Why are automakers further developing hybrids and not focusing on biodiesel, 100% electric,other alternatives?

Question

Hybrids are only a partial solution and only save gas moderately. Bring back the electric car or develop a hybrid diesel we can use biodiesel with !!!!

Answer 1

There is not a particularly quick, and effective, answer to this question.

Let's try two novel approaches to find the answer, shall we? Consider the facts, not what might be politically correct, and consider what is most practical right now.

Automakers are in business to make money. I know this may shock some of you out there, and I know it is an awful, evil concept, operating a corporation to be profitable, but remember our approach here? (it’s kinda like you go to work in an effort to earn an income) Also consider that the automakers do not operate, nor are they responsible for providing, fuel delivery infrastructure. They are limited in what is developed for the consumer by this primary factor: providing a vehicle that will sell. How is a vehicle that can not be fueled going to be profitable?

I know it sounds great, “just do it”, but it is not quite that easy. Would you buy a vehicle, let’s say cost of ownership is far better than what is available right now, and it has all the features and performance you want, but to fuel/charge it or whatever simply is not available in your area? Would you move to own it?

This is the primary reason the focus is what it is.

The electrical distribution infrastructure in North America could not handle things if we flipped a switch and all had electric vehicles tomorrow.

Further the technology today does not lend itself well to electric vehicles as a primary solution for a myriad of reasons, not the least of which is the weight of the vehicles and lack of performance. (Useful range etc. not 0-60 times etc.) FYI the majority of the driving public does not live and work in a situation in which driving 100 or so miles on a charge is adequate. Not only that, today’s battery technology is lacking in performance as well. So maybe you get a few thousand charges on a battery. The useful charge decreases over time, and remember the range available to you. You will only own it a few years so who cares the battery wears out after 3 years? It costs more to replace the batteries on these cars than it does to replace an engine. It just is not practical right now.

Here is the most viable solution and this could be done very quickly: composite vehicle construction using a well insulated body to reduce the necessary capacities of all systems in the vehicle. Vehicle weight could easily be reduced by as much as 60%. Better insulation reduces AC/Heating requirements. This alone can reduce the power requirements of the engine/power plant by as much as 15%. This is a big deal. If you talk to anyone who cares about performance they will talk about several things, one that is very important: horsepower to weight ratio. An average car may be 1HP/12.5 lbs. The same car built with composites would be more like 1 HP/ 5.5 lbs. This means with no other advances the power plant can be reduced significantly to get back to the same performance. Add the gains of the accessories etc. and a vehicle with more than twice the fuel mileage and a better HP/weight ratio is a reality. And that’s not even a hybrid.

Answer 2

I just heard that methanol is very easy to make, easier than ethanol, and it is the preferred fuel in race cars. I wonder why we don't hear much about that.

Answer 3

They're working towards it.  Hybrids are a step in the right direction from purely gas powered cars, and Toyota and Chevy are both working on plug-in hybrids (Prius and Volt, respectively).  The next step after plug-in hybrids is to make purely electric vehicles.

Some smaller companies such as Tesla, Phoenix, and ZAP are almost ready to begin producing electric vehicles, which will spur the large automakers on in that direction as well.

Answer 4

Because everyone in the auto industry plays follow the leader.

It's "the Auto Manufacturers' Field of Dreams": If you buy it they will come.

But realize, this problem has only been recognized by the general public as a crisis for the last few years ... it takes time to develop technology.

Answer 5

They aren't doing this because they would have to shift major parts of their production line, which is to costly, and major automobile companies make a large portion of there parts. And since an electric vehicle typically has fewer parts that an gasoline vehicle, they loose some money there. To get more information watch the documentary, "Who Killed the Electric Car?"

Answer 6

wow -- i was just reading how it was illegal to buy cars outside of california that will pass california emissions tests -- and you want what when in this country?

Answer 7

If you refer to pure biodiesel, think etahnol.  Ethanol use has ramped up corn production, but cut corn for human food consumption and driven up food prices.

Biodiesel would require diverting soybean and other grains from food use and drive up prices of both food and fuel.  I haven't seen the most recent energy statistics, but ethanol requires almost as much energy to produce as the ethanol is supposed to save.  The same may be true for biodiesel at the moment.

The electric car is making a bit of a comeback, but the battery technology isn't there yet.  When battery technology can proivde both the necessary number of batteries (no small feat itself)  as well as allow people the ability to travel further on a charge (and find a convenient place to recharge if they are driving long distances), there will be a significant move to electric.

