I don't worry too much about the toxic batteries, since there are lots of toxic elements in cars and manufacturing, I don't think it is any worse with the electric hybrids.

I do think, though, that people should understand the energy it takes to produce the car, and dispose of it, not just drive it. There are reports of the Accord hybrid having a lifetime energy consumption (from manufacturing, through shipping, fuel consumed by the owner, and then energy to dispose of the vehicle) significantly above the non-hybrid Accord. Same issues with the Pious. Consumers focusing only on their cost of filling the tank may be deluding themselves. Yes, the hybrid can be more fuel efficient than a larger vehicle, but the technology itself consumes a lot of energy.

Pretty much the same story with ethanol from corn. It may save the farmers, but it won't save the planet, if it takes more energy to produce that corn than is transferred over to the automotive fuels market.

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2007 X3 3.0si, 6 MT, Premium, White

Retired:
2008 535i, 6 MT, M Sport, Premium, Space Grey
2003 X5 3.0 Steptronic, Premium, Titanium Silver
2002 325xi 5 MT, Steel Grey
2004 Z4 3.0 Premium, Sport, SMG, Maldives Blue

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2010 528Xi
I demand justice.
Or, if there must be injustice, let it be in my favor.

Reynold's Wrap: it's not just for hats anymore.

Not in the near future. Hydrogen shouldn't be thought of as a fuel, more as a battery. How are you going to get all this hydrogen? Currently it takes more fossil fuel energy to produce hydrogen than we get energy from hydrogen. It's a losing game, but it makes for great press releases.

Maybe one day, with huge solar or wind farms, but that is a long ways off.

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2007 X3 3.0si, 6 MT, Premium, White

Retired:
2008 535i, 6 MT, M Sport, Premium, Space Grey
2003 X5 3.0 Steptronic, Premium, Titanium Silver
2002 325xi 5 MT, Steel Grey
2004 Z4 3.0 Premium, Sport, SMG, Maldives Blue

hydrogen isn't the answer, the infrastructure that would need to be put in place to support hydrogen cars makes it cost prohibitive. It's good for large city mass transit vehicles, but not common cars.

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You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist.

The extra cost of a hybrid and over a conventional engine based car doesn't offset the money saved in increased MPG. Also, I don't know about you, but when the hybrids go EOL, how will the batteries be disposed of?

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You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist.

I think this is very misleading info. seriously, have you ever actually driven a vehicle more than 100,000 miles.
Hybrids release up to 80% less emissions, does the technology consume that much more energy. I think you are basing this on a flurry of very misleading info that has been exposed.

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2013 X5 35i M Sport

You said it right there "cost effective". Cost effective is our current situation.


Side note: for all those environmentalists, ever so worried about the environment and human damage to it, should watch the Discovery Channels special "Life Indestructible" on the Miracle Planet series. According to it the planet has been hit 6 times w/the last occurring 5 billion years and in this time, within a day of impact, everything....is gone, the Earth becomes as hot as the sun. So, by all means, keep saving the planet

"...the planet can shake us off like a bad case of fleas." - George Carlin

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An unwavering defender of those I see worth protecting.

"promote the general welfare, not provide the general welfare"

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

well not in the case of the Prius vs Hummer...which is what I am talking about. I was responding to:
"a Hummer is more eco-friendly than a Prius."

This might be correct if you are talking about a Hybrid Civc vs non-hybrid Civc at current gas prices. If gas gets back up to 4.00 a gallon even the Civc vs Civc would be a savings

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2013 X5 35i M Sport

The Hummer analogy is a bit of a stretch I think, but the amount of energy and resources it takes to make the batteries for a Hybrid need to be considered as does how it will be disposed of when it hits EOL. Let's see the greenies explain what they're going to do with hundreds of thousands of those batteries in 3 - 5 years.


That being said, I'm really liking the Tahoe Hybrid coming out at the end of the year....

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You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist.