Hybrid Hype

Thinking about innovation? Than let’s innovate the right things. The environment will suffer from the economic downturn that soon will become a global depression.
Much is written about tailpipe CO2 that should be reduced we even should change our gasoline or diesel cars for full electric-hybrids. Electric cars are the future is stated everywhere who is in or outside the car business. This is pure nonsense.
Electric Avenues should be developed for ‘all Electric hybrids’ is stated. Laughing, just fodder for policymakers, those cars are too expensive and not green at all! Electricity is mostly generated from coal, which qua emission is as bad as the CO2 gasses emitted by gasoline or diesel engines. Moreover the manufacturing of batteries and the disposal of these batteries that have an average lifetime of 6 years, are bad for the environment too. Not to mention the extra weight that has to be carried around.
Tailpipe technology to reducing CO2 emission even further as today is materialized should really be an innovation once fully developed. And in that should be invested during an economic downturn. All new cars could be equipped with this technology and hopefully existing ones could easily be converted (?). Further biofuels do have an excellent future. If not derived from grain but from algae that is plenty available and also during growth does absorb CO2 from the environment. Two important aspects are covered at once. If Governments want to stimulate with their packages they should spent it here.
For the sake of good order I’m not financially or otherwise involved in these industries, but do support such developments already many years.

The action radius per charge from a Hybrid only is about 100 KM – 150 KMs, which is not sufficient large for daily common use. At least 500 KM or approx. 300 Miles is the minimum required. So additionally a conventional engine although smaller has to be added. That is extra weight and makes hybrids far more expensive than conventional cars. In an economic downturn not many people are willing to pay this extra price. In the past decennia when the majority lived and spent beyond their means, it could make some sense, but not anymore today or in the foreseeable future.

Battery manufacturing technology is highly specialized and the major producers located in SE Asia are keen to keep that knowledge for themselves with the result that heavy batteries have to be transported half way around the globe before these are mounted in a hybrid car. One of the components for batteries is found and produced in Canada and also send half way around the world to Asia. What to think about that extra environmental charge, from ocean steamers and lorries, needed for transport?

Sumitomo in Japan supplies Toyota with batteries, which now are made of nickel-metal.  Hybrid Batteries are used in the popular Prius hybrid these cars are manufactured in various plants around the world. Toyota is planning to use, a lighter in weight future lithium-battery that will become available by the end of this year that shall be the basis for an all-electric car in 2012. Mitsubishi plans to begin producing electric cars later this year. In the U.S., Chevrolet's Volt is to go on sale next year, powered by lithium-ion batteries supplied by LG Chem Ltd. of South Korea. This car is about $10.000 more expensive as its comparable gasoline version. Mass production of Bollore's electric car is planned in Turin, Italy, later this year. Bollore promises a 150 miles (240KM) range on a single charge and a top speed of 130 KMph.

Additionally an infrastructure has to be set-up, as distribution chain for quick reloading of the batteries, which in the best event is more time consuming than filling up with ordinary fuel.

My statement Electric-Hybrid is hype; is the right conclusion and should in my opinion not be subsidized by Governments. There are far better innovative ideas and applications in this field for financial support as here is explained.