To answer your question about the batteries, although i don't know the specific manufacturer of these batteries, they are generally all completely recycleable. I know that Deka and Trojan (the two major manufacturors of large batteries for cars/golf carts) both have recycling facilities for this and reuse many of the parts from old batteries.
On the weight issue, it is true that it batteries do add weight, but not too much. I have built a couple of electric cars and raced and competed in 'green car' events with them, with a Ford ranger that we put over 1000 lbs of batteries in, but that really didn't make that much of a weight difference on the whole. Even with the batteries, the hybrids weigh less than many regular cars.

But i don't want to defend them too much, because i do agree that they aren't a solution by any means. But they do have their purposes. In Seattle, the city has recently put in a contract to replace all of the city busses with hybrid deisel-electric busses. This application makes a ton of sense and really does save thousands upon thousands of gallons of deisel every year. The busses pay for themselves in saved deisel in almost no time. For cars though....i can't see any real big advantages. The money you might save on gas or save in the 'environment' is more than compensated by the money and 'environment' killed/wasted in manufacturing a new car.

Its all gonna be hydrogen in 10-15 years anyhow...

posted by 209.225.17...

• OT: article on dealer markups on Toyota Prius, JLowe, Thu, 10 Jun 2004 06:01:59
  • The point is there is lots of demand, Ken , Sun, 13 Jun 2004 21:21:37
  • Info on hybrids, etc., Conor, Fri, 11 Jun 2004 13:09:43
  • Ya' know, people were saying the same about turbos, keeton, Fri, 11 Jun 2004 11:13:08
    • Thats the great thing about free markets........, JLowe, Fri, 11 Jun 2004 13:23:59
  • Some dollars and sense..., Noel, Fri, 11 Jun 2004 06:42:18
  • Re: OT: article on dealer markups on Toyota Prius, Hybrids are a mistake, Fri, 11 Jun 2004 04:53:54
    • The Prius A/C is electric, keeton, Fri, 11 Jun 2004 06:34:00
    • Hybrids are kinda ugly too..., Conor, Fri, 11 Jun 2004 06:09:29 <-- Viewing This Message
    • Agree on diesels..., Noel, Fri, 11 Jun 2004 06:08:45
      • Re: Agree on diesels 2, Scaniac, Fri, 11 Jun 2004 14:08:37
  • Lexux RX330 hybrid......, Mike Lynch , Thu, 10 Jun 2004 17:38:10
  • The June Consumer Reports has a comparison test, Noel, Thu, 10 Jun 2004 11:24:21
    • The Neat Thing About DC Motors..., Drew in Houston, Sun, 13 Jun 2004 22:30:36
    • All interesting points..., JBinDC, Thu, 10 Jun 2004 11:43:33
      • Wow, great MPG!, Sieglo, Fri, 11 Jun 2004 08:21:20
      • Agree, plus...., Noel, Thu, 10 Jun 2004 13:03:02
        • yep...., Jason 5W-40, Thu, 10 Jun 2004 13:23:24
          • I agree 100%, cryptical, Thu, 10 Jun 2004 15:45:52
            • Impressive mileage at that speed! Which Saab? n/m, Noel, Thu, 10 Jun 2004 15:48:28
              • my bad....2003 9-5 Aero manual shift n/m, cryptical, Fri, 11 Jun 2004 04:59:03
  • It's not the savings, it's the fashion of hybrids>>, elSVT, Thu, 10 Jun 2004 08:57:24
    • I agree but those Hollywood phonies.....(long), Red Rocket, Thu, 10 Jun 2004 09:37:03
  • Some people can't do math!, Rich, Thu, 10 Jun 2004 07:28:12
  • Strange days indeed..., JBinDC, Thu, 10 Jun 2004 06:29:21
    • hybrid advantage is in city driving, Ken F, Thu, 10 Jun 2004 07:03:43
      • But what this really points out to me is that, Noel, Thu, 10 Jun 2004 15:46:35
      • This is with driving around Washington DC metro area,, JBinDC, Thu, 10 Jun 2004 10:17:48
        • Re: This is with driving around Washington DC metro area,, Was AC on?, Fri, 11 Jun 2004 04:45:39

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