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The Toyota Prius. World's biggest con?

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Silvery Thing:

--- Quote from: waveydavey on March 31, 2008, 23:05:38 ---....Tell me one single item on the Prius that is new?....

--- End quote ---
New is a realative word.... I use the word 'new' as a term in that it is not old. Hybrid drive is a new concept for everyday family cars and will, I am quite sure, continue to be developed.

As for the batteries, I agree with you in general terms but I feel very sure that such large batteries would be correctly recycled if in the right hands.

Thrasher:
I think Honda have got the right end of the stick this time (with their newer HFC car). Hydrogen fuel cells. Old Technology it may be, but it's something can be applied to older vehicles (fuel conversions)....

This brings the footprint of the vehicles down AND keeps older cars on the roads longer - which benefits everyone except the "must change my car every 3 years" brigade (you at the back - stop sniggering!)

Wireless:

--- Quote from: ChrisV8 on March 31, 2008, 15:53:19 --- :clap: :clap: :clap:Bet they wouldn't dare put it up against SWMBO's little car, Fiat Panda Multijet diesel !!!! We can get an easy 75mpg out of that not really bothering too much, but I wouldn't want to drive it 500 miles !

Hybrids are just a big con as others have said, the environmental impact of the batteries alone outweigh anything !

--- End quote ---

SWMBO's 1985 Fiat Panda 45CL does 68mpg, has 22k on the clock, has virtually no rust, and cost £400.  Only downside is the rip off £120 VED, but not a lot we can do about that.

Range Rover Blues:
Err, Hydrogen, where's that come from again :-k

I agree that the sentiment is good, but the practice is not.  The only thing that the piuou sdoes is use regenerative braking.  The idea has been around for over 2 decades that I'm aware of on the railways, ther is works because the substation is stationary (no punn intended) but in a car, wany gain from soaking up the braking effort is lost int whatever vessel you choose to out that energy into.

Want to save the planet? then vote for a party that will make it easier to work from home.


As an aside, about 100 years ago, electric vehicle technology was way ahead of internal combustion, it was cheap, reliable, clean and quiet.

then some sod started a war and electric vehicles were no use in another country.  The old joke, they may be cheap to run but he cable costs £40,000 :roll:

So petrol engines took over in military servie, then the large number of army surplus truck after the war plus the rapid development id IC engines saw the end of electric and steam as realistic motive power.

V8MoneyPit:

--- Quote from: Range Rover Blues on April 02, 2008, 02:28:41 ---plus the rapid development id IC engines saw the end of electric and steam as realistic motive power.

--- End quote ---

Ah, steam power.... there's plenty of water in the swollen rivers to keep them going. And global warming will just keep topping it up as the ice caps melt  :lol:

Hybrid drives could be made to work, but it would push the cost of the cars too high. The Prius was the first realistic attempt at getting it into a family saloon, but it is a compromise to keep the cost down. As it is, it does come across as a pure marketing excersise.

We've discussed, at length in the past, the other environmental issues with it. But it's the same with anything, give the world a bandwagon and companies and governements will all jump on it regardless of whether it is a sensible bandwagon or not.

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