I've heard the criticisms too many times. "You're wasting your money because hybrids have a huge honkin' battery that will pollute more than your saved gas will ever make up for. You're a poser!" I know that the battery is not an environmental liabilty, but finding documentation of that fact is nearly impossible to come by. I actually heard a commentator on NPR say once, "If you want to be an environmentalist, ride a bike. If you want to look like an environmentalist, get a hybrid." GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR. Does anyone know of a Web page, white paper, news release, article, anything that I can use to prove to the knuckleheads in my life that Prius really is a lesser net ecological sin than other cars?
I think these two things might help: http://www.toyota.com/about/environment/te...004/hybrid.html http://www.priuschat.com/forums/hybrid-par...ade-vt4247.html In the thread you'll see a PDF from Toyota that is an interesting read of how considered the whole effect on the environment for Prius from manufacture to recycling. The Toyota site FAQ takes about their battery recycling program already in affect and dispells other hybrid myths as well.
Exactly what I was looking for. How did I not find these before? Thank you! It's worth it just for the last question in Toyota's article:
Not only that but the Car is 98% recyclable and beyond that it is designed to be easily disassembled, particularly the most polluting materials are easily separated from the rest of the car. This is a total green program. We can hold up our heads in any group.
