Ext User(the fonz)
24-06-2006, 06:23 PM
This wouldn't make me happy if I'd just bought a Pious.
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/biztech/articles/060331/31hybrids.htm
Hybrids aren't so green after all
By Richard J. Newman
Posted 3/31/06
Trying to decide if you should buy a hybrid to do your bit for the
environment? The decision just got more complicated.
A new study shows that over the lifetime of a vehicle-from the moment
it is conceptualized at a design studio until it ends up in the scrap
heap-hybrids actually consume a lot more energy than even big SUVs.
One reason is that hybrids contain more moving parts than conventional
vehicles, which require more energy to manufacture and process. In
addition to an internal combustion engine, for instance, hybrids also
have an electric motor and a sizable battery pack. That adds to
disposal costs, too, once the car has run its last mile-especially
for the lead-acid batteries.
The study, by consulting firm CNW Marketing Research in Bandon, Ore.,
analyzed hundreds of variables that contribute to energy
costs-including the fuel they burn while being driven-into an index
that measures the energy cost per mile for more than 300 vehicles. All
five hybrids on the list-the Toyota Prius, the Honda Accord and Civic
hybrids, the Honda Insight, and the Ford Escape hybrid-perform below
average. For all vehicles, the average was $2.28 of energy consumption
per mile. The Prius hybrid came in at $3.25 per mile, even though it is
one of the highest-mileage cars in the world, getting about 45 miles
per gallon in real-world driving. The Honda Accord hybrid consumed
$3.30 of energy per mile, about the same as the hulking Ford Excursion
SUV. The conventional Accord came in at just $2.18 per mile.
The data don't change anything about the equation an average buyer
faces when deciding whether a hybrid makes financial sense. Hybrids
typically cost about $2,000 to $3,000 more than similarly equipped
conventional models. They get better mileage, but in normal driving it
takes about seven years before the savings at the pump offset the
higher price.
But for car buyers concerned about the overall environmental
implications of the car they choose to drive, the CNW study should
cause some rethinking. There's not a single hybrid among the 10 most
energy-efficient cars, for instance. But the Scion xB, at the top of
the list, requires just 48 cents of energy per mile-about one seventh
as costly as a Prius-and the Ford Escort, at No. 2, just 57 cents. At
the other end of the list, there are few surprises. The $380,000
Maybach ultraluxe chariot is the least energy-efficient vehicle,
requiring $11.58 worth of energy per mile.
The top and bottom 10:
Most energy efficient Cost per mile
Scion xB $0.48
Ford Escort $0.57
Jeep Wrangler $0.60
Chevrolet Tracker $0.69
Toyota Echo $0.70
Saturn Ion $0.71
Hyundai Elantra $0.72
Dodge Neon $0.73
Toyota Corolla $0.73
Scion xA $0.74
Least energy efficient Cost per mile
Maybach $11.58
VW Phaeton $11.21
Rolls-Royce $10.66
Bentley $10.56
Audi Allroad Quattro $5.60
Audi A8 $4.96
Audi A6 $4.96
Lexus LS 430 $4.73
Porsche Carrera GT $4.53
Acura NSX $4.45
Source: CNW Marketing Research
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/biztech/articles/060331/31hybrids.htm
Hybrids aren't so green after all
By Richard J. Newman
Posted 3/31/06
Trying to decide if you should buy a hybrid to do your bit for the
environment? The decision just got more complicated.
A new study shows that over the lifetime of a vehicle-from the moment
it is conceptualized at a design studio until it ends up in the scrap
heap-hybrids actually consume a lot more energy than even big SUVs.
One reason is that hybrids contain more moving parts than conventional
vehicles, which require more energy to manufacture and process. In
addition to an internal combustion engine, for instance, hybrids also
have an electric motor and a sizable battery pack. That adds to
disposal costs, too, once the car has run its last mile-especially
for the lead-acid batteries.
The study, by consulting firm CNW Marketing Research in Bandon, Ore.,
analyzed hundreds of variables that contribute to energy
costs-including the fuel they burn while being driven-into an index
that measures the energy cost per mile for more than 300 vehicles. All
five hybrids on the list-the Toyota Prius, the Honda Accord and Civic
hybrids, the Honda Insight, and the Ford Escape hybrid-perform below
average. For all vehicles, the average was $2.28 of energy consumption
per mile. The Prius hybrid came in at $3.25 per mile, even though it is
one of the highest-mileage cars in the world, getting about 45 miles
per gallon in real-world driving. The Honda Accord hybrid consumed
$3.30 of energy per mile, about the same as the hulking Ford Excursion
SUV. The conventional Accord came in at just $2.18 per mile.
The data don't change anything about the equation an average buyer
faces when deciding whether a hybrid makes financial sense. Hybrids
typically cost about $2,000 to $3,000 more than similarly equipped
conventional models. They get better mileage, but in normal driving it
takes about seven years before the savings at the pump offset the
higher price.
But for car buyers concerned about the overall environmental
implications of the car they choose to drive, the CNW study should
cause some rethinking. There's not a single hybrid among the 10 most
energy-efficient cars, for instance. But the Scion xB, at the top of
the list, requires just 48 cents of energy per mile-about one seventh
as costly as a Prius-and the Ford Escort, at No. 2, just 57 cents. At
the other end of the list, there are few surprises. The $380,000
Maybach ultraluxe chariot is the least energy-efficient vehicle,
requiring $11.58 worth of energy per mile.
The top and bottom 10:
Most energy efficient Cost per mile
Scion xB $0.48
Ford Escort $0.57
Jeep Wrangler $0.60
Chevrolet Tracker $0.69
Toyota Echo $0.70
Saturn Ion $0.71
Hyundai Elantra $0.72
Dodge Neon $0.73
Toyota Corolla $0.73
Scion xA $0.74
Least energy efficient Cost per mile
Maybach $11.58
VW Phaeton $11.21
Rolls-Royce $10.66
Bentley $10.56
Audi Allroad Quattro $5.60
Audi A8 $4.96
Audi A6 $4.96
Lexus LS 430 $4.73
Porsche Carrera GT $4.53
Acura NSX $4.45
Source: CNW Marketing Research