Quote:
Originally Posted by T Bone
Actually, I do understand technology quite well.
- Perhaps you can enlighten me on how hybrid helps with highway driving?
- How about battery disposal?
- How about brake feel / linearity on regenerative systems?
- Impact of the extra weight on active safety systems?
The technology today is a joke, used by people who like to feel like they are saving the environment....
I am actually an environmentalist but I hate when car companies sell snake oil and I hate the snake oil users! Like the self-absorb folk who drive the speed limit (by themselves in the commuter lanes). I don't hate the technology per se but the users are kinda wierd. |
Now, you are making some good points rather then your blanket statement!
Hybrids help with highway driving by the cars being able to have a smaller engine due to the added power of the electric motor. Smaller displacement usually means better gas mileage, but not always.
Battery Disposal, great point, our recycling of batteries is only going to get better and better. Plus they will start to last longer then the 10 or so years that they do now. When some type of super capacitor is introduced this shouldn’t be much of a concern.
Linearity of brake system, another good point. Remember that hybrid technology of the kind of scale that is on now has only been around for about a decade. This is one of the teething problems that I am sure will get fixed with strides in electronics and technology for these vehicles.
Weight, again we are headed towards some type of super capacitor, this will not be an issue, the new motors don’t weight much at all. Valid point, but cars need to get lighters across the board, there is plenty of pork to cut out!
Do a carbon emissions comparison between a 25mpg and a 40mpg gallon car over its lifetime. There is no joke there. Driving at lower speeds does cut down a lot on emissions as well. But, that is not a point I could defend (very guilty of it myself)
To me hybrids are a little like our new found love for ethanol. While we may be just breaking even from a energy benefit standpoint (we are making some notable gains on hybrids). We are modeling the new cars and technology for tomorrow. Something has to be done sometime when you have a limited resource. If people don’t care, we will as a country and world be in a lot of trouble.