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Hybrid Vehicles Hybrids - News, Reviews and Views in the Press
567 messages, Last post on Oct 30, 2009 at 9:21 PM
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This article predicts "faltering" hybrid sales to come. We shall see...... Hybrids on the way Out !!!
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I see the the Prius vs. Hummer discussion is in full swing. Let me see if I can add a few points. In another blog a person made the comment about shipping nickel via massive container ship to the largest nickel refinery in Europe. Having recently looked at some interesting information on wikipedia regarding super tankers and container ships I decided to crunch the numbers. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Containerization & http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supertanker Container capacity is measured in twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU). A 40-ft standard shipping container (2 TEU) can hold 26,500 kg. A Prius battery pack weighs 68kg (06). 389 battery packs could fit in each container by weight. (26,500/68) Prius sales in 2006 were 107,000. Divide 107,000 by 389 battery packs per container and we get 275 containers. (550 TEU) We would only need 275 forty foot containers to ship all the battery packs needed for 2006. The world's largest container ship the Ebba Maersk can hold 14,500 TEU. (151,687 GT) The 275 containers add up to less than 4% of the ships capacity. The H3 on the other hand uses 13.9 more barrels of oil per year than a Prius. (EPA) 107,000 H3s would use an additional 1.5 million barrels of oil per year. (13.9*107,000) A Suezmax tanker (160,000 GT) can carry up to about 1.2 million barrels. We would need at least one extra Suezmax tanker shipment every year if those 107,000 Prius owners had bought H3s. You might need to ship another set of batteries mid way through the 15 year life cycle. The H3 on the other hand would need at least 15 Suezmax tanker shipments. Prius 1, H3 0 CNW -1 
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On the CNW web site they had an additional document regarding why the Prius cost more than an H3: “Other components on the Prius, such as tires, are less distance-mileage friendly than non-hybrids of the same size and weight.....But the typical replacement tire for a Prius will not likely be the OEM specialty variety, cutting both fuel economy and distance-per-battery charge of the Prius.” At tirerack.com you will see that the 2007 Prius OEM tire costs about $65 and has a 460 treadwear rating. The H3 tire, also made by Goodyear, costs $102 on special and has a treadwear rating of only 340. Goodyear is saying the Prius tire will last longer. The Prius OEM tire (185/65-15) from Goodyear weighs 17 pounds. The H3 OEM tire (265/75-16) weighs 42 pounds. It takes more raw material and bigger equipment to make the H3 tire. Transportation costs for the H3 tire will be higher (both as a product and when it is sent to recycling). I wonder if CNW even added in the energy cost of the H3 tires. Prius 2 H3 0 CNW -10 |
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Replying to: larsb (Apr 20, 2007 5:57 am)
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Replying to: tomq (Apr 22, 2007 7:54 am) By Roland Jones Associate editor MSNBC Updated: 4:44 p.m. MT April 18, 2007 Roland Jones Associate editor Spring is getting a late start in the United States this year,with mid-April snow blanketing parts of the nation. But the month of March still saw a burst of green for Japanese automaker Toyota. Even as the Big Three automakers saw their sales drop, Toyota’s U.S. sales soared to a record in March, thanks partly to soaring demand for its eco-friendly, hybrid gasoline-electric powered vehicles. Sales of Toyota’s Prius, the best-selling hybrid model, jumped to 19,156, more than double the 7,922 sold a year ago. Are lots of American car buyers turning “green”? Not necessarily. Part of the reason for Toyota’s sales jump was a series of discounts it has offered on the Prius — a strong favorite among environmentalists that this year celebrates its 10th anniversary of production — in a bid to broaden its appeal to more mainstream car shoppers.
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Replying to: larsb (Apr 23, 2007 5:16 am)
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Replying to: gagrice (Apr 23, 2007 7:00 am) Yes, by all means, let's not give any Prius sales credit to the fact that the Prius is a GREAT CAR.......... We sure do have about 500,000 doofuses in the USA who have bought hybrid cars.........man those Toyota liars are SLICK !! (OK tongue out of cheek now) Regardless of WHY Priuses are selling well, we should all be happy that these clean and efficient cars are on the road in place of cars that MORE THAN LIKELY would be worse polluters. If Toyota wants to make less money on the Priuses with the goal of getting more of them on the road, that also is a praiseworthy event.
