Going green in a time of gas guzzling

I don't see this as a myth. I think it's true, but it needs a disclaimer. It's the wave of the immediate future. And in reality, anytime something's been stated to be "the wave of the future", it's not as if it's been the wave for ever, so I think this myth is really a truth.

 

Eh. This is not the worst offender when it comes to "debunking" articles. It at least seems to be that they are actually "debunking" negative myths as well as the common ones...

I don't agree with #2 though...This is actually another "anti-myth" created by the "debunkers" in response to the "myth" that hybrids get better fuel economy... Hybrids get great mileage in the city, but they imply that on the highway, the hybrid parts are just dead weight, and imply that hybrids should get much WORSE economy than a regular vehicle...

So far, ALL of Toyota's hybrids perform better in BOTH highway and city driving...

The Prius still manages to get >51 MPG on the highway, better economy than ANY other conventional vehicle for highway mileage. How do they explain that if all hybrid cars "are not necessarily fuel-efficient when it comes to highway driving."

The Prius achieves better highway mileage for a number of reasons. The aerodynamics of the car and the low drag coefficient help tremendously, and the more efficient atkinson cycle engine does help as well, but the hybrid technology also plays a huge part... by assisting in acceleration, where a significant amount of fuel is used, fuel is saved even at highway speeds. In addition, more advanced cylinder deactivation and valve timing usually follows hybrid technology, giving an additional boost of MPG on the highway.

Another anti-hybrid myth created by the myth busters.

 

For a change I'd say that was a pretty well balanced article. Wouldn't it be nice if #8 was "Hybrids should be the wave of the future until they develop something better!"

 

And who says hybrids won't still be around 20 years from now in the form of hydrogen/electric?

 

Some of the "sources" like Canadian Driver are also a laugh. They have a lot in common with Motor Trend.

I noticed the myth #3 is a perpetuated myth again. They must thing the batteries are Pb (Lead) not NiMH. But even if they know better, they still appear to perpetuate the myth.

 

I noticed that the author(s) seeem to be fixated mostly on the SUV Highlander, which gets significantly lower mileage than the Prius for a much greater price increment. The Prius has a reasonable price especially if you pick one without the "fancy" packages. Even that Prius is much more deluxe than any non-hybrid that gets anywhere near the fuel efficiency of the Prius (thinking of the Echo for example). I think the Prius compares very well with any other car costing the same amount. Personally, I think the Prius is an exceptional bargain. Toyota may be absorbing a loss to make it so. (Maybe not.)

My two cents worth, probably over charging here.

Rob Morrison

 

The highway mpg stuff is quite wrong in the article. First of all most (but not all) hybrids have smaller engines then the non hybrid version so they use less fuel due to the smaller displacement. They could do better, some dont offer fuel cut at highway speeds and some of the models with larger engines dont have cylinder deactivation. I would love to see a 2 liter v6 based on the Honda Insight's engine, it could do a nice 3cyl mode for highway use.

 

another garbage article... so hybrids dont do well on the freeway because the ICE has to run???

well, lets see what other all fuel vehicle will get 55 mpg on the freeway.

 

I'm sure they will be. By that time though, I'm sure there will be a new wave of the future. My guess is that hybrids are likely the wave of the future for the next 10 years or so. After that, I think we'll start to see fuel cells and other alternatives.

 

i think what will be around will be a markedly different way of storing energy, which is really all a hybrid's ultimate goal is. the current first version still primarily relies on gas. but subsequent versions will move towards other processes as the shift to better environmentally geared options become viable.

 

yep.. I heard they can now store hydrogen in a capsule form at room temperature in your pocket!

I still only see this as a global energy solution, not an economic one.

As long as "they" make the fuel and we can't, they will charge us what they want.