Hybrid Vehicles And Climate Change

Gasoline powered vehicles are better! No, hybrids are better! Have you heard these two points-of-view? This last election, the question of energy was a part of both party’s platforms. They talked about wind and solar versus coal and oil, and gasoline versus hybrid vehicles. So here we are, the election is over, but the battle between a gasoline powered vehicles versus a hybrid continues. You might know someone who owns a hybrid car. My uncle bought one in 2006 and for him it works great, but he usually just travels back and forth to work. However, my uncle’s needs are not the same as my dad who is a contractor. In the end, you need to weigh the pros and cons before deciding on which vehicle is best for you. After much research,

Many people buy hybrid cars because they have been told that hybrids are much more eco-friendly than any other vehicles out on the market and they feel proud for supporting the Mother Nature. Surprisingly, it is a fact that a recent report announced that the Toyota Prius has a higher life time energy cost than Hummer H1 SUV (kentlaw.edu). It also states, “There are, however, environmental costs to mining and smelting (in Canada) 1,000 tons a year of zinc for the battery-powered second motor, and the shipping of the zinc 10,000 miles - trailing a cloud of carbon - to Wales for refining and then to China for turning it into the component that goes to a battery factory in Japan” (kentlaw.edu). In other words, the hybrids emit less carbon dioxide and other gases but it releases far more energies and toxic gases into atmosphere at production and disposal stage.

“1 gallon of gas =24 pounds of global warming emissions” (UCSUSA). Many of the people in our world today don’t understand just how much The Automobile affects us, our lives, and the world we live in. Undoubtedly, the invention of the car has changed our perspective on the different technology created over the past years. However, cars are some of the leading factors towards one of the largest ongoing problems occurring in our world today. That problem goes by the name of global warming. “Since 1990, Transportation has been one of the fastest growing sources of U.S. GHG” (U.S.D.T), otherwise known as Greenhouse gasses. In which most of us know; global warming affects our health, environment, weather, and ultimately our lives. It is a

To charge a hybrid car, just plug it into a charging station at your home, or anywhere that has one available. That is a lot more efficient than going to the gas station in a normal car and polluting the earth with more exhaustion from the tailpipe. It takes a median of about 5 hours to fully charge a hybrid car, which is not long at all(Goffman, “Electric Car batteries could provide…”). Hybrid cars can travel up to hundreds of miles as well without needing a recharge which make them energy efficient(Goffman, “Electric Car batteries could provide…”).

Hybrid cars are built on the advantages of both combustion engine cars and battery-powered electric motor cars, and the hybrid cars will be an alternative to combustion engine cars until next step technologies such as fully electric vehicles or fuel-cell powered vehicles will take over. This article supports the ideas shown in the main source through hybrid vehicle technology.

Some people have also adopted the hybrid car trend, although many people think hybrid cars help the environment as well. Hybrid cars still uses some form of a gasoline when it is being used, thus creating carbon dioxide emissions. Whereas, the electric vehicle produces no emissions.

Hybrid is a term used to describe a combination of two or more distinctive things, aiming to accomplish a common objective. A hybrid vehicle is a fuel efficient vehicle having two motors- one a gasoline powered motor and the other electric motor. The reason for combining two motors is using their strengths and reducing deficiencies. Electric motor is used at low speed wile gas motors perform better at high speed generating extra power for a particular motor weight. During rush hours, when vehicles are continuously stopping and running, performance of electric motor is appreciative. Gas motor supports higher speed supporting driving at the highways. (Anderson 134-45)

II. Most hybrids only use gasoline when needed. The electric motor, powered by a stack of rechargeable batteries, is the primary workhorse for propulsion under low-speed driving.

Most people considered hybrid cars to be slow and ugly. But without climate getting worse many companies are shifting to hybrid. If you have seen the famous super bowl commercial “The Longest Chase” by Toyota where the bank robbers steal a Toyota Prius to run away from the cops. They travel throughout America and people get surprise that a Prius is fast and good looking. The robbers are surprised how the Toyota Prius was going so far on the gas left in it. Reason of the commercial was to show how hybrids are fast & fuel efficient. Which has been shown in various High-End car Companies transitioning or producing hybrid sports/supercars.Different kinds of sport/supercars use the hybrid system to their own advantage to promote better public view,

I believe that hybrid cars are better for the environment. Hybrid cars are cars that combine internal combustion engine with a high-voltage battery and electronic motor so that the driver has a choice of two power sources. In 2010, nine of the top 10 cars for fuel efficiency were hybrids, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. As a matter of fact, these hybrid cars, happen to be cleaner and environmentally friendly than a regular car that releases hydrocarbons that contribute to global

Now, in a hybrid car, there is a battery assisting, so that the cylinders have to do less work, and consequently use less fuel. A Prius has only 84 horsepower without its electric battery, and wouldn’t even be able to start! (Regular Car Reviews, Youtube) But this battery isn’t all good, which brings us to the first problem with these hybrid cars.

Climate change occurs mainly because of human activities, such as harvesting resources, industrialization, and technological invention, among other factors. One of the main reasons climate change has occurred in the last a few decades is because conventional cars which made their first appearance in 1886, have become increasingly popular. Although, conventional cars are more efficient and less expensive than hybrid cars, hybrid cars help reduce the negative impact on the environment more than conventional cars. A Hybrid car has disadvantages due to the battery and power of the engine, which has to improve over time, which makes people less likely to buy hybrid cars over conventional cars in the present such as gas and diesel. Even though both conventional and electric cars have negative impact on the environment, they have different scale of impact on the environment. By looking at how each system of both types of cars work, what the effect on fuel consumption rate and greenhouse gas emissions are, and what the disadvantages of electric cars are compared to conventional cars, hybrid electric cars are less likely to negatively impact on the environment more than conventional cars.

According to a November 16, 2004 article written in the parents magazine, hybrid cars are no different from the gas powered car. It can accelerate just as quickly and travel just as fast on the highway and they are just as safe to drive. When the car comes to a complete stop,

Electric motor - The electric motor on a hybrid car is very sophisticated. Advanced electronics allow it to act as a motor as well as a generator. For example, when it needs to, it can draw energy from the batteries to accelerate the car. But acting as a generator, it can slow the car down and return energy to the batteries.

Consumers are currently looking for better gas mileage and performance in cars that they buy. Honda’s hybrid cars has very good gas mileage, however, they do not have as good performance as petrol cars. This means that even though Honda’s hybrids are appealing due to their gas mileage, consumer may still stick to petrol cars because of the better performance. Honda will need to develop better technology to satisfy consumer wants.