Dark Side of Hybrid Cars

[blackdiamond0419]

The Dark Side of Hybrids
By: LSC
Environmental Damage
Is the hybrid car a solution to the world’s pollution problem or is it really just a
silent killer to our environment? The way the hybrid car actually performs is very
efficient because it uses the regenerative braking process. It then uses that energy
more efficiently throughout city driving giving a better gas mileage most of the time.
However what the U.S. population that purchases this hybrid isn’t aware of is the
emission damage it’s causing to our environment.
Lithium and mining of other metals are the main concern when it comes to
manufacturing the hybrid car. The worldwide transport cost of lithium batteries is
around 1.6 billion dollars per year and is estimated to get up to 22 billion by the year
2020. During the manufacturing process upwards of 20% of the vehicles total lifetime
greenhouse gas emissions are released during that process. As production continues
another 5 to 10 percent is added when the lithium ion batteries are put all together.
A total of almost 30% of total greenhouse gas emissions are created before the car is
even driven one mile on the roads. You add all these together and the unknown facts
that exist with this car start to present themselves.

Manufacturing process effects
Toyota is one of the biggest producers of the Hybrid. They receive the metals for
the hybrid battery from a Canadian smelting company located in Sudbury, Ontario,
which has been a major manufacturer of Sulphur dioxide for roughly a century now.
This chemical release leads to increased acid rain as well as fumes that are so
poisonous that the surrounding vegetation completely disappeared. Acid rain is
precipitation that is highly acidic, meaning that its levels of hydrogen ions (low pH)
has a harmful effect. We should consider that acid rain has detrimental effects on all
aspects of the environment if it is able to wipe out vegetation in specific areas near a
smelting company, or plant, factory, etc.
In order to get the necessary metals from one location to the next to put
together the hybrid battery, a vast amount of fuel and energy is required. Once nickel
is smelted in Ontario, it is sent roughly 10,000 miles away to Europe’s largest nickel
refinery at Clydoch in South Wales. It is then transported to China (Dalian and
Shenyang specifically) to be processed into a lightweight substance known as nickel
foam. This substance is then transported to Japan and the manufacturing of the
battery finally takes place. Only then, after all this fuel and energy is consumed, does
the battery then travel back to the US and sold to consumers.

Conventional vs. Hybrid
Hybrid cars work by storing the energy you have built up with the gas motor into
batteries as you slow or come to a stop. Compared to a conventional car they do get
improved gas mileage in city driving due to this technology, but when it comes down to it
this increased mileage is paid for in other ways.
A hybrid car costs, on average, $3000 to $8000 more than its conventional
counterpart and if there are any mechanical problems these cars cost a lot more for both
parts and service to repair. The most expensive of these repairs is that hybrid battery that
drivers invest so much of their money into and often time they are not informed that they
must replace this battery about every 80,000 to 100,000 miles.
In 2007 the new model of Prius sold for around $22,000, this car, used and in good
condition is worth around $7,000 to $8,000 today. In a conventional car that is not a bad
price, as you may need a few inexpensive repairs here and there to keep it going, but for a
hybrid car it almost certainly needed the battery to be replaced at least once by now. This
cost is around $3,000 which ends up being more than a third of what the car is worth used,
and this is just one repair assuming nothing else needs work on the car.



References
1. Andrew Olivia. "Environmental and Social Issues Concerned with Hybrid Cars."
Polymer Contents 27.8 (2010): 480-523. Wpi.edu. 5 Mar. 2010.
2. Brand, Stephan; Petri, Maximilian; Haas, Philipp; Krettek, Christian; Haasper, Carl.n
“Hybrid and electric low-noise cars cause an increase in traffic accidents involving
vulnerable road users in urban areas.” International Journal of Injury Control & Safety
Promotion. Dec2013, Vol. 20 Issue 4, p339-341.
3. Dapena, Peter V. "Hybrids: Save Gas Lose Money." CNN.com. N.p., 8 Mar. 2008.
4. Fortenbaugh, Colten. "Hybrid Cars not so Environmentally Friendly"" Pitt.edu.
5. Gerstenfeld, Arthur, Nicholas Bova, Zach Marrs, Justin Goodwin, and Andrew Olivia.
"Environmental Issues Concerned with Hybrid Cars." Polymer Contents 27.8 (2010):
480-523. Wpi.edu. 5 Mar. 2010.
6. Graff Zivin, Joshua S.; Kotchen, Matthew J.; Mansur, Erin T. Spatial and temporal
heterogeneity of marginal emissions: Implications for electric cars and other electricity-
shifting policies. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization. Nov2014 Part A, Vol.
107, p248-268.
7. McManus, M.C. Environmental consequences of the use of batteries in low carbon
systems: The impact of battery production. Applied Energy. May2012, Vol. 93, p288-
295.
8. Vivanco, David Font; Freire-González, Jaume; Kemp, René; van der Voet, Ester. “The
Remarkable Environmental Rebound Effect of Electric Cars: A Microeconomic
Approach”. Environmental Science & Technology. 10/21/2014, Vol. 48 Issue 20,
p12063-12072.
9. Williams, Laura. "Negative Environmental Impacts of Hybrid Vehicles."
LoveToKnow.com

[LEZ]

So where do you stand on this and what alternetives are there? Eventuallyy there will have to be a replacement for combustion engines.

