So in all fairness to Chevy and the flaming critique from the pro-nature demographic:
New study: Full-size SUVs consume less energy over lifetime than hybrids
The results of a new study conducted by CNW Marketing Research Inc. is sure to generate some arched eyebrows. The firm's report stems from their two-year effort to collect and analyze data on the "energy neessary to plan, build, sell, drive and dispose of a vehicle from initial concept to scrappage." CNW then assigned their findings a new comparative metric - "dollars per lifetime mile" - or, said another way, total energy cost per mile driven.
The findings? America's most expensive vehicle in calendar 2005 was the Maybach (presumably a 62), tallying up at a staggering $11.58/mile. The thriftiest? Scion's boxy xB, just $.48 cents/mile.
But here's where it gets interesting: CNW's findings indicate that a hybrid consumes more energy overall than a comparable conventionally powered model. It showed that the Honda Accord Hybrid rang up an Energy Costs Per Mile of $3.29, while a gas-powered Accord was significantly cheaper at $2.18/mile. The study concludes that the average of all 2005 U.S. market vehicles was $2.28/mile.
The reasoning goes that hybrids use up more energy to manufacture, as well as consume more resources in terms of the assembly (and eventual disposal) of things like batteries and motors. By CNW's reckoning, the intrinsically lower complexity of, say, a Hummer H3 ($1.949/mile) actually results in lower total energy usage than any hybrid currently on the market, and even a standard Honda Civic ($2.42).
While the study's findings don't take issue with what vehicles are more financially economical to own (read: those with better mileage), it does pose some interesting questions about total energy usage in hybrids.
Obviously, in order to best judge the merit of CNW's findings, a clearer explanation of the study's criteria and processes is in order.
Sources: CNW via Yahoo Business, QCNetwork.com
AKI COMMENT: To decipher the headline joke, last week's South Park episode highlighted an increase in "Smug" in the atmosphere as more self-satisfied people presume to be better than others simply because they drive the trendy "Pious" brand Hybrid. The cleaner air emissions results in increased pleasurable smelling of one's own farts (cuz their shit don't stink presumably), and the Smug cloud builds to become yet another new environmental danger. Check it out here
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
Smug Alert!
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3 comments:
I've been reading this blog and let me be an honest blogger:
First: We can't avoid this results because it was a serious investigation reported by CNW Marketing (on of the best companies in this category) and they were investigating about it. After all, we need more sources about this findings because this'll be an important fact, specially in this matter: they store energy in a large set of sodium nickel chloride batteries to capture and store energy normally dissipated during dynamic braking or coasting and according with this post this can't be a comparative study because it's all about consume and prices. 23jj
just one question, how is end that jeep over that other car? that was a terrible car wreck, well backing to the main theme, I think that my bro have a good point, and beside is to important take into account all the points that could be a factor in this theme.
What people forget is that hybrid cars may be worthy when new but are so dull that when they reach the end of their useful life (10 years, 15 years tops?) no-one will want to lovingly maintain and restore one, like they would with a classic Camaro, Mustang, Jaguar etc.
Cars that are interesting to own for more than just 10 years are the most environmentally friendly, as they avoid the need to use more energy and unrenewable materials to produce yet more cars.
What they should build are cars that run on Biofuel, that are interesting enough to make us love them.
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