> >>
>>> >>>
>>>>> 80 Knight wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Prius Outdoes Hummer in Environmental Damage
>>>>>> By Chris Demorro
>>>>>> Staff Writer
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> The Toyota Prius has become the flagship car for those in our society
>>>>>> so environmentally conscious that they are willing to spend a premium
>>>>>> to show the world how much they care. Unfortunately for them, their
>>>>>> ultimate green car is the source of some of the worst pollution in
>>>>>> North America; it takes more combined energy per Prius to produce
>>>>>> than a Hummer.
>>>>>> Before we delve into the seedy underworld of hybrids, you must first
>>>>>> understand how a hybrid works. For this, we will use the most popular
>>>>>> hybrid on the market, the Toyota Prius.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> The Prius is powered by not one, but two engines: a standard 76
>>>>>> horsepower, 1.5-liter gas engine found in most cars today and a
>>>>>> battery- powered engine that deals out 67 horsepower and a whooping
>>>>>> 295ft/lbs of torque, below 2000 revolutions per minute. Essentially,
>>>>>> the Toyota Synergy Drive system, as it is so called, propels the car
>>>>>> from a dead stop to up to 30mph. This is where the largest percent of
>>>>>> gas is consumed. As any physics major can tell you, it takes more
>>>>>> energy to get an object moving than to keep it moving. The battery is
>>>>>> recharged through the braking system, as well as when the gasoline
>>>>>> engine takes over anywhere north of 30mph. It seems like a great
>>>>>> energy efficient and environmentally sound car, right?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> You would be right if you went by the old government EPA estimates,
>>>>>> which netted the Prius an incredible 60 miles per gallon in the city
>>>>>> and 51 miles per gallon on the highway. Unfortunately for Toyota, the
>>>>>> government realized how unrealistic their EPA tests were, which
>>>>>> consisted of highway speeds limited to 55mph and acceleration of only
>>>>>> 3.3 mph per second. The new tests which affect all 2008 models give a
>>>>>> much more realistic rating with highway speeds of 80mph and
>>>>>> acceleration of 8mph per second. This has dropped the Prius EPA down
>>>>>> by 25 percent to an average of 45mpg. This now puts the Toyota within
>>>>>> spitting distance of cars like the Chevy Aveo, which costs less then
>>>>>> half what the Prius costs.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> However, if that was the only issue with the Prius, I wouldn't be
>>>>>> writing this article. It gets much worse.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Building a Toyota Prius causes more environmental damage than a
>>>>>> Hummer that is on the road for three times longer than a Prius. As
>>>>>> already noted, the Prius is partly driven by a battery which contains
>>>>>> nickel. The nickel is mined and smelted at a plant in Sudbury,
>>>>>> Ontario. This plant has caused so much environmental damage to the
>>>>>> surrounding environment that NASA has used the "dead zone" around the
>>>>>> plant to test moon rovers. The area around the plant is devoid of any
>>>>>> life for miles.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> The plant is the source of all the nickel found in a Prius battery
>>>>>> and Toyota purchases 1,000 tons annually. Dubbed the Superstack, the
>>>>>> plague-factory has spread sulfur dioxide across northern Ontario,
>>>>>> becoming every environmentalists nightmare.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> The acid rain around Sudbury was so bad it destroyed all the plants
>>>>>> and the soil slid down off the hillside, said Canadian Greenpeace
>>>>>> energy-coordinator David Martin during an interview with Mail, a
>>>>>> British-based newspaper.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> All of this would be bad enough in and of itself; however, the
>>>>>> journey to make a hybrid doesn't end there. The nickel produced by
>>>>>> this disastrous plant is shipped via massive container ship to the
>>>>>> largest nickel refinery in Europe. From there, the nickel hops over
>>>>>> to China to produce nickel foam. From there, it goes to Japan.
>>>>>> Finally, the completed batteries are shipped to the United States,
>>>>>> finalizing the around-the-world trip required to produce a single
>>>>>> Prius battery. Are these not sounding less and less like
>>>>>> environmentally sound cars and more like a farce?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Wait, I haven't even got to the best part yet.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> When you pool together all the combined energy it takes to drive and
>>>>>> build a Toyota Prius, the flagship car of energy fanatics, it takes
>>>>>> almost 50 percent more energy than a Hummer - the Prius' arch >>>>>> nemesis.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Through a study by CNW Marketing called "Dust to Dust", the total
>>>>>> combined energy is taken from all the electrical, fuel,
>>>>>> transportation, materials (metal, plastic, etc) and hundreds of other
>>>>>> factors over the expected lifetime of a vehicle. The Prius costs an
>>>>>> average of $3.25 per mile driven over a lifetime of 100,000 miles -
>>>>>> the expected lifespan of the Hybrid.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> The Hummer, on the other hand, costs a more fiscal $1.95 per mile to
>>>>>> put on the road over an expected lifetime of 300,000 miles. That
>>>>>> means the Hummer will last three times longer than a Prius and use
>>>>>> less combined energy doing it.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> So, if you are really an environmentalist - ditch the Prius. Instead,
>>>>>> buy one of the most economical cars available - a Toyota Scion. The
>>>>>> Scion only costs a paltry $0.48 per mile to put on the road. If you
>>>>>> are still obsessed over gas mileage - buy a Chevy Aveo and fix that
>>>>>> lead foot.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> One last fun fact for you: it takes five years to offset the premium
>>>>>> price of a Prius. Meaning, you have to wait 60 months to save any
>>>>>> money over a non-hybrid car because of lower gas expenses.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>> Notwithstanding the other claims, has the first Hummer reached 100,000
>>>>> miles? Let alone the notional 300,000 mile lifetime.
>>
>> As a multi-H1 Hummer owner, I can assure you that many H1s are over
>> 100K, and I know of a number that are much, much higher. They (the H1)
>> will go 300K without any trouble at all (normal maintenance)however I
>> won't/can't speak for the H2/H3s.
>>>> I could tell you that I have seen Hummer's with well over 300,000
>>>> miles, but without actual DMV proof, the question can't really be >>>> answered.
>>> I can show you Suburbans with 300,000 miles on them.
>>>
>>> But it's an exception. Lots of Japanese cars reach 300,000 easily. >>>
>>> Keep slugging away, though. You might convince someone other than >>> yourself. >>>
>>>
>>
>> Most vehicles will go 300K with good maint. The Prius has a *design
>> life* of 100K miles.
>
> To be fair, I think most cars do. Most original owners don't keep a car
> for 100K miles. The only road vehicles I know of that really seem to be
> designed for the long haul are heavy trucks and German cars.
>
> nate
When do you think this 100K design trend began? I'm just curious.