Environmentally friendly fuels and demand?

Question

Is it a false idea to think that if everyone were to convert to a more environmentaly friendly way of running car like say the hybrid engine then that kind of technology would become cheaper so the initial cost of the massive switch over would be worth it? Like its so expensive now because nobody is uitalising it but if there was high demand it would be cheaper like what happend with the computer?

Also would anyone honestly have a problem with switching to an idea that was more environmentaly friendly? (who needs to be able to do 120 in their toyota when all they use it for is the school run)

Tell me is am totaly wrong am interested in the answer lol

Answer 1

It is actually quite misled to believe that everybody has the resources available to become economically friendly.  Many people cannot afford to switch over until it does become cheaper, and many people do not think they can afford the hybrids with all the current problems surrounding the vehicles.

-- The Prius' Synergy Drive looks clean and tidy now, but those big old batteries will eventually pose an environmental risk

Because of the low speeds involved, the city portion of the EPA�s test is accomplished in battery-only mode. As the gasoline engine is off-line for a significant part of the test, the eventual mileage figure is grossly inflated. The test fails to consider the fuel needed to recharge the batteries later on. What�s more, all energy-draining, electrically-powered accessories (including AC) are switched off during both the urban and highway tests. These variables contribute to the huge discrepancy between the EPA�s official numbers and hybrid owners� real world experience. --

-- The cleanest and most efficient energy source is electricity. That's why, since the turn of the century, engineers and entrepeneurs have attempted to develop a practical electric automobile. Getting the power on the road is not the problem, however. To date, no one has created a lightweight, compact battery capable of covering average driving distances without recharging from a stationary source. In plainer words an electric car can do the job but it won't get you far. --

--Though the batteries of the hybrid cars come for a long period, before harboring a need to be replaced, you have to replace them at least on completing 80,000 miles. It depends on your usage and way of running the car. Each battery pack costs about $5,000 to $8,000, which is dependent on the model of the car. This may turn out to be rather expensive on your budget in the long run; moreover if you are a frequent traveler with the car. --

Once they fix those problems and decrease the price of the vehicle itself, then I see no future problems for switching over.

And some people do have problems switching over when the "Green Meanies" say to.  They, like most modern Americans, believe that the government is trying to control them.  By not buying a hybrid car, they're trying to tell the powers that be that they will not bend and break to their whim.

They do not do their research, they do not consider logical problems.

This is the same as allowing women to vote and African Americans to be free men.  Or buying a computer.  It's a problem that many don't see the benefits of, and won't until time has passed and generations begin to weave them into their normal lives.

Answer 2

The conversion will have to happen eventually.  I don't know why the car companies are resisting

Answer 3

The base price of the Toyota Prius is down to $23,000.

It's working already.

I'm fine with it. I would love for my next car to be a hybrid. Mostly I drive on local streets, so it will suit my needs exactly. Toyota has devoted an entire factory to producing the Prius, so the efficiency made it cheaper, too.

Answer 4

It's all a question of priorities. If there is a limited supply of oil to go around and everyone is starting to hoard it before the petrol pumps run dry and the lights go out, will major auto corporations be able to carry on with business as usual making millions of cars, whether they're environmentally friendly or not?

http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/chinainst...

Answer 5

What can be better than Clean & Cheap.

"French engineer Guy Negre has designed a car that runs on compressed air, produces no emissions on short trips, and can be refueled in three minutes flat.

Called the OneCAT (CAT stands for compressed air technology), the new compressed-air powered car is a lightweight five-seat vehicle that is expected to sell for about $5,000 when it hits the market. With the backing of Tata Motors, which just last month introduced the world’s cheapest car—the $2,500 Tata Nano subcompact—Negre plans to start selling the first models in India within a year."

Answer 6

You are right in that an increased demand will, in the long term, lead to cheaper fuels. However, as demand increases in the short term, and producers of alternative energy are not able to meet the demand, the price will increase, driving consumers back to other forms of energy that are cheaper. The market needs to go somewhere before consumers will follow.

Also, be careful in how you look at environmentally friendly alternatives. I'm all for cleaner cars, but as of now, hybrid cars such as the Prius are actually worse for the environment than, for example, a gas efficient sedan. This is because the mining process used to extract the metals necessary for the hybrid car batteries results in much higher carbon emissions than a car does. Mining and construction vehicles have a much more relaxed emission standard than road vehicles, especially in other countries. In addition, there is no recycling process in place at the moment to take care of the toxic metals found in the hybrid car batteries - metals that will find their way into the environment once the car is junked.

All that being said, hybrid vehicles are still probably a good idea, as they will provide a stepping stone to truly environmentally friendly vehicles.

Answer 7

I think most people would only switch if it was going to save them money.  I get 23 mpg now and I will not upgrade my  vehicle because most choices are 35 mpg, but that's rated at X speed and at X plus 10 speed it doesn't get 35 mpg.  So why pay 12,000 to upgrade to a new car that gets 8 to 10 mpg more.  The car companies need to start providing what the consumers want.  I also don't want something that's expensive to maintain or fix.

Answer 8

First off I'd like to dispel the myth propaged by 2 answerers here that hybrids are worse for the environment than non-hybrids.  The reality is that hybrid batteries are fully recyclable.

"Q: Are hybrid batteries recyclable?

GS: Absolutely. In fact, Toyota pays a bounty to dealers who recover them from damaged vehicles. Additionally, our engineers are studying the possibility of remanufacturing these batteries."

http://www.toyota.com/html/hybridsynergy...

And in fact a Swiss study recently concluded that the Prius is the greenest car on the planet.

http://www.reuters.com/article/environme...

To answer your question, yes if the demand for alternative fuel vehicles were to increase, more of these cars would be built, and the increased production volume would allow the manufacturers to lower the price.

It's also true that many people simply can't afford to buy hybrids, because the cheapest one is the Prius at about $22,000.  However, it's certainly also true that many people buying big SUVs or speedy sports cars could afford to instead buy a hybrid.  Currently hybrids only make up about 2% of US car sales, and the number should be much higher than that.

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2008/02/...

Some people refuse to buy a hybrid because they buy into the myths like fisherman or Bawsed that the batteries are bad for the environment or need to be replaced in 3 years or some other misinformation.  Others refuse to buy hybrids because they want a car that can go 0 to 60 in 5 seconds, and are unwilling to give up that unnecessary acceleration for the sake of fuel efficiency.  There are a myriad of reasons why people refuse to buy hybrids, but few of these reasons are good ones.

Answer 9

it's a 50-50 shot. 1: it could become the next "computer" and the economy will skyrocket and the price will plummet, or 2: the cost will skyrocket because there won't be enough fuel produced fast enough to supply demand. So it could go either way.

Answer 10

It all comes down to cost and technology, currently the technology for hybrid fuel cells, hydrogen and electric cars is in its infancy bacause the demand for said product(s) was so low until recently it just wasn't economically viable for companies like Ford GM Toyota etc to produce a car utilising fuel cell technology because the money spent on R+D would never be recouped. You've got to remember the cost involved in making and producing a mainsteam car is prodigious and companies can't afford to take risks with advanced technology.