Does a hybrid that gets 25 MPG cause the same emissions as a regular car that gets 25 MPG?

Question

Both cars burn a gallon of gasoline every 25 miles. Does this mean that both cars are emitting the same amount of harmful gas?

Answer 1

T Man makes some interesting points about the hybrid but I dont see how they directly answer your question.

Engine type does NOT effect emissions, fuel type does play a factor but if you put the same fuel in a hybrid vs a regular car that both get 25mpg then unless the catalytic converter varies between them they will have the same emissions.

For every gallon of gasoline burned by a car with the standard catalytic converter emits 19.4 lbs of CO2. So since they both get 25 miles per gallon, after 25 miles they would have polluted the same assuming the hybrid has had no improvements to its catalytic converter.

Answer 2

Just because they burn the same amount of fuel per mile doesn't mean the emissions will be the same. Emissions depend on a lot of things such as fuel and engine type, how complete the burn is and especially the type of emissions control technology employed and how well it is functioning. Hybrids are designed to be "eco friendly" and get good gas mileage, so a hybrid will likely have more emissions control devices and lower emissions, though not by a lot.

But before you run off and buy a hybrid because of the "green hype", think about something. Mining for the materials to make the batteries in a hybrid is very harmful to the environment. Think about the emissions of the mining equipment, and the ship that brings the battery materials over to the country the batteries are manufactured in. And think about the extra energy that is used to recycle the batteries-which we all know are far more expensive and complex to recycle than steel or rubber. Doesn't that offset the emissions difference between a hybrid and a regular car? Maybe hybrids aren't as good for the environment as the salesmen and ads trying to get you to buy one would lead you to believe... Just food for thought...