The Dark Side of Hybrid Cars
We all want what’s best for the environment; we all want to live healthy, clean lives and protect the world we live in. People around the world have become more conscious about what they are doing to the environment and are looking for ways to improve their lifestyle. Fortunately in this day and age there are many products and lifestyle choices that can help us live up to the expectations we have of a healthy world—and then there is the highly controversial issue of hybrid cars. Are hybrid cars really the answer that we are looking for? The definite answer is no. From the way they are built, to the underwhelming gas mileage, and finally to the insignificant environmental effects of hybrid cars, the bad, or the not so “green” outweighs the good.
All cars built have a slight negative effect on the environment. But what many do not know is a hybrid vehicle can actually negatively impact the environment more than the environmentally conscious would like to admit. A surprise to the green community would be the extensive journey of the Toyota Prius’ battery. All the nickel contained in the Prius’ battery is mined in Sudbury, Ontario. Sources say that Sudbury, Ontario is a great environmental concern. Toyota purchases 1,000 tons of nickel from the mine annually. The nickel is shipped on a container ship to Europe where it is processed in the largest refinery in Europe. The nickel is then shipped to China to produce “nickel foam,” which is the foam form of metallic material. After the nickel is processed in China, it is shipped on to Japan where the batteries are manufactured. The completed batteries are finally shipped to the United States to complete their journey. The journey throughout the world that the mined nickel takes to produce a single Prius battery is undoubtedly negative. The environment does not benefit from the harmful Prius battery.
Some specialists have even gone so far as to say that the Hummer is more environmentally friendly than the Prius. In a study conducted by CNW Marketing Research (CNWMR) called “Dust to Dust.” CNW Marketing Research (CNWMR) compared the cost per mile of the energy used over the lifetime expectancy (100,000 miles) of a Hummer and a Toyota Prius. The energy constitutes electrical, fuel, transportation, and materials. The cost-per-mile of Prius is $3.25 and the cost-per-mile of a Hummer is $1.95. Clearly, from this study of the Prius, the environmental effects of this hybrid car are not beneficial to the environment whatsoever.
The notion that hybrid cars will save the world is truly a misguided idea. In fact, not many people actually drive hybrid cars. As of September 2010 the year-to-date sales of hybrid cars (crossovers) in the United States was 1,732,971. The standard, non-hybrid vehicles in this study were cars, trucks, and SUVs. Under the cars, trucks, and SUVs categories there were subcategories pertaining to the sizes of the vehicle. The total sales of all the cars, trucks, and SUVs (including their subcategories), was 6,887,640 (the year-to-date sales in the US as of September 2010). The total amount of cars sold in the US, including hybrid and standard was 8,620,611 (year- to-date sales of September 2010) and only about 20% of the total sales consisted of hybrid cars. For the Toyota Prius’, the year-to-date sales as of September 2010 was only 103,334. The sales of the Prius decreased -1.4% from the year-to-date sales of 2009. In a study done by high school students in Rosemary Beach, Florida, these students found that out of every 15 cars, only one is a hybrid. From these statistics, it is clear that, even if hybrid cars were beneficial to the environment, they are such a small percentage of cars actually driven, that their effect is negligible. The planet will not be saved through the use of hybrid cars in the United States.
The actual gas mileage of hybrid cars is another factor in disproving the theory that hybrid cars are beneficial to the environment. The following information on gas mileage will help clarify the comparison between hybrid and standard car MPG (miles per gallon). When looking at the MPG of a car, there are two factors that make up the mileage: city driving and highway driving. City driving is defined as driving at a slower speed with more frequent stops and obstacles such as pedestrians which puts wear-and-tear on the car. Highway driving is driving on a long stretch of road at a higher speed with few obstacles. Highway driving generally produces better gas mileage. Through research, many claim that their personal gas mileage of a Toyota Prius was nowhere near the claim of 50 MPG (2010); on further study, experts claim that the low MPG claimed by Toyota may be due to how and where the Prius is driven. Why pay a lot for a car that doesn’t get the gas mileage one is expecting (especially if one lives in a city)? The average starting sale price for a Toyota Prius is $22,800 (2010). Another good hybrid comparison is of a standard Chevrolet Tahoe and that of a hybrid Chevrolet Tahoe. On average the MPG of a standard Chevrolet Tahoe is 15 city/21 highway driving. For the hybrid Chevrolet Tahoe the average MPG is 21 city/22 highway driving. If a hybrid supposedly gets better mileage than a standard car, why is it that the standard gets 21 MPG for highway driving and the hybrid gets only 22 MPG for highway driving? The difference simply isn’t that great. The standard Tahoe gets 15 MPG for city driving and the hybrid Tahoe gets 21 MPG for the same. City driving is more destructive to the car thus reducing its lifespan. The cost of a 2011 standard Chevrolet Tahoe is $37,570 and the cost of a 2011 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid is $50,735. It is unfathomable for anyone to pay an extra $13,000 for the nonexistent “saved” gas mileage promised of a Tahoe Hybrid.
In conclusion, I stand firm by my argument that hybrid cars do not benefit the environment. They use up precious energy and resources, the total amount of people who drive hybrids is virtually unnoticeable, and the promised gas mileage is a manipulated statistic. The Prius’ effect on the environment is are really no better than regular vehicles, especially when considering the lengthy and wasteful manufacturing process for its battery. There is no need to spend an extra $13,000 dollars on a hybrid when its standard counterpart has, understandably, no real measureable differences. People mean well and have good intentions to protect the planet, but hybrid cars are not the answer. If I wanted to “save” the world and was given the choice between a hybrid car and a standard car, I would ride my bike.
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