We also have to figure out how to supply the electric energy.  Electric supply and transmission facilities are not presently adequate to take over a full electric fleet.  So much electricity production is based on oil and coal that ramping up electricity production could have very negative environmental effects.

It is unlikely that electric can replace diesel or gasoline in all respects.  Heavy trucks and equipment require a high energy-content source that can be stored in a relatively small area, gives a large range of travel and can be used in an engine that has the force to haul heavy loads.  At the moment, electric batteries are unlikely to fill those requirements.

Answer 8

everyone wants the newest technology right now, but they forget the money that needs to be spent to get the supporting infrastructure in place. one other thing you have to understand is that there is no one answer to the coming energy problem. hybrids help, biodiesel helps, E85 helps, pure electric cars help. but each is not the be all, end all for solving the worlds energy problems. now why focus on hybrids rather than pure electric cars? you have to wean a society built on using gasoline, off that gasoline, and on to electric. the way to do this is with hybrid cars. you make the electric power plant more powerful, and more capable, and the gas power plant less powerful to the point where it only keeps the batteries charged, and supplies electrical power to the cars systems. at this point it becomes easy then to switch to all electric cars.

and for those of you who keep thinking that we need huge amounts of corn to make ethanol, we dont. ethanol can be made from a variety of renewable sources. dont believe me? look at all the different consumable alcohols on the market, made from grapes, sugar cane, wheat, rye, barley, potatoes, the blue agave plant, cactus, etc. as for the expense, much of that can be traded for selling the used mash to farmers as animal feed, after it is dried. the used mash is much easier for animals to digest than the feed currently used.

Answer 9

Diversifying fuel sources is the key and last I checked biodiesel is not the greatest for running automobiles.  We do need, however, a lot more options and a lot more research.  I think with diversity in fuel and power resources/sources technology will advance.  Bottom line is that there will be no, ONE solution.

Answer 10

I'd like to point out the Volt is NOT a plug in hybrid. It's a full out electric car, with electric only drive. So you get all the efficiency, reliability, and convenience advantages of an electric car. The engine's only function is to generate electricity if the battery runs out.

It's actually more efficient than a hybrid even with the engine on. Also it is expected to have outstanding performance. (8.0 second 0-60, compared to 13.0 for the Prius)

Answer 11

Hydrogen is much cheaper and can even be produced at home using a hydrogen generator and can be powered by a couple of solar cells

and when burned reverts to water with no other emissions

Very simply

Batteries are charged with electricity produced by fossil fuels

Bio fuels also have to be produced using electricity and take up farming land that would be better used to produce food

If too many farmers start producing bio fuel the price of goods in the grocery shop will sky-rocket

Answer 12

Yup i totally agree. I think E85 isn't really a great idea and here's why......corn is not abundant, second when corn is in demand their prices will rise also, so it really doesn't help anyone much, except for the pockets of farmers. I think pure electric is a good way to go as long as our nations keeps putting up wind turbines. Anyways, Toyota has a concept called the Alessandro Volta, names after  the italian guy who invented the battery, that has a v6 engine with two electric motor, it's ahs a top speed of 155mph , 0-60 in 4 seconds, that does 33 mpg in the city.

Answer 13

The production of bio fuels is not an efficient process and is only possible when subsidized by my tax dollars.

To grow crops for bio fuels, you have to fertilize. One of the main feedstocks in the production of fertilizer is natural gas.

So we use natural gas (a fuel) to make fertilizer, put it on the ground to make our crops grow, then turn the crop into a fuel that can be burned. Is this efficient?

What are you going to use to charge the batteries on your electric car? If you plug it in, you are burning gas, coal, or are getting the power from a nuke plant. Where are you going to dispose of all the lead batteries from your car when they fail?

Answer 14

How do you think the electrical car is recharged.  From electricity from either coal, oil, or nuclear.  Since your group is against all three how do you propose to recharge them.

Are you telling me there will be a day I will have to go without

electricity so you can charge your car to go to the bar, or the gym.  

Just like the corn debate.  Corn is not the solution.  Perhaps the buss is..50 on a buss takes 50 cars off the road.

Lets give up private jet liners, 8000 square foot houses,

2 3 ton air conditioners.

Al Gore takes a limo, so does Edwards, two biggest polluters, they want me to walk or ride a bike. Yep..

You need to be concerned with China, Russia, India as the biggest polluters, they are dumping raw chemicals into their water supply.