elcaminoguy

Ahem! Dark Candy Red, thank you very much, My digital camera sux..

No worries, nothing wrong with a spirited debate, As long as we don't start making insulting remarks about eachother's moms and such it's all good.

GottaHaveIt

Wholley Mother gas here went from $1.059 to $109.9 today.

drakino

(I know, the thread is about oil, but I feel these points should be addressed)

Doing a search for articles that contain Prius on NCSU.edu shows no such study from them, only one old news post linking to the study. The one that started this incorrect info was the report by CNW Research titled Dust to Dust. Multiple other reports have come out poking so many holes in the CNW study to prove it was wrong.

Nothing, since todays hybrid cars don't use lead acid batteries. The Prius and other current commercial vehicles use NiMH batteries, and are controlled by the computer in the car to ensure the batteries last the lifetime of the vehicle. There are Prius taxis that have done more then 200,000 miles of service, with no signs of battery degradation. The key to keeping a NiMH battery usable is preventing it from being deep discharged, IE going from a full to empty charge. The Prius tends to keep the batteries at a 60% level, allowing only 15% variance from that point.

Recycling NiMH batteries is no different then Lead Acid batteries. Having pretty much every vehicle on the road use lead acid batteries hasn't been a problem, and according to this 97% of LA batteries are recycled.

Hybrid vehicles are different, but that doesn't mean fire departments are clueless about them. Fighting a hybrid car fire really is no different then fighting any other car fire, since regular cars carry around fuel that they have to worry about dealing with. The batteries in a hybrid are pretty well protected, and in the rare case they do catch fire, they pretty much burn very quickly and then turn to ash. There was a rumor that fire departments had problems using jaws of life on hybrids, but it was false. The wiring in the car is kept well away from any exterior framing, and relays wired to the air bag system trip if an impact occurs. About the only specialized training they need to know is where the batteries are, and thats not unique to hybrids. Rear engine sports cars are going to present a different situation to fire departments, and no-one is up in arms about that "problem"

Service departments just have to train on procedures for dealing with the electrical system, just as they have had to train on fuel injection systems, and car computers and so on. Yes, there is a safety risk with hybrids that other cars don't have due to the electrical system, but again, it's a matter of training people to know what to do.

While I don't look at hybrids as the end all be all solution to certain problems, they do have a lot of incorrect info floating around about them. It's really a shame that this happens, because as car enthusiasts, we should look forward to what new tech can bring to our enjoyment of vehicles, instead of finding every way to bash it.

elcaminoguy

Yeah, those "people"

Boy are they dumb...

All those "people"

Christmas is coming soon, Peace and Love and Joy and off-topic brik-a-brak.

Happy Holidays all, My gift to you, I'm going to shut up now. Think I'll go moon some Infinti dealerships....

htwag

I took my Focus to my local dealer for an emergency alternator repair and received an '06 Explorer as a loaner. Never have driven an Explorer before. It is very nice, smooth, and quiet. Gas? The aveage is 18.5 MPG. It's 17 miles to work (one place) and 23 to another. That two gallons a day - $6.03 (today). That's more than I want to pay. I'll drive my Focus when I get it back (27 mpg in town)