Question:
I am frustrated with the rhetoric and politics !
Does everyone on the hybrid and E85 bandwagon understand the following?? Comments?? Constructive comments!
Hybirds Carry a premium over a comparable gasoline engine. Negating any benefit in fuel mpg gained.
Hybrids have many more batteries made of precious metals lead and nickel not to mention acid, adding weight to the vehicle and creating serious disposal, ( hazardous materials) repair and replacement issues.
Hybrids Don’t get anywhere near the EPA estimates in mileage.
Ethanol Causes MPG to drop 20-30 %.Ethanol has less energy ( in BTU's) then gasoline. Physics
Ethanol Absorbs water and is corrosive. This creates massive storage and transportation issues.( Although E85 cars are designed for this).
Ethanol Is very difficult to make produce much more so then gasoline.
Oh, and Bio-diesel is even worse then any of the above.
Answers:
Yes I know about all the above. Have made comments to the same effect as yourself.
I see many detramental effects to the new technologies as yourself.
However, what we need to be looking at is becoming independent of foreign countries for gas and oil. There is always going to be some cost, the question is do we pay more for things that are more harmful such as deadly disposal of batteries, attempt to make things like ethanol which are more corrosive, or send our troops to the middle east to fight for the oil.
It's a hard choice that Americans are going to have to make, but the days of cheap transportation may be in the past.
Oh, additional things to add to your list. Ethanol and Hybrid technology is HEAVILY subsidized by our government, meaning the government is paying people to try these technologies (or to keep prices competitive with gasoline). Gasoline is HEAVILY TAXED so the government is getting money for gasoline. Don't think that once people get hooked on the new technologies that the government won't start taxing them too!
Currently gasoline is still the better deal. When gasoline hit $7/gallon, I'll be looking at the alternative fuels. :p
Other Answers:
I agree with all of your points!
First we need to conserve more - better public transportation.
More car pooling and being more efficient with our trips.
I'd like to know more about fuel cells.
Hybrid cars are just a band aid they don't cure the problem.
E-85 - How much money (or oil)are we saving? It uses alot more energy and money to produce this fuel - and ultimitely by using corn we are taking food away from people who are starving (not green!)
Don't get pulled in by all the hyped-up marketing! It is frustrating, but unless you can come up with something better that will not destroy the ozone, you may as well start riding your bike. It cannot be fixed overnight in large leaps and bounds (it would destroy the economy). So little steps toward the final goal is the way to go. There are many of us that are designing and working on different hybrid vehicles, but the process is daunting and expensive, and yes, frustrating. How you can get the shady politicians out of DC, and get "Green Friendly" representatives into DC is beyond me. So I choose to ride the bike a couple of days a week and take electric power mass transit a couple more, and then I blow it by driving my Suburban to the store to get a gallon of milk. What did you drive today?
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Does everyone on the hybrid and E85 bandwagon understand the following?? Comments?? Constructive comments!
Hybirds Carry a premium over a comparable gasoline engine. Negating any benefit in fuel mpg gained.
Hybrids have many more batteries made of precious metals lead and nickel not to mention acid, adding weight to the vehicle and creating serious disposal, ( hazardous materials) repair and replacement issues.
Hybrids Don’t get anywhere near the EPA estimates in mileage.
Ethanol Causes MPG to drop 20-30 %.Ethanol has less energy ( in BTU's) then gasoline. Physics
Ethanol Absorbs water and is corrosive. This creates massive storage and transportation issues.( Although E85 cars are designed for this).
Ethanol Is very difficult to make produce much more so then gasoline.
Oh, and Bio-diesel is even worse then any of the above.
Answers:
Yes I know about all the above. Have made comments to the same effect as yourself.
I see many detramental effects to the new technologies as yourself.
However, what we need to be looking at is becoming independent of foreign countries for gas and oil. There is always going to be some cost, the question is do we pay more for things that are more harmful such as deadly disposal of batteries, attempt to make things like ethanol which are more corrosive, or send our troops to the middle east to fight for the oil.
It's a hard choice that Americans are going to have to make, but the days of cheap transportation may be in the past.
Oh, additional things to add to your list. Ethanol and Hybrid technology is HEAVILY subsidized by our government, meaning the government is paying people to try these technologies (or to keep prices competitive with gasoline). Gasoline is HEAVILY TAXED so the government is getting money for gasoline. Don't think that once people get hooked on the new technologies that the government won't start taxing them too!
Currently gasoline is still the better deal. When gasoline hit $7/gallon, I'll be looking at the alternative fuels. :p
Other Answers:
I agree with all of your points!
First we need to conserve more - better public transportation.
More car pooling and being more efficient with our trips.
I'd like to know more about fuel cells.
Hybrid cars are just a band aid they don't cure the problem.
E-85 - How much money (or oil)are we saving? It uses alot more energy and money to produce this fuel - and ultimitely by using corn we are taking food away from people who are starving (not green!)
Don't get pulled in by all the hyped-up marketing! It is frustrating, but unless you can come up with something better that will not destroy the ozone, you may as well start riding your bike. It cannot be fixed overnight in large leaps and bounds (it would destroy the economy). So little steps toward the final goal is the way to go. There are many of us that are designing and working on different hybrid vehicles, but the process is daunting and expensive, and yes, frustrating. How you can get the shady politicians out of DC, and get "Green Friendly" representatives into DC is beyond me. So I choose to ride the bike a couple of days a week and take electric power mass transit a couple more, and then I blow it by driving my Suburban to the store to get a gallon of milk. What did you drive today?