Dark Side of the Hybrids

External Since: Apr 23, 2004 Posts: 175

In article <hcOdnd3Zo-EEAmzfRVn-tw RemoveThis @speakeasy.net>, jim beam
<nospam RemoveThis @example.net> wrote:

> thedonga wrote:
> > "" wrote:
> > > "Elmo P. Shagnasty" <elmop RemoveThis @nastydesigns.com> wrote in message
> > > news:elmop-FDB330.08234501082005@nntp1.usenetserver.com...
> > > > In article <-KGdnU0oo_hCj3PfRVn-pg RemoveThis @sedona.net>,
> > > > Let me put it this way: when President Bush puts something
> > > in black and
> > > > white like that, do you agree that one should be careful and
> > > not
> > > > necessarily accept what he says at face value?
> > >
> > > Back to the issue....
> > > Let me put it this way: all Toyota has to do is enter into a
> > > contract with a
> > > company to handle the recycling on a per-unit basis and add
> > > the cost of that
> > > and the $200 deposit to the battery. Then they can make the
> > > claim in good
> > > conscience. It greatly limits their liabilities and costs them
> > > nothing at
> > > all. They would be incomprehensibly stupid not to... so what
> > > on earth would
> > > make you think such a thing?
> > >
> > > Mike
> >
> > The only problem I have with hybrids is that people dump their "old"
> > cars to purchase an environmentally friendlier vehicle....
> >
> > It is my understanding that the processes involved in manufacturing a
> > new car cause more polution than driving the same car will produce
> > over its entire lifetime.
> >
> > So the greenest car is a used one...no matter the gas mileage.
> >
> there's a substantial element of truth to that, and you're thinking big
> picture which is good, but for smaller utilitarian cars at least, there
> is an overall benefit for the newer more efficient vehicles. whether
> that continues to be the case is another matter now that we have
> relatively clean burning fuel injected cars, but compared to
> carburetion, the overall benefit of modern cars is worth the
> manufacturing effort.

Hello,
I agree with you related to your last point. I am now 54 years old and
remember all of the problems I had with cars made in the 1960's, 70's and
early 80's. The carburetor and electrical system was the main source of
those problems. I have never had any problems with the EFI system or
electrical system in both of Honda Accords that I have owned.
Jason

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External Since: Jul 29, 2005 Posts: 6

On Thu, 04 Aug 2005 01:22:37 GMT, John Horner <jthorner.RemoveThis@yahoo.com>
wrote:

>Jason wrote:
>
>> Mike,
>> You are probably right. I know that you will be right once the price of
>> hybrid vehicles comes down to the point where almost anyone can easily
>> afford to buy them. The Honda Accord Hybrid is so expensive that Honda is
>> having a difficult time selling very many of them. If the Accord Hybrid
>> was priced the same as the 6 cyld. Accord, they would sell lots more of
>> them.
>> Jason
>>
>
>Honda has taken a strange road with the Accord Hybrid and the Acura MDX
>hybrid. Rather than using the technology to make a high fuel economy
>vehicle they are using it to make a higher performance, expensive vehicle.
>
>Mostly they are selling these vehicles to the feel-good, feel-proud
>buyer. A good manual transmission diesel-powered drivetrain would be a
>much more efficient use of resources both at the manufacturing stage and
>in use.

Problem is, you can't get a decent, efficient, and above all else
MODERN diesel engine in the Us - i believe its because the fuel that
is sold here, doesn't work well with the new engine designs that have
come up in the last 20-odd years, and the new fuels don't work well
with the engines that have been sold in the US in those intervening 20
years.

>
>John
>