklyneast05]

When people drive cross country cause it's cheaper than buying a plane ticket, it's going to cause an increase in pollution.

maybe it's just me and my family but we don't fly because it's cheaper, we fly because its faster and more convenient.

i'm sure it encourages more driving, but i drive the same amount i would if i didn't have a hybrid, so i'd rather get good gas mileage while im at it

[falsetigerlimbs]

My mum has a hybrid RX400, and it's really cool. :)
Hybrids do take a long time to "pay for themselves," but I think it's more of a psychological thing; you think you're saving a lot of money because you're not buying as much gas.
I haven't really researched what the production of the batteries does to the environment, but even if the production of the battery is detrimental, surely once the car is in use, the everyday reduction in the amount of emissions would somewhat make up for it? Does anyone want to do the math?

[lojay]

I think the only idea of the hybrid that I find appealing is if for some odd reason I am in a hurry or am late and don't have enough time to get gas, or don't feel like spending money, I could always just change from using gas to using the hybrid part of it. As in... I could just go from using gas to using the battery if I needed to. That alternative of having a back up if I run out of gas seems nice.

However, I wouldn't buy a hybrid just for that reason...

[brooklyneast05]

I could always just change from using gas to using the hybrid part of it. As in... I could just go from using gas to using the battery if I needed to. That alternative of having a back up if I run out of gas seems nice.

i didn't know any of them did this?
all the ones i know of use a gas engine and an electric one. they both work together, there is no option to run on only one. but maybe ur talking about one that i don't know of. mine doesn't do this, and i know the toyota ones don't.

[lojay]

i didn't know any of them did this?
all the ones i know of use a gas engine and an electric one. they both work together, there is no option to run on only one. but maybe ur talking about one that i don't know of. mine doesn't do this, and i know the toyota ones don't.

Really? I was talking to my dad about if I could do that, and he said you probably could. I guess he was wrong. Or wasn't actually listening to me when I was talking... I guess you can't... would be cool if you could though. Haha.

[falsetigerlimbs]

i didn't know any of them did this?
all the ones i know of use a gas engine and an electric one. they both work together, there is no option to run on only one. but maybe ur talking about one that i don't know of. mine doesn't do this, and i know the toyota ones don't.

My mum's Lexus automatically switches between gas and electric depending on the situation. It CAN use one or the other. If we're going down a big hill, it just coasts down using no power, and charges the battery. And if we're just cruising around a parking lot or something, it runs on electric. But then when she gets above a certain speed, the engine kicks in. It's all automated. It actually has a screen on the navigation system that shows exactly where the power is coming from/going to. That's how I know exactly what's happening.

[brooklyneast05]

My mum's Lexus automatically switches between gas and electric depending on the situation. It CAN use one or the other. If we're going down a big hill, it just coasts down using no power, and charges the battery. And if we're just cruising around a parking lot or something, it runs on electric. But then when she gets above a certain speed, the engine kicks in. It's all automated. It actually has a screen on the navigation system that shows exactly where the power is coming from/going to. That's how I know exactly what's happening.

yea mine does the same
but i cant push a button and only run on battery if i'm out of gas like elbaliava wanted to do. that would be nice though.
mine automatically switches depending on the situation as well.

[*Steven*]

My mum has a hybrid RX400, and it's really cool. :)
Hybrids do take a long time to "pay for themselves," but I think it's more of a psychological thing; you think you're saving a lot of money because you're not buying as much gas.
I haven't really researched what the production of the batteries does to the environment, but even if the production of the battery is detrimental, surely once the car is in use, the everyday reduction in the amount of emissions would somewhat make up for it? Does anyone want to do the math?

I can't think of any way to do the math other than read cited sources etc. They have, however, stated that the hybrid's "carbon footprint (lol)" is considerably larger than that of normal cars, despite the fact that normal cars put out more pollution once they've been made.

[brooklyneast05]

i think if nothing else they balance each other out
even though im kinda inclined to think that a hybrid would end up being better. but i guess that would depend on how long you drove it, and which normal car u were comparing it too.

i can't think of any way to do the math either. but i'd like to

also i was thinking, nickel is used to make chrome, that's on a lot of "normal" cars. and a good chunk of all the nickel mined goes towards making stainless steel, that's used in normal cars. then there's engine alloys and what not.

[*Steven*]

Yeah but if it's on a normal car what's to say it's not on the hybrid. Also when comparing hybrid vs normal, I tend to compare a normal car vs it's hybrid counterpart, i.e. ford escape vs ford escape hybrid.

[brooklyneast05]

Yeah but if it's on a normal car what's to say it's not on the hybrid.

yea i know, i just mean hybrids certainly aren't the only cars that use nickel. but i agree that with the battery they probably use more. i think the batteries use like 50 pounds of nickel or something.

[mysticalazxn]

money talk. If you have money hybrid is a better option. If you are common then it is suck for you. It's not worth the investment because it cost too much compare to the normal model.

[*Steven*]

money talk. If you have money hybrid is a better option. If you are common then it is suck for you. It's not worth the investment because it cost too much compare to the normal model.

Have you read any of the debate? One of the arguments was that the higher cost of the hybrid might not necessarily be paid off by cheaper gas.

[brooklyneast05]

money talk. If you have money hybrid is a better option. If you are common then it is suck for you. It's not worth the investment because it cost too much compare to the normal model.

that probably depends on what car ur talking about
i paid 3,000 more for the hybrid version than i would for the normal one of my car. and i think 3,000 can be made up. if it was like 15,000 more for the hybrid that would be a different story. there's way too many factors that determine whether or not it's worth the investment. what's worth it to one person might not be to another.