Hybrid petrol electric vehicle advocates trumpet the environmental benefits of the petrol-electric vehicles, but, results of an exhaustive two year study say that the overall energy picture for hybrid vehicles isn’t as favorable as it seems. CNW Marketing Research, of Bandon, Ore., USA says that when the total cost of hybrids to the environment is calculated, including factors like original production and then recycling of batteries and electric motors, into a “dollars per lifetime mile” figure, hybrids come up short against conventional powered vehicles which where thought to consume more of the world’s energy. “If a consumer is concerned about fuel economy because of family budgets or depleting oil supplies, it is perfectly logical to consider buying high-fuel-economy vehicles,” says Art Spinella, president of CNW Marketing Research, Inc. “But if the concern is the broader issues such as environmental impact of energy usage taking into account the energy needed to plan, build, sell, drive and dispose of a vehicle from concept to scrappage some high economy vehicles actually cost society more than conventional or even larger models over their lifetime.”
Hybrids are not so “green”
CNW’s “Dust to Dust” survey studied hundreds of variables but to make it easy for the consumer to understand, developed an energy cost per mile driven figure. Topping the league with the most “energy expensive” vehicle from 2005 is the Maybach at $11.58 per mile, VW Phaeton at $11.213 and Rolls-Royce Phantom at $10.660 while the thriftiest is the Scion xB at the bottom of the scale, at $0.48 a mile, ahead of the Ford Escort at $0.568 and Jeep Wrangler at $0.604. However, the research brings into question the whole concept of hybrids as “energy-saving”, at least for the planet as a whole.
The industry straight average of 312 vehicles was $2.281, yet all the hybrids cost more than this. Compact family hybrids like the Toyota Prius ($3.249) and Honda Civic hybrid ($3.238), cost more than a full size SUV Land Rover Discovery ($2.525) or Lincoln Navigator ($2.617). By comparison America’s best selling car the mid-size Toyota Camry cost $1.954 or similar Nissan Altima only $1.381. Hybrids actually get higher lifetime costs than their regular counterparts due to the extra complexity and production and recycling costs: the Hybrid Honda Accord has an energy cost per mile of $3.29 while the regular version’s is $2.18. A regular Honda Civic costs $2.420.
“This study is not the end of the energy-usage discussion. We hope to see a dialog begin that puts educated and aware consumers into energy policy decisions," Spinella said. "We undertook this research to see if perceptions were true in the real world."
