Hybrid Vehicles: Friend or Foe?

Hybrid Vehicles:Friend or Foe? By Lizzie Johnsen and Julie Samuelson

What are hybrid vehicles? • Type of car that uses a combination of small gas engine and electric battery to power car

History of Hybrids • From 1897 to 1907 the Paris Electric Car Company produced a series of hybrid and electric cars • First hybrid created in United States was by engineer H. Piper on November 23, 1905 • From 1890 to 1920 there were more than 100 different makers of hybrid cars

How Hybrids Work • http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/technology/transportation/hybrid-cars/

Use combination of gas motor and electric battery At low speeds or coasting, the car runs on electric energy At fast speeds, the car switches to its gas engine If the car is not moving the engine automatically turns off, using no energy How Hybrids Work

Hybrid Effect on Atmosphere • Releases fewer emissions into atmosphere • emissions: gases and particles released into the air as byproducts of a natural or man-made process (www.mtpc.org) • Emissions pollute the air and contribute to the thinning of the ozone layer • Fewer emissions are less damaging to atmosphere

Make us less dependent on other countries for oil Uses less oil Makes us more self-sufficient Benefits of Hybrids

Reduction in gasoline needs Less of a need for gasoline Saves the owner of the car money This is crucial as gas prices continue to rise Benefits of Hybrids

Benefits of Hybrids • Battery pack can recharge • Receives energy from break friction • Capable of storing energy

Benefits of Hybrids • More eco-friendly • Does not harm the environment as badly as traditional gasoline cars • Releases fewer toxins • Keeps air cleaner • Much quieter than gas cars

Flaws of Hybrid • Significantly more expensive than regular cars • Battery not included in overall cost • Battery is expensive

Flaws of Hybrid • Batteries still need work • Die about every 3 years, expensive to replace • Made with lead and nickel • This makes the batteries toxic • Can be hazardous if they leak • Can cause deformities and diseases in people • Batteries can take up to 10 hours to fully recharge

Flaws of Hybrid • Higher chances of breakdowns • Uses new technology that has not been mastered yet • Sometimes unable to detect errors in car until it stops working • Hybrids have 2 motors, so the chances of one of them not working is doubled

Flaws of Hybrid • Lack of raw materials • Many parts would have to be imported from China • Increases our dependency on other nations

Flaws of Hybrids • Technology too complex • “Cutting edge” technology is more advanced than common people • Many mechanics don’t understand it

Hybrids in the Media • Many people are misinformed about their views on hybrid cars • Car companies use marketing and their credible reputations to persuade people to buy their cars • GM, Ford, and Chrysler recently urged President Bush to financially and politically support a national technological solution involving hybrids

Are they a realistic future? • Although they are a good solution for right now, hybrid vehicles are not sustainable in the long run • Only a “quick fix” • Their technology is too complex and their cost is too expensive for the general public • Research shows that they will not be able to be mass produced until 2025

Bibliography • http://www.alternate-energy-sources.com • http://www.hybridcars.com/ • http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/images/technical/hybrid-car.jpg • www.cartoonstock.com • http://www.eartheasy.com/live_hybrid_cars.htm

Hybrid Vehicles: Friend or Foe?