Today people are queuing up for hybrids for a host of reasons. More mileage, cleaner emissions, less dependence on imported oil and the likes.
So how do conventional cars really match up to hybrids. Well here's a look.
As far as fuel efficiency goes the odds are clearly in favor of hybrids. You could get savings of 20%-25% on your gasoline bills if you are driving a hybrid. But before you get rid of your gas guzzler and rush off to the nearest Toyota/Honda dealer there are some things you must consider.
There is a lot of hype about the fuel efficiency of a hybrid. In fact the mileage that you actually get may be lower than what is advertised. This is because driving conditions in which the battery of a hybrid gets recharged fastest is by deceleration and regenerative braking. This simply may not always happen, resulting in a noticeable difference between the advertised and the actual mileage.
Then there is the premium that you pay for a hybrid: It shouldn't be anything less than $2,000 . If you consider the fuel that you save then at the current gas prices you will need to drive about 150,000 miles before you recover the initial difference in cost. If you don't drive too much it could be at least a ten year wait. What's more hybrid's store energy in large battery packs. These are costly to replace, more than $2,500. Although they last a long time, the cost of replacement is certain to drive down the resale value of used vehicles.
Again mixing of electric power and traditional internal combustion engines requires a lot of fine tuning. Then there are risks associated with handling powerful batteries. Small hiccups may mean a trip to sophisticated garages rather than the mechanic round the corner. The result, more money spent on maintenance.
However inspite of these apparent drawbacks it seems hybrids will win in the long run. As their production increases, prices are bound to come down because of economies of scale. Then the federal government offers a tax credit for buying a hybrid, which is about $2,000 for a 2007 Honda Civic. Additionally some companies also offer cash incentives to employees buying hybrids.
All in all, no matter what your calculator tells you now , hybrids are the cars of the future. Even today the extra dollars spent on one are a small price to pay for preserving the environment.
Japanese vs.US Hybrid Cars-Why the Difference?
Hybrids are the fastest growing segment of the American car market.In 2006 the sales of hybrids rose to 1% of total car sales ,an increase of 22%over the previous year.This high rate of growth looks set to continue with the public growing increasingly concerned about depleting world oil resources and the environmental impact of fossil fuels.
The figures speak for themselves.Hybrids can cut fuel consumption by up to as much as 40%.As far as cleaner environment goes the new Ford Escape Hybrid produces less than one pound of smog producing pollutants in a 15,000 mile drive.Its significance can be understood only when you consider that for non hybrid passenger vehicles the corresponding figure is 67 pounds!
It was Toyota which first demonstrated the hybrid-electric concept at the Tokyo Auto Show in 1995.At that time Toyota set an aggressive development schedule to bring the Prius to the Japanese market in two years time in an effort to be the first car company in the world to offer a production hybrid-electric car for sale.And succeed they did.The Prius was offered to the Japanese public in 1997 before the signing of the Kyoto Protocol.
The Prius went on sale in the US in 2000 and was an instant success.The first hybrid electric model in the US market,however, was the Honda Insight in 1999.The Honda Civic hybrid went on sale in 2002.
The year 2004 will be remembered for the launch of the second generation Prius.In addition the first full size pickup hybrids the Dodge Ram and the Chevy Silverado as well as the first SUV hybrid the Ford Escape hit the streets this year.
The success of the 2004 Prius led some experts to call it the most successful car model of all times.At one time it sold at a premium of $2000 over its sticker price!Even today the Prius sells more than all the other models combined.
So what did Toyota and the other Japanese automakers get right which the US automakers got wrong?Nothing really because it was just a question of focusing on a particular area.US automakers concentrated all along on pure electric cars and hydrogen fuel cars.While electric cars were introduced in the market they did not become popular because of limitations of size,speed and range.The hydrogen fuel car is still under development although GM hopes to introduce it in the market by 2010.
Of late the US manufacturers have sought to duplicate the success of the Prius.Encouraged by the success of the Ford Escape they have directed their energies into developing an American hybrid.But unlike the Ford escape which has been built under a licensing agreement with Toyota,GM's forthcoming Chevy Tahoe hybrid is st to be a very important event for the American auto industry.
Why so?The Prius recharges its battery pack through deceleration and regenerative braking.Thus while it improves fuel economy significantly in the city its results are not so spectacular on the highways.The USA is a huge country with a vast highway network.The Tahoe hybrid and all GM dual mode hybrids offer some additional tricks on the highway, which is very important in the US.
The year 2008 therefore promises to be an interesting one for the US hybrid industry.While none of the models are going to match the efficiency of Toyota,US automakers are clearly back in the reckoning.
The figures speak for themselves.Hybrids can cut fuel consumption by up to as much as 40%.As far as cleaner environment goes the new Ford Escape Hybrid produces less than one pound of smog producing pollutants in a 15,000 mile drive.Its significance can be understood only when you consider that for non hybrid passenger vehicles the corresponding figure is 67 pounds!
It was Toyota which first demonstrated the hybrid-electric concept at the Tokyo Auto Show in 1995.At that time Toyota set an aggressive development schedule to bring the Prius to the Japanese market in two years time in an effort to be the first car company in the world to offer a production hybrid-electric car for sale.And succeed they did.The Prius was offered to the Japanese public in 1997 before the signing of the Kyoto Protocol.
The Prius went on sale in the US in 2000 and was an instant success.The first hybrid electric model in the US market,however, was the Honda Insight in 1999.The Honda Civic hybrid went on sale in 2002.
