Bad news blues
Before I say anything else today, I need to send a special message to the family of Rev. Timothy John Fitzgerald. When I mentioned him in my blog on March 10th, I had no idea that he had been taken to the hospital. Fr. Fitzgerald passed away Tuesday, March 11th due to complications of a neuromuscular disorder. I can only hope the future he’s facings is half as good as the person he proved himself to be. For me, he’ll always be “the best priest ever.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Over the last week or two, there have been an alarming number of reports of hybrids harming the environment.
Did you know we’ll need to build more power plants because of hybrid cars?
Or that if you run into a hybrid car, it will kill you?
OR that hybrids are using up our water supply??
More often than not, the issues raised have been misrepresented or over-hyped.
For instance, Science Daily reports that IF 25% of the cars on the road are replaced by plug-in hybrids by 2020 AND if all their owners manage to plug their cars in at 5 p.m. we’ll need up to 160 new power plants. That’s a lot of what ifs … it’s also focused on PHEVs and not traditional hybrids, as the title may have people believing.
Terry Wood of ABC4 in Salt Lake City is saying anyone who touches a hybrid car after an accident could be electrocuted. While there is a risk to rescue professionals, especially when things like the jaws of life come into play, running your car into a hybrid, approaching a hybrid that’s been in an accident, or driving a hybrid that could be in an accident does not pose a legitimate or likely risk of electrocution.
Motor Trend made a similar decision to Science Daily. When discussing the extra water used in electricity production, they failed to make a distinction between “hybrids” and “plug-in electric vehicles.”
Is it important to address these issues now before the problem is knocking at the door? Of course it is. But we need to put the focus on the real problems. Claiming that hybrids are dangerous and bad for the environment - the hybrids being safely used while lessening our impact on the planet - drives customers away, and may prevent technologies that would be a tremendous benefit (once addressing these issues) from ever taking root.
[img src: Public Domain Clipart]
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POSTED IN: Hybrid Cars, PHEV, Safety Ratings, plug-in
6 opinions for Bad news blues
Peggy
Mar 16, 2008 at 2:02 am
Great post. I never thought about the electro risk. I still have a regular Civic.
Jim Adcock
Mar 17, 2008 at 1:40 am
This stuff is old old old. Fire departments are trained on hybrids which are the same issue as electric cars. The high voltage wiring in these cars is specifically coded orange in color so that fire fighters can recognize it. The wires run down the middle of the chassis. Short of sawing a car in half fire fighter don’t even have to deal with the wiring. Fire fighters laugh at these dangers which are “only” a couple hundred volts DC compared to when they rescue people from downed power lines that can be 1000s of volts AC. The real danger on hybrids or electric vehicles is that the car might try to start running again while the firefighter is trying to rescue someone. Fire fighters are trained on how to immobilize the car so this can’t happen. Hybrids and electric vehicles don’t harm the environment — as least not compared to gas and diesel cars. This has been rigorously examined by the scientists at Argonne National Labs in their “GREET” program. News reporters in third tier markets keep bringing up these old old old cherebs every couple of years. And guess who these little local stations #1 advertisers are?
rip
Mar 17, 2008 at 8:07 pm
Dear Hilary, My condolances over the loss of an old friend and teacher. His legacy is the profound influence his goodness had on your life. Keep him alive in your heart, until you meet again. rr
Hilary
Mar 18, 2008 at 11:57 am
Thank you, rip.
Jim, thanks for the heads up on GREET. I knew this information had been coming and going for awhile, but lately it seems like we’re getting pounded with it. At least, imo.
*waves at Peggy* ;)
Steve
May 31, 2008 at 2:22 am
If we ever get to the point where 25% of the cars on the road are EVs or PHEVs, then V2G will probably also come into play and will actually end up being helpful to the grid, rather than being a drain on it. See http://www.acpropulsion.com/technology/v2g.htm and http://www.udel.edu/V2G for details.
Anon
Jun 1, 2008 at 11:38 am
Anything that requires energy is going to be “harmful” to the environment with the current choices available: So, the better question than is, which is the least harmful? Surely the cleaner-burning power plants(As compared to gasoline cars) per unit energy produced and the substantially greater energy efficiency is evidence enough.
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