Hybrids just an interim technology? Doubtful
Still the most important vehicle on the road today, and tomorrow
Hybrids will be around for decades, maybe forever
I used to believe the best hybrid car was a plug-in hybrid and that plug-in hybrids were far more important than pure battery-powered electric cars, at least in the interim. Not anymore.
Nonetheless, one thing seems quite clear, the impact of hybrid technology is only just beginning.
In a perfect world pure battery-powered plug-in electric cars are probably a better solution than both conventional hybrid cars and plug-in hybrid cars, at least for 75 percent of US drivers. Unfortunately, I’m not sure such a perfect world will ever exist. Moreover, hydrogen hybrid vehicles might prove even better than pure battery powered electric cars.
If not, algae-fueled hybrids, for instance, might become more cost-effective and functional than electric cars until a solar-powered, super smart-grid and cheap, 500 mile-per-charge batteries are achieved.
In the interim, hybrid cars are FAR more important than both plug-in hybrids and battery electrics.
Not only can hybrid cars achieve equal or even greater CO2 emission reductions than any type of plug-in - well-to-wheel based on today’s battery technologies and infrastructures - but today’s hybrid vehicles can do so far more cost effectively, and they could be converted into plug-in vehicles if battery technologies eventually prove themselves to be cost-effectively viable.
That later point is probably the most important point of all.
The legacy of abuse is often more damaging than the abuse itself
Quite simply, the legacy effect is one of the greatest dangers posed by today’s foreign oil dependence. Starting today, it would take roughly 20 years to replace the current 250+ million fleet of American gas guzzlers based upon average yearly vehicle production and sales. Thus, even if only the perfect foreign oil-fighting solution were sold starting today - all personal vehicle sales - the US would still be dependent upon foreign oil until well into the next decade.
Unfortunately, any such ‘perfect’ solution could be decades away.
Consequently, any technology that can reduce the impact of the legacy effect ASAP is extremely important. Hybrid cars easily offer the most cost-effective and consumer-friendly solution for dealing with the legacy effect, while offering significant reductions in CO2 emissions and foreign oil consumption today, and over the life of the vehicles.
In the interim, that’s an undeniable fact.
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So what? Hybrids still aren’t cost effective? Wanna make a bet? Check out Why You Should Buy a Hybrid.
Tags: best hybrid car, effect, foreign oil dependence, Hybrids, plug in hybrid cars, Technology
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