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Replying to: larsb (Apr 23, 2007 7:12 am) Maybe it is. It does offer good mileage and utility. If it can be bought under invoice it can be practical. It still has a lot of competition selling below $21k. The complexity would be a killer for me. I will never succumb to that trap again. Main reason I am looking at used truck based SUVs with low mileage. I want a vehicle I can keep for 10 or more years without spending a ton on repairs. Hybrids will never fill that need. As you have pointed out, most new cars are overly complex and prone to high repair costs after the warranty expires. Planned obsolescence. |
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Hemi Hybrid? You betcha !! AUBURN HILLS, MI, April 30 /CNW/ - That new Chrysler Aspen Hybrid got a HEMI(R)? Yes, it does - as does the new Dodge Durango Hybrid. Both vehicles - powered by Chrysler Group's all-new 5.7-liter HEMI Hybrid powertrain - debut next year as the first volume-production hybrid offerings from the Chrysler Group and the first vehicles to feature DaimlerChrysler's advanced two-mode hybrid technology. "The all-new Chrysler Group HEMI Hybrid will offer our customers the best of both worlds: renowned performance and significantly improved fuel economy," said Frank Klegon, Executive Vice President - Product Development, Chrysler Group. "With the new HEMI-powered Chrysler Aspen Hybrid, we are delivering the ultimate combination of fuel efficiency, overall performance and capability in a premium full-size SUV." The new 5.7-liter HEMI Hybrid is expected to deliver an overall fuel economy improvement of more than 25 percent, including an improvement of nearly 40 percent in the city. The HEMI powerplant, in hybrid form, will continue to feature Chrysler Group's Multi-displacement System (MDS), which allows the engine to seamlessly alternate between four-cylinder mode when less power is needed and V-8 mode when more power is in demand. For the fifth year in a row - and every year since its 2003 re-introduction -- Chrysler Group's famous 5.7-liter HEMI engine has earned a place on Ward's 10 Best Engines list. The new Chrysler Aspen Hybrid and Dodge Durango Hybrid vehicles represent a bold change in what is generally a "me too" category. Chrysler Group's full-size hybrid vehicles will deliver seamless dependable power on demand in an efficient package. With an electrically variable transmission (featuring two electric motors), two full hybrid modes of operation, and four fixed mechanical gear ratios, the drive system improves fuel economy around town and at highway speeds. |
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Gitcher Hybrids Heya, Get 'Em While 'Their Hot' Incentive bonus Buying a hybrid car makes more economic sense today By Andrea Coombes, MarketWatch Last Update: 7:13 PM ET Apr 29, 2007 SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- If you've been toying with the idea of buying a hybrid car, the cost equation is tilting in your favor. Until recently buying a hybrid meant you were willing to shell out for a pricier car because you believe in helping the environment or because you like to own the latest high-tech gadget. Auto-research firms found it could take up to 15 years, depending on the model, of gas-pump savings to offset hybrids' higher sticker price. But now it's taking less time to break even, thanks to carmakers' new deals on hybrids. Right now, the average incentive for all hybrid models is about $1,638, according to Edmunds.com. "Up until maybe a year or so ago, we were paying over sticker prices for hybrids," said Philip Reed, consumer-advice editor with Edmunds.com. But now, "there are hybrids on car lots and they're being discounted. That's unusual. And it's also at a time when gas prices are ... high so people are going to want these cars," Reed said. Repair costs Another cost consideration is maintenance and repair. There's good news for hybrids on that front, Reed said. "People are really worried about the batteries and it's proven to be much less of a problem than anybody ever thought," Reed said. "Plus, nearly all the manufacturers have very long and strong warranties to protect you," he said, as long as eight years and 100,000 miles or even 10 years and 110,000 miles for the hybrid components. Plus, brake repair costs may be less than on a standard car. Because of hybrids' braking systems, "you don't have to do brake jobs as often," he said. "That's a savings that a lot of people don't consider."
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