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Originally Posted by imagesinthewind
I think we're all missing the point of the hybrid.
Yeah, the TDI gets better milage than the Prius, but whole point of the hybrid is to help us learn to give up oil consumption.
The hybrids (inluding the flexfuel cars and trucks) are out there as a start to getting away from using the dino resource.
Little by little we will find better technology, better ways to make fuel and better engines to run on the new fuel.
The whole 'go yellow' camp is crap right now because of the amount of energy it takes to make ethanol. It costs more in energy to make than the amount of energy that ethanol can give. So in the future we learn to make it cheaper and faster and we make engines that run more efficient on ethanol than they do gas, diesel or electricity.
The Prius, not an ethanol vehicle I know, is just the start of a new road.
It doesn't beat the TDI but it does run partly on electric power, so it does other things that are better, like less emissions.
I'm not a big fan of the small hybrids. I've got 4 kids to taxi around and no one is making a nice safe hybrid suburban yet.
But at least it's a start, right?
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How does this make sense? Sure the Prius runs on electricity.... Electricity that is generated by a gasoline engine! Yes it does have regenerative braking and lesser emissions but diesel technology is on the cusp of producing similar emissions through things like MB's Bluetec. They both fill up on petroleum but the TDI usually goes farther on a gallon so which is helping to kick the oil habit more?
Ethanol is not the answer. There is approximately HALF the btu's in Ethanol than Gasoline and Diesel. This means the E85 vehicles that GM is trying to sell us on actually get LESS mpg's than the current fleet. I suppose the arguement is that they are cleaner emissions-wise. So what? Todays gasoline engines are something like 98.5% clean. How much are we going to pay to glean that extra 1.5%? Doesn't make sense, the law of diminishing returns comes into effect.
We should be working on vehicles that get more MPG's at this time not cleaner emissions. It makes far more sense to reduce the demand for oil in the short term.
There are many reasons I don't care for the Prius. Technologically its a fine product, its the reasoning that is screwed up. Honda used to make a Civic HF. It was a high mpg commuter car with a slightly smaller engine and tall gearing. This car was able to do just as well or better than the Prius' mpg's. Side by side the Civic will be a better choice than the Prius just like the TDI will be a better choice than the Prius for most driving.
What Americans need to be weened off is not oil, its high HP vehicles. For the average car there is simply no reason to have any more than 150hp. Our highways are clogged with SUV's and V6 Accords, Camrys, etc. etc. that are simply unnecessary for daily use. If everyone chose to drive a fairly fuel efficient vehicle (read 4 cylinders) or a diesel, etc. then oil demand would be cut in half. Its about responsibility at this point and we are sorely lacking in that department. RT