There is an interesting article which compares the total ecological footprint of a Prius to a Hummer. The conclusion that the article draws is that the Hummer is actually easier on the environment. How can this be? The article lists three reasons. First the actual fuel consumption is higher than claimed. Second, the manufacturing of the batteries that powers the motor invovles the toxic processing of nickel and takes a lot of energy to manufacture.
Second is the issue with the actual production of the batteries for the hybrid cars. It is only slowly being revealed that the nickel batteries that hybrids use are not environmentally friendly. The nickel for the Prius is produced in Sudbury, Ontario. According to Demorro, ” This plant has caused so much environmental damage to the surrounding environment that NASA has used the ‘dead zone’ around the plant to test moon rovers. The area around the plant is devoid of any life for miles.” Toyota produces 1,000 tons annually. The production of the batteries does not end in Canada, the nickel is then sent off to a refinery in Europe and then off to China and finally it ends up in finished form in Japan. This in turn uses more energy to create the batteries since it involves many factories all over the world.
Third hybrids do not last as long as conventional vehicles. Interestingly, the article concludes that the most environmentally friendly cars are conventional sub compacts.
Basically if you want to save gas and pollute less you should buy a subcompact with a PZEV rated engine. It will save you more money in the long run and the earth will thank you.
Canadian Observer 
March 24, 2007 at 1:14 pm
Did you read the links? CNW market research is a custom market research shop for big auto. They even host executive getaways for them in some cabin in Oregon!
This is a classic example of big industry getting in the way of true science and progress. Paid market research is not scientific research. It is objective spin at best.
By reposting this you are helping spread false cultural memes and dirtying the waters of ‘fact’.
March 24, 2007 at 4:51 pm
If you read the article they said that as it stands sub compacts leaver a smaller environmental footprint and that that would change in the near future as the battery technology and service life of hybrids increased. It was hardly a full on shill article for big industry. Indeed it simply cautioned making too much of Toyota’s claim hyped claims about the prius. I still am of the firm belief that we need to get people out of their cars Hybrids or no and into high quality public transit. Cars simply lack the capacity to deliver the economies scale that are required both in terms of outputs and inputs.
June 7, 2007 at 3:59 pm
Why is it that people just ASSUME that a hybrid WOULD in fact be better on the environment? Did they do tests themselves to prove this out? In the end they are just basing it on what they read somewhere that somebody else (probably related the the hybrid market) is putting out there. They look at the mileage numbers printed on the window sticker and say “There, it’s a fact!” Talk about small minds and narrow views!!!