Hybrid and electric cars - Environmental impact?
 

Does anyone have any data on the overall "impact" of manufacturing a hybrid or electric car? Gotta figure that those huge batteries aren't very environmentally friendly to produce....... or dispose of for that matter.

I know there have been articles written, but they appear to almost always be designed to reach a desired result from the beginning based on the intended audience. The disposal problem isn't that bad with the batteries hybrids use. They aren't lead acid like what is in a standard car. The biggest additional impact from hybrids is due to the batteries, which require nickel that has to be mined and shipped around the world.

Plug in electrics add another degree of difficulty on top of that. The power still has to come from somewhere. Which is better, filling up with a tank of gas when needed or having to plug in every night? Is that power coming from a plant powered with petroleum, nuclear, hydro, wind, solar? What are the potential unintended consequences from that power source (especially wind and solar)? How efficient is the transmission of the power from the plant to the car? What happens when a natural disaster (hurricane, tornado, ice storm, earthquake) knocks out power for a week or more? A lot of these questions cannot be answered generally. They almost have to be taken on a case by case basis, which isn't very realistic.

I don't think we will really know the true impact from these types of cars until there are millions on the road. At that point it really will not matter because a) it will be too late and b) hybrids and plug ins will probably be dying technology anyway.

What do you think will replace them?

either the smoke belching machines they were intended to replace, OR something nuke powered.

Why do you want this informatioN?

I'm pretty sure it will be hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. I always hear that the cost of the infrastructure requirements would be too great. I never see numbers assigned for that cost. I also never see any numbers for the costs associated with updating the electric grid to handle increased power requirements from large quantities of plug in vehicles. What I do know is fuel cell vehicles have virtually no "carbon footprint" and hydrogen is a completely renewable energy. Those two facts alone make me think that is the direction the government will eventually push, whether it is a good idea or not.

Personally I would like to have this information so I could make an informed judgment of hybrid cars, rather than the emotional one being forced upon us.

plusone

For all we know, the batteries are made in some place like China by 12 year olds inhaling toxic metals, and the leftover solvent is dumped in a pond somewhere.

I know one thing, if you want to make some money, come up with a better battery technology. A lot of money to be made there if you can do it.

While hydrogen is renewable, you know where they get it from?

Almost all of the commercially available H comes from Natural Gas steam shift reactors. Definately has a carbon footprint, The rest comes from splitting water, which mostly get's it's electricity from the grid.

There is no free hydrogen.