[MikeCStig]

Originally Posted by LEZ

So where do you stand on this and what alternetives are there? Eventuallyy there will have to be a replacement for combustion engines.

That's not necessarily true. The internal combustion engine can easily live on if fuel companies and politicians would get their thumbs out of their asses, put their own personal interests aside, and find a new way to fuel them so we don't need crude oil anymore. Hell, some new ways have already been found, they just need to be put into action.
For diesel engines, a mixture of vegetable oil (recycled perhaps) methanol and sodium hydroxide a.k.a. Biodiesel. Similar mileage, cleaner emissions and unchanged performance.
To fuel gas engines: Ethanol. Mileage does come down a bit, but performance is unchanged, and there is far less carbon coming out of the exhaust. Plus ethanol can be distilled from renewable resources; basically anything with sugar, mixed with yeast, fermented and distilled. Basically the same process as distilling hard liquor, but less restricted since it isn't meant to be a beverage. For example, if there's a little methanol in there too, it's ok because you don't have to worry about someone drinking it and going blind as a result, and how it smells and tastes is irrelevant. Also, aiming for a much higher purity. All that's needed is a rapidly renewable plant that contains sugar. Hemp would work quite well for this.

The problem with hybrids that really pisses me off is how these people, who are supposed to be geniuses and make disgusting amounts of money, have taken an idea that was brilliant in theory, then proceeded to ruined it and make it completely pointless by sending the raw materials needed to build these cars on a world tour, resulting in a carbon footprint the size of 100,000 miles in one of the "gas guzzlers" they're supposed to be fighting- before the cars have even been sold! Not to mention that driving a hybrid (unless it's a hybrid supercar) is a miserably dull experience. I drove a prius once and the only time I wasn't bored out of my mind was when I was confused and/or frustrated about how to operate this abomination. Oh, and I only averaged 43 mpg(to be fair my right foot isn't exactly made of feathers). Not bad, but they boast 50+ mpg, what they don't tell you is that you have to drive like an old lady to get numbers like that.

[LEZ]

the problem with plant-produced fuel is that you are taking food and turning it into petrol and with world hunger a serious problem its unlikely that car companies would choose to make fuel from plants that could feed millions. The only combustible fuel i can think of is hydrogen. Seems to me to be the only way forward for Combustion ignition engines. But even that seems like a temporary alternative. somebody is gonna have to come up with a way to charge electric cars quickly will also getting good millage.

[MikeCStig]

That's why I suggested using hemp. It produces oil, some sugar, and fermentable starch, and it really isn't common as food. Sure some people eat it (not many), but the market of hemp-based foods is so small, I doubt it would be missed. Really it's only common use is to make paper from the pulp, and to make fabric and rope out of the fibers, and even that is sort of a niche market.
The only problem I can think of is the DEA getting all pissy because they won't be able to bust people growing pot by flying helicopters over their land (which they shouldn't be able to without a warrant anyway) to look for plants because the two look too much alike to tell the difference from above. To that, I say get over it... it's going to be legal soon anyway, go spend our tax dollars on finding and seizing real dangerous drugs, busting meth labs and the type of sh*t that actually is a menace to society, but I digress...

Anyway, the reason E85 was such a flop was because they were making it from corn, that was dimwitted to say the least. The solution: find a renewable plant that produces oil and sugar and isn't a common source of food. Hemp is just an example, I'm sure there are other plants out there that fit the description.
Biodiesel can be made from recycled oils like the used oil drained out of deep dryers when restaurants change their fryer oil. No one wants to eat that sh*t, So why not use it for fuel?
Switching all cars to electric drive isn't as easy as it sounds, and it could result in cars being so expensive only the upper classes would be able to afford them, kind of like the 1930s and 40s. Do you want to go back in time?

[Stealthee]

Corn based ethanol is really not a good alternative either since it actually takes more energy to produce it than it actually makes itself. Not only that but it has other negative effects on the costs of food and has many other negative effects as well.

Many older cars cannot properly run ethanol fuel without changing many of the fueling components so it is not a solution for probably 80% of cars on the road. Ethanol fuel also is not as efficient as non ethanol fuel. For instance, a car that can run E85 or 87 octane would spend MORE money to go the same distance. People lose anywhere from 2-5 mpg or possibly more when running E85 so they aren't saving anything.

I agree that there needs to be alternatives looked into, but ethanol is not the answer.