The year 2004 will be remembered for the launch of the second generation Prius.In addition the first full size pickup hybrids the Dodge Ram and the Chevy Silverado as well as the first SUV hybrid the Ford Escape hit the streets this year.
The success of the 2004 Prius led some experts to call it the most successful car model of all times.At one time it sold at a premium of $2000 over its sticker price!Even today the Prius sells more than all the other models combined.
So what did Toyota and the other Japanese automakers get right which the US automakers got wrong?Nothing really because it was just a question of focusing on a particular area.US automakers concentrated all along on pure electric cars and hydrogen fuel cars.While electric cars were introduced in the market they did not become popular because of limitations of size,speed and range.The hydrogen fuel car is still under development although GM hopes to introduce it in the market by 2010.
Of late the US manufacturers have sought to duplicate the success of the Prius.Encouraged by the success of the Ford Escape they have directed their energies into developing an American hybrid.But unlike the Ford escape which has been built under a licensing agreement with Toyota,GM's forthcoming Chevy Tahoe hybrid is st to be a very important event for the American auto industry.
Why so?The Prius recharges its battery pack through deceleration and regenerative braking.Thus while it improves fuel economy significantly in the city its results are not so spectacular on the highways.The USA is a huge country with a vast highway network.The Tahoe hybrid and all GM dual mode hybrids offer some additional tricks on the highway, which is very important in the US.
The year 2008 therefore promises to be an interesting one for the US hybrid industry.While none of the models are going to match the efficiency of Toyota,US automakers are clearly back in the reckoning.
Is The U.S. Justice System Flawed?
A report released recently informs us that almost 2.2 million people are in US jails. This marks an eight fold rise in the number of Americans in prison since 1970.It costs the taxpayer about $65 billion annually. The report has been produced by the JFA Institute a Washington criminal justice research group.
The impact of such a large number of people in prison is awesome.Once you include the families the prisoners leave behind,the prison guards and the prison administration, the lawyers and the justice system, it would seem that the system affects almost everybody.
The benefits of the present system are clearly visible. The streets are definitely safer.The homicide rate in the 1990's fell by 43% and continues to decline. The value of a safe neighborhood certainly outweighs the costs of imprisonment.
On the flip side, the prison population is set to increase by almost 200,000 over the next five years and it will cost another $27.5 billion to build and run the additional prisons that will be needed.Such a judicial system also serves to deepen the divide between the privileged and the disadvantaged.This is because the disadvantaged, the less skilled and the less educated are more likely to end up in jail.Spending their productive years in jail not only reduces their lifetime earnings but also adversely affects the prospects of re-employment upon their release.It also certainly affects the financial prospects of the families they leave behind.Critics also argue that in spite of such a harsh system the crime rate is where it was in 1973.
So what needs to be done about it. Before attempting an answer it is necessary to understand the reasons that lie behind this prison boom.It happened because crime increased and there seemed to be no way to control it except by imposing tougher penalties.This resulted in longer jail sentences being handed out with fewer chances of an early release.The war on drugs led to the arrest of a large number of small time users and drug dealers.Presently almost 60% of prison inmates are in for drug offenses.Supreme Court Justice Anthony M. Kennedy remarked:'Our resources are misspent, our punishments too severe, our sentences too long.'
Maybe it's time to give the entire system a re look.To start with, prison sentences for petty crimes could be shortened and prisoners could be made eligible for early release in deserving cases.Alternate forms of punishment also need to be considered.There is also a case for being a bit lenient on 'soft drugs.'Debates on legalizing marijuana for medical use seem to indicate that this option is being seriously considered.
An editorial in The Washington Times said that prisoners deserve punishment.'But we shouldn't forget that a vast majority will also be returned to society, which has as much at stake in their rehabilitation as they do.'
The impact of such a large number of people in prison is awesome.Once you include the families the prisoners leave behind,the prison guards and the prison administration, the lawyers and the justice system, it would seem that the system affects almost everybody.
The benefits of the present system are clearly visible. The streets are definitely safer.The homicide rate in the 1990's fell by 43% and continues to decline. The value of a safe neighborhood certainly outweighs the costs of imprisonment.
On the flip side, the prison population is set to increase by almost 200,000 over the next five years and it will cost another $27.5 billion to build and run the additional prisons that will be needed.Such a judicial system also serves to deepen the divide between the privileged and the disadvantaged.This is because the disadvantaged, the less skilled and the less educated are more likely to end up in jail.Spending their productive years in jail not only reduces their lifetime earnings but also adversely affects the prospects of re-employment upon their release.It also certainly affects the financial prospects of the families they leave behind.Critics also argue that in spite of such a harsh system the crime rate is where it was in 1973.
So what needs to be done about it. Before attempting an answer it is necessary to understand the reasons that lie behind this prison boom.It happened because crime increased and there seemed to be no way to control it except by imposing tougher penalties.This resulted in longer jail sentences being handed out with fewer chances of an early release.The war on drugs led to the arrest of a large number of small time users and drug dealers.Presently almost 60% of prison inmates are in for drug offenses.Supreme Court Justice Anthony M. Kennedy remarked:'Our resources are misspent, our punishments too severe, our sentences too long.'
Maybe it's time to give the entire system a re look.To start with, prison sentences for petty crimes could be shortened and prisoners could be made eligible for early release in deserving cases.Alternate forms of punishment also need to be considered.There is also a case for being a bit lenient on 'soft drugs.'Debates on legalizing marijuana for medical use seem to indicate that this option is being seriously considered.
An editorial in The Washington Times said that prisoners deserve punishment.'But we shouldn't forget that a vast majority will also be returned to society, which has as much at stake in their rehabilitation as they do.'
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