A Late Earth-Day Tribute

I’ll be the first to mention that I’m not a big fan of hybrid cars. I don’t care who makes them; they’re all the same to me: statement cars that don’t do enough to change whatever quagmires we believe our love affair with the automobile are causing. Read my recent test-drive review of the Camry Hybrid.

Recently I dug up an interesting post by a fellow blogger regarding the environmental damage the Prius does versus that of a Hummer. You may read it here, or just read my summary:

Basically, the Prius does more environmental damage than the average Hummer. To start, the nickel powering those gas-free electric motors is mined and refined at a plant in Sudbury, Ontario. The area surrounding the plant is victim of severe environmental damage. The Sudbury region suffers from extreme acid rain and subsequent flora and fauna damage. But then the nickel must go on to China for further processing. Then on to Japan for assembly. Finally, it returns to the United States as batteries in the little bean-pod shaped, lime-green Priuses.

So consider, beside the environmental contamination to mine and refine the nickel, it also goes on an around-the-world journey before coming back to North America. Think of all the fuel used to haul it to the coast of Canada for transport on a freighter barge, or the gallons of jet fuel burned to fly it to China. I don’t know what method(s) are employed, I’m just covering the most common mass-transit methods for such heavy freight.

I do think this article is a bit biased, though. The data seem skewed, especially in saying that the Prius has an expected life of 100,000 miles versus the Hummer’s 300,000. I think most any car (ok, maybe not a Chrysler) will last to 300,000 miles with proper care and plenty of babying. I think Priuses can manage over 100,000 miles. And I realize this article is a couple years old.

But with the amount of fossil fuel burned (plus resulting pollution) in transit costs and the environmental damage done by mining nickel, one has to wonder if a Toyota Prius is really worth the statement it makes. And as for savings at the gas pump? It takes years before the average driver sees the Prius-Price-Premium begin to pay returns.

And how about if a Prius gets rear-ended (where the batteries are located) and blows up or catches fire? That’s probably a more toxic cloud that burning gasoline would create.

Just some ideas for thought...

Despite my feelings toward the Prius, and hybrids in general, the other day I saw this scene. There was the Prius, framed perfectly through daffodils and other spring greenery, and with no other vehicles or obstructions. I couldn’t resist taking this photo…environmentalists, enjoy: