Five Reasons Buying a Hybrid Prius Won't Save the Planet
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The 2012 Toyota Prius gets the best EPA-rated gas mileage--50 miles per gallon combined--of any non-plug-in car sold in the U.S.
But the Prius hybrid sometimes gets a bad rap.
At least some of it is due to the notorious (and very funny) South Park episode in which a deadly attack of Smug afflicts the little mountain town whose residents all drive a hatchback called the Pious.
With its top-of-the-list gas mileage, a Prius hybrid is clearly a step in the direction of driving green--and all journeys begin with the first step. But by itself, buying a hybrid isn't enough.
Here are five reasons that just driving a Toyota Prius won't make a notable dent in the enormous task of saving the planet (however you may define that).
(1) Burning gasoline generates more carbon dioxide than driving electric (in most states)
While their results vary in degree, two studies conclude that in many states, driving a mile on grid power produces less "wells-to-wheels" carbon than driving a mile in a 25-mpg gasoline car.
The 50-mpg Prius is slightly better in a few states with the dirtiest grids--like North Dakota and West Virginia--that use almost entirely coal.
But the grid will slowly get cleaner over time, with no new coal plants, more natural gas, and a slow but steady growth in the use of renewable energy.
So electric cars are mostly better now, and will get even cleaner over time--unlike the Prius.
2012 Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid, production version road test, San Diego, CA, Jan 2012
Enlarge Photo(2) Using less gasoline is not as good as driving less
If you buy a 2011 Toyota Prius for a round-trip commute that's 100 miles, you're still burning 500 gallons of gasoline a year. Whereas if you could walk, bicycle, carpool, or take mass transit to work, you wouldn't.
Unfortunately, 60 years' worth of U.S. zoning laws have trapped many of us into suburban sprawl that keeps commercial buildings--be they stores or offices--miles away from residences.
That means a car becomes necessary even to get a gallon of milk. And outside a few major cities, mass transit is unappealing to nonexistent.
While most Americans say they would like to live much closer to their jobs, mixed-use neighborhoods that prioritize walking, biking, and mass transit over single-occupant cars are often still viewed as something akin to Socialism by local officials.
Never mind the traffic, in other words--not our problem--and besides, expanding roads generates jobs!
(3) Even a Prius can't keep pace with global car growth
We now have 1 billion vehicles on the planet, and by some estimates, we'll have 2 billion or more by 2050. In other words (well, just one word): China.
Today, only a tiny number of China's 1 billion-plus people have cars. That will change.
So just to stay in the same place, the efficiency of every vehicle has to double--to Prius levels or more.
But many scientists say that to stem the predicted effects of climate change, we must cut our carbon output up to 80 percent from today's levels. That will bring far more radical changes.
(4) Modern lifestyles encompass much more than just car emissions
One of our favorite book titles lately is Time to Eat the Dog? The Real Guide to Sustainable Living, whose authors measured the environmental impact of modern lifestyles.
Scout the dog, rescued by Rondout Valley Animals for Adoption, Accord, NY; photo: Jay Blotcher
Enlarge PhotoThey conclude that adopting an existing animal and spaying it has an impact on your family's carbon footprint.
We don't recommend cooking your cat, but if you're thinking about your pet having litters of adorable furry kittens or puppies--think again.
More than that, cut out airplane flights. They comprise up to 80 percent of a frequent traveler's carbon footprint.
(5) Family planning and contraception may be more cost-effective
Far more impactful than spaying your pet would be making effective family planning services and contraception globally available.
A London School of Economics report suggests that family planning can eliminate atmospheric carbon for $6.70 per ton, against conventional technologies to improve vehicle fuel efficiency that can cost up to $31.70 a ton.
Forgo the Prius, and spend that money donating to Planned Parenthood? It might be more effective.
For more along these lines, see also our discussion of why gas-guzzlers will always be with us.
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Per EPA, 50 MPG Prius emits 222 gram of CO2 per mile (178 tailpipe + 44 upstream). Leaf emits 230 gram of CO2 per mile (national average). The figure is from EPA's Beyond Tailpipe Emission site which uses 2010 eGrid but the data is actually from 2007. 2012 eGrid using 2010 data is available but EPA has not use it officially.
Focus BEV does better at 210 gram/mi but it has compact interior volume. Both Prius and Leaf have mid-size interior.
Prius PHV is rated at 210 gram/mi and have the midsize interior.
A few more data points.... Mitsubishi i-MiEV sub-compact is rated 200 gram/mi. Tesla Model S (large car) is rated at 250 gram/mi.
This year's Union of Concerned Scientists study IDed the MPG level at which electric cars were equal to gasoline cars, using national 2007 grid data which is the latest available.
The 2007 EPRI-NRDC study assumes some greening of the grid over time (slightly less conservative than UCS study) in projecting lifetime "wells-to-wheels" carbon emissions of a plug-in versus a gasoline car.
This all speaks to the point that rigorous analysis of the wells-to-wheels energy profile of different modes of transport is needed to make smart policy decisions.
I'd love to see a comparison of the different assumptions and data sets across multiple reports.
On the one hand, he feels that there is no possible way that you will ever get people out of gas guzzlers, but on the other hand, Prius drivers should really be driving an EV. Really doubtful logic.
The Camry driver that can be convinced to drive a Prius will double his gas mileage. Extend that logic to all vehicles, and fuel consumptions drops in half.
As for the false logic of driving versus walking, well here is an idea, buy a Prius and also walk, or bike as I do.
But by all means, have a vasectomy and strap a pair of truck nuts on the F150.
LOL!!! (Or since you're getting neutered.... ;-))
Thanks for making my day!
Prius PHV takes it to another level. It shows that you don't need a big battery (or huge tax credit), long recharge time or limitation in range to further lower carbon footprint.
We'll have to see if the 7.5 kWh battery in C-MAX Energi would become counter-productive. We know it eats into the cargo volume... what about the CO2?
Blended plugin hybrids are proving not only to be affordable (under $30k after incentive) but also provide midsize interior and the green cred to back it up.
But I would say EVs are far more efficient than Prius. That is due to the simple fact of Electric motor vs. ICE. Efficiency gain is good in every link of the energy chain.
Sure, buying a Prius is better than buying a gas guzzler, but buying an EV is better than a Prius. Or if you have to, buy a Plugin Prius (I hate to say it)...
Nope. Fuel production efficiency and vehicle efficiency are reciprocal for HV and EV.
For EV, fuel production is about 40% efficient but EV efficiency is about 80%.
For HV, fuel production is about 80% efficient but HV efficiency is about 40%.
This is the reason why Prius and Leaf have about the same carbon footprint.
If you add maintaince, the EV is even lower in carbon footprint, no oil change, no air filters...
ICE is about 20% at best. Of course, with hybrid, you recover some of the braking energy... Also, fuel production migh be 80% efficient, but how much fuel do we burn to transport that fuel around the country? From around the world?
http://bioage.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c4fbe53ef0120a5ba443f970b-800wi
Per US Energy Information Admin, "About 2/3 of the energy used to generate, transmit, and distribute electricity is “lost” at power plants and in power lines." Renewable electricity represents 11% but fossil fuel dominates at 67%.
http://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/index.cfm?page=electricity_in_the_united_states#tab2
2/3 of the energy lost for electricity generation is mainly at power plant where the efficiency is in the 40% range.
But if you live in pacific NW, the generation is mostly hydro. Like I said, you can always offset the power consumed with solar panels but you can't do that with your Prius
As you pointed out, some states have more renewable electricity than others. Hawaii generates 75% of electricity from oil. DC generates 100% from oil. States like KY, WV and WY gets 91-96% of electricity from Coal.
In summary, don't cherry pick. It is more useful to use national average.
As far as the "offset" goes, I think it is valid..
Why is it NOT okay to "claim" green while you "exchange" your solar power with the grid? In the case of PG&E, it is perfectly ok. During the peak generation, the grid lacks power. During off peak, the power plant has "excessive" power. Feeding the power to the grid remove the equal amount of power needed from the grid that "generates" CO2.
How is that different from deposit your money at the bank and take it out later? It is still your money... Sure, you can reduce it a little bit by transmission loss. But If everybody has solar panels, we would need less power plants. Less power plants will directly offset the power.
Remember the CA power shortage? It happened during HOT clear days when the solar is at its best...
There is only one plugin hybrid(of any size) that has lower carbon footprint than the regular 50 MPG Prius. That plugin hybrid is Prius PHV (210 vs 222 g/mi).
Also, your PIP vs Prius study is ONLY "best case". where PIP is only rated 6 miles all electric miles. Explain to me that how can a 6 miles EPA rated electric car (15 miles max with hypermiling) can have less CO2 emission 210 vs.222 if you claim Prius is more efficient than an EV? Shouldn't the EV portion make it worse? I think there are some funny math there...
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/label/calculations-information.shtml
Regarding Prius vs. Prius PHV, the comparison is from the official EPA figures. 95 MPGe for 11 miles and 50 MPG thereafter results in lower carbon footprint than the regular 50 MPG Prius.
Note that Prius PHV uses less electricity per mile than any other plugin car (of any size). It also use gasoline more efficient than any other hybrid (beating regular Prius on highway by 1 MPG).
Prius PHV also prevent "large" power draw from the battery such fast acceleration or climbing hills. The gas engine with super dense energy is there to cover those worse scenarios for the low energy density battery.
The idea is to use each fuel when they are best, depending on the driving condition (not range). Doing that enables synergy between the two power sources. That resulted in lower weight, cost and emission.
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/Find.do?zipCode=90210&year=2012&vehicleId=32484&action=bt3
The worse case (95% coal) for Prius PHV (220 g/mi) still beats the regular Prius. The best case (CA and NY) is 190 g/mi. It is a well-rounded design without wild carbon footprint swings like other plugins.
I understand your view of Prius PHV from someone who prefer EV and big battery pack. Your view was probably formed before knowing how our national average electricity was generated and the carbon footprint.
I was presenting how Prius PHV was probably engineered, based on the results. The result is a practical greenest midsize plugin that can't go wrong no matter how electricity is generated in your state.
California is the largest market for EV and Prius in the US.
In Northern California, PG&E serves the market. PUC requires PG&E to commit to green power by buying renewable power. Less than 20% of PG&E power generation is from coal. Hydro, Renewable and Nuclear account for about 50% of its generation. It also includes the power it receives from home solar generation and it is required to buy "green power" from other grid as well. So, if PG&E can buy green power from the grid and its users (by paying them the difference), then why is it wrong to claim the "green credit" for your own solar generation?
If the largest state for Prius and EVs are fairly "green" in its power generation, then using national average is lazy.
You should be proud of the setup you have. I am not trying to take it away from you. I just think you are not objective about Prius and the PHV model. I don't know if you noticed, your statements sound almost like bashing.
Regarding your "green credit" question, renewable electricity cost more than electricity from coal. If you sell your solar electricity at higher price and charge your plugin battery with lower priced "dirty" electricity at night, you lose the right to directly claim solar.
I already mentioned that using "national average" is "lazy" when California is the largest market for EVs and Hybrid. At least it should be "weighted".
Global issue is a lost cause in countries such as China and India where efficiency doesn't exist and coal generates 70-80% of the power. Prius or any EV are just too expensive for those market.
The "bashing" is due to the number skewed in favor of hybrid in terms of CO2 emission due to "lazy" averaging while in fact, you can do something about it in EV but you can't do anything to offset the gas in hybrid.
What are you talking about? Dennis was talking about how much CO2 each vehicle generates. Prius with Solar Panels still generate CO2 with its gas emission. EV can reduce that. Sure, Prius with solar panels can reduce your house hold electricty usage. But we are talking about Car to Car here...
Plus, everytime you change that stinking oil in your slow Prius, it generates tons of CO2 emission that is NOT included in all the estimate.
In addition, it's 0-60 time is 9.7 seconds which is not exactly slow.
Most people only drive the car by themselves 90% of the time. I rarely see a Prius with more than 1 person during daily commute. Volt is more than enough for that. Sure, Prius has more space. But My Volt only used 9.2 Gallon of gas in the 2548 miles it has. Rest of the charges are all electric (mostly solar). Prius can't do that.
Prius is a car that is NOT designed to win the races except for its MPG. The car itself is fine. It is just some of its owners take it to the extreme in the way they drive to max the already good fuel efficiency...
Volt is actually both series and parallel system. Once the battery is depleted, it runs in series system until 70mph, then the engine provides the power as well as powering the generator. So, it switches between series and parallel system during "extended range" mode...
Volt actually gets a lot better miles than 35 EPA miles. I regularly get around 40 (with my crazy fast driving style). If I slow down to 60mph, I can easily hit 45 miles in range. I get about 38mpg to 40 mpg in the gas mode. But my gas mode experience is limited since I have only burned 9.2 Gallon in my Volt in the last 2586 miles...
What is "average" car speed in 0-60mph? To me, a double digits of 11 seconds of 0-60mph is slow.
Maybe you should come to the SF bay area and teach some of the slowest Prius driver to how to merge at hwy speed properly without causing backups.. Low Cds only help on hwy speed. Skinner tires on Prius help too. That is why it has poor handling, braking and lack all "fun" factors in a car. Sure, it is a machine design for max fuel economy. But it is NOT designed to help the flow of traffice when its drivers are glued to the MPG display.
When I rented the Gen II Prius, I only managed 38mpg with my normal driving. But I dont' drive like a Prius driver. Physicist? Ha.
YES, YES and YES.
Volt has regen, whether in Battery mode or in hybrid mode, it doesn't matter, it will regen. In fact, I have done it both ways. Volt will switch off engine while it has regen energy (even during depletion mode), at stop light, during light accerlate and coasting..
Parallel hybrid only happens when you in depletion mode and cruising above 70mph.
There are Volt owners who have done trips to see how much miles they can get in CO. They went up a long hill until the battery are gone and regen on the way down. One of the owners managed to charge back 22 miles worth of range...
Another thing to clear up. Volt is a PURE EV before battery depletion (with regen), no hybrid, no engine of any kind... Once the battery is depleted, it operates as a series hybrid with regen unless you drive it faster than 70mph where the ICE will be directed to power the wheel directly to max efficiency...
I am lucky that I work for one of those high tech engineering company that actually care about being "green" or at least "pretend" to be "green". It recently installed a 1 MW solar panel structure over our parking lots (over 1,100 employee at this site alone). It currently has 7 charging spot directly connected to the inverter side of the transformer. But on the cloudy day, it will pull power from the grid. Cloudy days are rare in Northern CA.
Volt is actually more fun to drive than Prius or PIP. But it is actually smaller than a Prius inside. Since I drove the car mostly for commute, it is NOT an issue. 2586 miles and I have only used 9.2 gallon of gas so far. (Leaf wouldn't make it during those gas trips).
hahah. on the downhill part.
I don't hate hybrid cars. I like it when it was designed to be both efficient and capable when needed to be.
Volt's cooling system is very complicated. 4 of them in the car. 1 for the battery, 1 for the controller, 1 for the engine and 1 for the cabin... They can/will operate independently. On a really hot day during charging, it will start its cooling pump for the battery to keep it happy (unlike the Leaf).
I also admit that when I drive other econ boxes, I only get around 30mpg. Prius is about 8 mpg better. or more than 26% better. But it is sure a boring ride...
You are far more likely to be stuck behind a slow truck than a Prius, but more likely to complain about the Prius.
Prius is a light car less than 2 ton. No reason NOT to move...
Its shape is still better than Honda Insight.
Seriously? Comparing a Prius's performance to a Minivan? That is a bar set too low...
I don't blame the car, just the driver. There are all types of drivers for every cars out there.
My friend can easily get 50 miles out of her Volt's e-range, I only get about 40 miles... That should tell you something...
