Electric/Hybrid Vehicle Survey - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

DieselGuy · #1 09-25-2002, 08:37 PM

Hello all,

I'm conducting a survey for a school research project. I'm researching whether or not people will consider buying an Electric or Hybrid powered vehicle over a conventional gas or diesel vehicle.

The survey is really short and I'm in desperate need of responses. Can you please spare 30 seconds of your time to help me out. I'm share my results when the research is over.

Take the survey:

http://dieselguy.dyndns.org/survey.htm

Thanks a million!

Nolan

deezuhl · #2 09-26-2002, 01:30 AM

Took the survey.

If there was a Diesel/Electric hybrid I would consider it if I didn't have to sacrifice space, saftey and styling. If it was a VW Jetta TDI/Electric that would give the best of all worlds., although if was a Mercedes that would be even better.

#3 09-26-2002, 02:03 AM

I was thinking the same thing, I would be first In line, if Mercedes made a diesel/electric hybrid. I would borrow money like mad to buy one of these. An electric hybrid, gas or diesel, would be about the only new car I would consider purchasing.

#4 09-26-2002, 08:44 AM

I was glad to help by participating in the survey, but I must tell you that I don't like to see surveys constructed like that one. There are some "stacked deck" questions and then there are some without adequate choices.

I wouldn't buy one of those things if it were made by MB or anyone else.

Good luck with your survey and your course,

Michael K · #5 09-26-2002, 09:06 AM

You're doing a cool project. I like your intent to collect data to infer preferences of potential car owners.

However, your survey methods are seriously flawed. The data you collect could only be used to make anecdotal conclusions. Your professor should be able to point you in the right direction to collect data that may be used for statistical inference.

Good luck.

Piotr · #6 09-26-2002, 09:40 AM

I agree with LarryBible. It's a "stacked" survey. Who DOESN'T think or is concerened about the air pollution?? Obviously, whoever set up the survey had an agenda. The truth is this-when the alternative fuel car will equal the traditional cars in quality, performance, price, and ease of refueling, i WILL buy one.

I still don't get it, though - how is burning of a highly refined oil in a high-efficiency internal combustion engine with emission controls "bad", but burning "dirty", cancer-inducing coal in a 70-year old inefficient powerplant to make electricity, so I can feel better is considered "good".

by the way, what cracks me up is the fact that hydrogen for the fuel-cell cars is made by "cracking" oil-per mile driven it uses up more crude oil (and creates more pollution) than an ordinary gasoline-combustion engine. i guess it just makes us feel good about ourselves...

Jim Anderson · #7 09-26-2002, 11:30 AM

I'd buy one in the blink of an eye. Regarding where electricity comes from, power plants have a lot more technology, filters, regulation and monitors than any car. For example the dirtiest time for a car is when its cold (just started,) power plants are rarely cold.

I like the application of a hybred SUV, it only gets 25 or 30 mpg, about the same as an average rice-mobile, but its way more than a regular, or even diesel, SUV.

I don't like hydrogen though, it makes too much smog to make and is dangerous. It's hard to seal (really small atoms can leak through the larger atomed seals) and you can't see it when it burns.

I also don't like the term "zero emissions." It has to be electric or fuel cell cause of the burned oil that gets by the piston rings. Thats got to be as close to zero as you can get, but its not zero. Not to dispute myself, but it would be easer to convert the planet to piston engines running on hydrogen than put entirely new engines in everybodys car.

#8 09-26-2002, 12:22 PM

Nolan,

Is your survey intended/limited to U.S. based people only? Just that environmental problems is a worldwide concern but then you might want to limit yourself for brevity (which is why it may not be for everyone). Hope you're successful in your data gathering and in your course as a whole!

Don

mplafleur · #9 09-26-2002, 12:51 PM

Even electric is not zero emissions - there are emissions from creating and delivering the electricity.

Jim Anderson · #10 09-26-2002, 01:08 PM

Not all electricity. There's hydro, solar (just during the day,) wind, and nuclear.

Buy your electric car now. When all electric power is clean you can still have your same car.

mplafleur · #11 09-26-2002, 03:05 PM

Yes, some electricity is zero emissions, but I suppose part of gasoline is zero emissions also.

But it is a good point. We should have more nuclear, etc. Regulations account for more than 1/2 the cost of nuclear power though.

kerry · #12 09-26-2002, 04:10 PM

I agree that a specialist in statistical methods could improve the results of the survey by changing some questions. If a person answered question 7 negatively (They would not consider buying a new vehicle )then they couldn't answer the rest of the questions about electric and hybrid vehicles. I would never consider buying a brand new vehicle but I have looked at purchasing a number of used electric vehicles.

Biosmell · #13 09-26-2002, 06:16 PM

Biodiesel hybrid is the way to go, you all have covered the true cost of producing the power. Unless solar or wind the power is not really renewable. Nuclear power is a farce and hydro is laden with enviromental problems. However have you guys heard about Biodiesel(yeah,yeah don't give me that)? I am sure that all the Euros have. It is required at most pumps in some fasion or another to reduce emissions (they always are way ahead, think meteric) As a matter of fact VW won't release the new bigger TDI because American Dinodiesel is so poor! I say support, buy(we can even buy it at some pumps here), or even better make your own Biodiesel(a little vegetable oil, a little potash, a little alchohol and viola!). It will truly turn your diesel into a "million mile car". Just think of it, what did Diesel design the engine for? No more Black smoke or soot! No more pollution!(well 70% less particulate and 90% less toxicity) No bad smell! More POWER!(a 10%higher cetane level) Smother, hence quieter,hence not rattling the bolt out of their threads, and everything just has a coating of light oil when broken down(NO CARBONIZATION!)

Allright sorry about that. Enough Said
El Jefe de biosmell
84 300TBD-T 285,000 just breaking in.
87 300TBD-T 192,000 Still Brand new!
69 450 too high to count, Black beauty!

Piotr · #14 09-26-2002, 10:23 PM

Well, this whole discussion is ridiculous anyway. Car emissions, although a trendy and sexy topic of discussion, amount to about 8-12% of the VOC and particulate emissions. The remainder comes from industry-primarily outdated smelters , power plants in the third world and Russia, and natural sources like volcanoes.

Interestingly, I read that in the Nat'l Geo. oh, 10-12 years ago (sorry, don't remember which issue) and I have NEVER heard that again. Somebody quoted 30% but w/o the source. I tell you what - solve the energy problem, cleanup the powerplants (regulations of the powerplants are THE most stringent in the USA, nobody else gives a hoot, although you may have been fooled reading about that Kyoto stupidity), show me how much in absolute terms the electric car will cleanup the Earth (total % of all emissions minus polution caused by generation of that "clean" power), and I MAY consider it.

I'm tired of demagogues who tell me how much better we would be if people cared. THAT just gives you ulcers. I feel good about myself without patting myself on the back as a reword for useless gestures.

By the way, recycling doesn't work either. You spend more resources and create more pollution then if you simply dump the stuff. I know, I had a $50K budget once to prep a report on it, and I talked to a lot of people in recycling. But it makes us feel soooo much better segregating our garbage, doesn't it??

#15 09-27-2002, 12:33 AM

I can agree with Piotr on most of what he has said, but on the recycling issue. I am one who is not big into recycling, but I do recycle aluminum cans and news print. I know a lot of energy is saved by recycling cans, and I recycle paper because I don’t want to see human kind exhaust our forests. I know in the future that human kind will mine the landfills for the minerals and other goods that we have dumped.