The Hybrid CarThomas ChristianJulie RichardsonJustin VertongenNicole Zambruski

How does the car work?

•The Electrical engine •Powered by rechargeable batteries•Most used when in cities or neighborhoods or in stop and go traffic•During coasting and slow-down phases when a driver lightly taps on the brakes, the car's wheels are automatically engaged to an electrical generator. The generator creates an extra "load" to assist the brakes in slowing the car down•it converts the car's mechanical energy back into electricity to recharge the car's batteries.

•The Combustion Engine•Used at higher speeds as on the freeways•computers automatically switch on the gas-burning engine, which then takes over as the primary driving force of the car. •Typically, the small engine is designed with variable valve timing intelligence and other advances to ensure that the fuel is burned most efficiently and completely.

– Maintenance• More maintenance with the duel motor

– Engine light come on often indicating a problem when there might not actually be a problem.

• Replacement CostsThe battery and other elements of the hybrid car engine that allow the transfer of power between the gas engine and the electric battery can be expensive to fix or replace in cases where damage or a defect arises

– Cost of Work• The cost of work on your Hybrid will be more than other cars

– Have to use a dealership of where you bought the car, using a dealership will be more expensive than other cars

– Will have to call for mechanics to be skilled in the combustion engine and the electrical, and the both of them working simultaneously. Calling for a workforce that is limited at best.

– A mechanic who does not know how the hybrid works could – mix up the wiring system and your life could be in danger– Even a near dead battery could cause fatal accidents.

How long does the hybrid have?• With the expanded and accelerated

technology hybrids will become passé.• Current technicians and inventors will

need to move onto hyper-green (above and beyond what we may have) vehicles.

BatteriesTypes of Batteries Used

Conventional cars use lead acid batteriesToday most hybrids use Nickel Metal Hydride BatteriesLithium Ion batteries are the new technology

No one type of lithium ion batteryMost popular is cobalt dioxide

Lead Acid Batteries

Lead is an extremely toxic materialBatteries are significantly smaller than their hybrid counterpartsRecycling programs are the most successful of any consumer product

Between 1999 and 2003, 99.2% of used battery lead was properly recycledRecycling facilities are available in US

Nickel Metal Hydride BatteriesNickel is mined in open cast mines.

Very bad for the environmentRecycling problems because nickel is semi-toxic

Most batteries are shipped to third world countries to be recycled because the EPA standards do not allow for those facilities to exist in the US

Lithium Ion BatteriesPrimarily use Cobalt, which is very explosiveAlso metallic lithium that is used reacts violently when it comes in contact with moistureVery difficult to recycle because they use such dangerous materials

Economic IssuesIncreased Complexity

• Hybrid vehicles are very complex vehicles, requiring the use of advanced technologies and high-tech components.

• It has two motors (gasoline and electric motors) and a lot of computer management systems to control them.

• A more complex system means there are more things that can go wrong or break, meaning more trips to the repair shop and more pricey repair bills.

• Also, mechanics have to learn how to service the new type of motor and corresponding system components.

Price Mark-up

• All of these technologically advanced components lead to a mark-up in price compared to similarly-sized conventional gas burning vehicles- An estimated $3,000-$6,000 price increase.

• CarGurus.com found that the average hybrid costs more than $2,200 more to own and operate than comparable sized gasoline vehicles.

• Another study by CarGurus.com shows that gas prices would have to raise above $7 per gallon for the gas savings of most hybrids to overcome the price mark-up.

• The study analyzed 43 hybrid cars that have similar non-hybrid, gas-powered models, showed that on average the hybrid models cost 17% more to own and operate than their non-hybrid counterparts, even with gas prices factored in at $4 per gallon.

Battery Life• Hybrid batteries have an estimated life

expectancy of 100,000 miles-Two to three times less than the life of a well kept internal combustion engine.

• These batteries (like the nickel metal hydride battery in the Toyota Prius) require the mining of rare earth elements like Neodymium and lanthanum.

• The world’s leading producer of these rare earth elements is China, providing 91% of the U.S. demand for rare earth elements.

AlternativesCompared to Diesel

Hybrid vehicles have…

• Worse fuel efficiency– ≈ 30% less efficient

• A shorter lifespan– 100,000 miles vs. 400,000 miles

• Require more expensive initial investment– $5,000 more than diesel cars– Additional repairs such as new battery

• Estimated to be $3,000

• Are more difficult to resell

Projections by the EPA suggest PM emissions will fall with “highway diesel”

http://www.scientificamerican.com/media/inline/why-european-diesel-cars_1.jpg

Hybrid vs. Diesel

http://www.handpickedtrucks.com/why-diesel-8.php

Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD)• As of December 1, 2010 all diesel fuel sold in the

U.S. had to be ULSD– 15 parts per million or lower of sulfur content

• This is a much cleaner form of diesel– 97% less sulfur than Low Sulfur Diesel (LSD)

• Diesel also have catalytic converters and particulate traps to control emissions

More Mileage

•Actually the mileage reported by the hybrid motors is 10% less than claimed. It is the same as a fuel efficient combustion engine car, but the gasoline gar is less expensive.

Lower Emission

•When hybrids use electricity to regenerate the battery, if the electricity comes from hydropower or other renewable energies, emissions are likely reduced and there might be an overall positive effect on the environment. 

•Although “if the source is coal, overall emissions may not be reduced, and the overall environmental benefits may not be as strong.”

Tax incentive

•In 2007 Cal-Trans cut the use of the HOV/Fast Track lanes to the use of Hybrids. Incentive isn’t there!

•The amount of the tax credit is first reduced by 50% before disappearing altogether over several months. Honda's tax credit, currently $525, will be phased out by Dec. 31, according to the Internal Revenue Service. The Civic credit had been as high as $2,100 before the phase-out began in January 2008.

Relieve our Dependence on oil

•How would it relieve our dependence on oil when the hybrid car is still dependent upon oil and gasoline?

•When test driving the Hybrid Toyota Prius Automotive Magazine reported, in the city the hybrid performed exceptionally well. On the road at high speeds the computer of the Prius directed the car to use the gasoline engine, the researchers noted that the gasoline engine worked so hard that it would have been better to buy a more fuel efficient Toyota Corolla than the hybrid.

Noise reduction

•The noise reduction has been so great that many people have been hit by hybrid cars because they are too quiet.

•“When hybrid run solely on electric power, blind people say they are a hazard to those who rely on their ears to determine whether it is safe to cross the street or walk through a parking lot.”

•Fire fighters have problem with Hybrid fires due to the electrical component.

Insurance Discounts

•While the insurance discount might be nice at first it doesn't supplement the amount of money that you initially use to buy the car and the future maintenance of the car.

Technology “only gets better”

Researchers have found that a “misinformed craze” surrounding hybrids has delayed other technologies and is drawing a majority of research dollars. This is stopping such newer technologies such as:

oHydrogen Fuel CellsoBetter all –electric cars

Proper ways of Disposing of Batteries

•There are proper ways to dispose of computers, and e-waste but you still see people carelessly throwing away electrical components