I think I rest my case...
I am just curious, have you driven the Volt yet?
What he fails to mention in this article is that our oil addiction has actually a wide range of nasty consequences besides the controversial topic of CO2 emissions.
Guess that's the sort of errors you make if you write about something you don't really believe in.
Birth control most often means condoms, and that's the photo in the linked story. The word "vasectomy" doesn't appear anywhere in this piece, in fact! So, help me understand: From whence cometh this rather odd focus on the procedure?
Also, says something about "lifestyle" that you think of condoms. They are not part of my "lifestyle".
"Five Better Things To Do Then Buying A Prius to Save The Planet."...or something like that.
Being more green, environmentally friendly, or trying to save the planet is not an either or scenario for most people. Rather, the greener choice is the smarter choice that requires some research and thought. Many, if not most, TR readers will not be able to implement your reasons if they haven't done so already. However, their next vehicle choice can and should be much more efficient, eg Prius, to save them money as well as to help save the planet. The current Prius, n all hybrids, is a transition vehicle to what will be our renewable energy based electric vehicles next decade.
But no one will do that, because of safety. Of course safety is relative. Better drivers would be safer than much else.
And, it also goes hand in hand with the planned parenthood family planning option because less drivers equals less pollution. And I say less drivers because if you make it harder to be a driver, you'll have less of them.
Yes, safety matters to all of us and modern cars are dramatically safer. More over, they are dramatically less polluting (in many ways not just CO2).
As for your poke at the car batteries, sure, everything pound of material we buy adds to the pollution problem. Your 1969 toyota will use more pounds over its life than my 2006 Prius. The difference will be your pounds will come from gasoline and my pounds will come from a battery.
1) CO2, False Logic. Prius is actually much better than what most people drive.
2) Drive less, False choice, can buy a Prius and drive less
3) China. Outside sphere of control
4) Pets. False choice. Has nothing to do with the Prius.
5) Family Planning. False choice, Has nothing to do with the Prius.
Really bad article from the title on down to the defense of gas-guzzlers at the end.
2) Buy a plugin car and drive less.
3) China, at least China has 1-child policy where India's population growth is few times faster than China's. (It took China 20 years to go from 1.2Bilion to almost 1.4Billion. It took India the same time to go from ~700 million to today's 1.2 Billion). According to UN study, China's population is at least considered as "stable" instead of "high growth"...
4) Pets cost unnecessary load to the economy and resources.
5) The point is family planning will make a large difference in terms of global CO2 emission than just buying a Prius...
Why buy a Prius C when you can save $8,000 and buy a Yaris which is what the Prius C is based on?
$8,000 is enough to lease you a 3KW solar system for 20 years...
While you are at it... throw away your Prius and ride a bike and walk. And car pool whenever you can..
Stop making up silly excuses for a slow (minivan like-According to John Briggs) car.
At the end of the day, your Prius still use oil. How is that BP oil spill working out for the Gulf? Short memory?
Okay, we agree now. Prius is low tech. Stop trying to make it sound like an advanced car when it is NOT. It is designed to be cheap transportation.
You just cannot accept the two cars are designed for two different outcomes and at different price structures.You place the Volt on a pedestal while deriding the Prius at every opportunity when you own car is inferior to the Tesla model S in performance and efficiency.
Anyway, Volt is on a "pedestal" b/c it is more advanced than anything else out there. There are NO other "EREV" out there. To me, the EREV concept is the best thing so far before we have a full electric infrasture. Tesla is an awesome EV. But it is a dead brick once it goes beyond its radius. Most places can't charge it fast enough to make it useful. Prius on the other hand can't operate in pure EV mode like the Volt and has inferior performance. Volt is the best of both world.
I said that Volt is the best performaning EV under $45k and an EV with extended range.
The Vegan Times even said that being a Vegan and driving a Hummer has less environmental impact than driving a Prius and following a typical American diet.
For those that doubt this. (I did at first) Try one of the better carbon calculators (like carbonfootprint.com) and you will be surprised.
Have an opinion?Join the conversation!