The happy hybrid generation

Boomers take to their enviro-wheels

by David Menzies

In the summer of 2004, the time had come for Carol Presement to part ways with her ’98 Pontiac Grand Prix. The private investigator had a pretty good idea what sort of options she wanted in a new car. In addition to such creature comforts as air conditioning and power windows, she wanted a car that looked good, was a gas miser (not guzzler!), and in this day and age of renewed environmental awareness, Presement wanted a vehicle that would produce fewer harmful emissions.

Presement found exactly what she was looking for at her local Toyota dealership: a Prius (or, as Presement calls it, “my cute little egg”). While beauty will always be in the eye of the beholder, Presement certainly covered off her other two criteria with her mid-size car: improved fuel economy and reduced emissions.

Unlike a typical passenger vehicle, the Toyota Prius is a hybrid, meaning its powertrain is controlled by a sophisticated energy-splitting system. This allows the car’s traditional gas engine and its zero-emissions electric motor to work either independently or in tandem. The end result: less gasoline is required to power the Prius and the car emits an astounding 90 percent fewer emissions than conventional vehicles.

Far from paying a price for going the environmentally friendly route, Presement found the Prius easy on her pocketbook — at least in terms of fuel savings. Indeed, after a few months of driving, she discovered that her Prius was consuming about two-thirds less fuel than her old Grand Prix. Presement estimates that, based on her personal driving habits, she’s saving at least $2,400 a year on gas, thanks to embracing hybrid technology. “For my needs, it’s perfect,” she says of her “egg-mobile.”

While there’s perhaps no such thing as a “perfect” vehicle in terms of environmental impact (well, okay - bicycles excluded), for a vessel with an internal combustion engine humming away under the hood, the Prius comes pretty darn close.

A hybrid vehicle emits the lowest amount of CO2 emissions per mile (380 g) compared to other forms of fuel, including compressed natural gas (412 g), diesel (428 g), gasoline with 10% ethanol derived from corn (504 g) and conventional gasoline (513 g).

Hybrid savings?

However, while hybrids continue to receive considerable positive press these days and are the darling vehicles among those who want to wear their environmental activism on their bumpers, would-be car buyers should take note: hybrids tend to excel in fuel savings only under certain driving conditions.

Car consultant Mohamed Bouchama notes that hybrid vehicles deliver huge fuel savings when the vehicles are driven mostly in the city, as opposed to the highway. The reason: during periods of braking, the hybrid car’s electrical motor takes over as the gas-powered motor shuts down. Alas, there’s precious little braking when cruising the interstate at 70 mph.

“If about 80 percent of your driving is in the city, the hybrid will definitely pay off for you,” says Bouchama, noting the average driver should realize at least 15 percent better gas mileage than a gas-burning engine. “If you are on a budget, make sure you need it [a hybrid vehicle]. I wouldn’t buy one just because it is the trendy thing to do — it should fit your needs.”

The reason, says Bouchama, is the cost of the vehicle. Hybrid technology is not cheap and a consumer can expect to pay a premium for a hybrid vehicle versus the identical gas-burning vehicle. For example, the MSRP for the base model gas-burning Ford Escape SUV is $18,770 (plus taxes); the base model hybrid version goes for $25,075 (plus taxes). Do the math: in order to realize a return on investment, you’d have to recoup at least $7,000 in fuel savings over the course of owning the vehicle.

Another potential red flag is the hybrid’s whiz-bang electric battery. According to Bouchama, most hybrid car batteries cost more than $8,000 to replace. If the battery should fail after the warranty ends, a hybrid car is essentially a write-off. It should be noted, however, that there haven’t been widespread reports, to date, of hybrid car batteries failing.

Diesel rocks

For those who do an excessive amount of highway commuting, there’s a far better choice when it comes to cutting back on fuel bills: the overlooked, underappreciated mechanical wonder that is the diesel engine. In Europe, diesel passenger vehicles account for about 50 percent of the market, but diesel-powered cars haven’t taken off in North America . . . yet. All of which is odd given that a diesel powerplant is a superior engine (it has fewer parts and offers more torque than a gas-powered engine.) And, on average, a diesel engine is about 30 percent more fuel efficient than an equivalent gas-burning motor. Better yet, diesel fuel tends to be slightly cheaper than regular gasoline. And the mileage is impressive: consider the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Diesel station wagon, rated at 46 miles/gallon (city) and 61 miles/gallon (highway).

One can only speculate what sort of fuel-sipping, environmentally friendly vehicles will be available in car dealerships in the years to come. But such new-age vehicles are indeed on the way.

How about hydrogen?

One fuel source that continues to receive considerable buzz is hydrogen. As General Motors spokesman Tony LaRocca notes, if the automobile were to be invented today, hydrogen (rather than petroleum-based fuels) would be the preferred route, given that hydrogen emissions consist simply of air and water.

While vehicles using hydrogen fuel cells or liquefied hydrogen are still several years away, progress is being made. LaRocca notes that GM is in a partnership with Shell wherein a Washington Shell station has been configured to dispense hydrogen as well as gasoline. And, in the months ahead, GM will be rolling out over 100 hydrogen-powered Chevrolet Equinox fuel cell electric vehicles (on a test basis) in New York, Washington and California.

An electric jolt

The General is also spending considerable resources on its next electric venture, the Volt. While the Volt is still a few years away from market, the electric car promises to be OPEC’s worst nightmare. Simply plugging the Volt’s lithium-ion battery into a wall outlet for six hours of electric charging will do the trick. Such a charge will give the Volt a range of about 40 miles, ideal for short commutes to and from work. Just in case the car is needed for a weekend trip, the Volt will also come with a small 1.0 liter engine to recharge the battery and 12-gallon gas tank that will give the car a range of more than 640 miles.

In the immediate future, GM will be unveiling several hybrids - mid-size sedans and SUVs - as 2008 models. The Chevrolet Tahoe and the GMC Yukon hybrids (full-size SUVs) will realize about 25 percent fuel savings, while the redesigned Saturn Vue, one of 4 additional GM hybrids, will achieve 45 percent fuel savings compared to a regular gas-burning Vue.

Only time will tell if hydrogen- and electric-powered vehicles - as well as the hybrids currently on the market - emerge as the next big things on the automotive landscape. Much like Carol Presement’s Toyota Prius purchase, it all boils down to doing the right thing and finding a vehicle that meets your personal motoring needs.

David Menzies is a freelance writer specializing in automotive reviewing (www.davidmenzies.ca). A baby boomer himself, David currently drives a much-loved, trusty Honda Prelude.