A very interesting recent study evaluated the “lifetime energy usage” of various vehicles, by looking not only at their fuel economy, but all energy costs associated with the design, manufacture, delivery, and disposal of those vehicles. The surprise? Hybrids don’t fare especially well in this analysis.
For example, the Honda Accord Hybrid has an Energy Cost per Mile of $3.29 while the conventional Honda Accord is $2.18. Put simply, over the “Dust to Dust” lifetime of the Accord Hybrid, it will require about 50 percent more energy than the non-hybrid version.
[W]hile the industry average of all vehicles sold in the U.S. in 2005 was $2.28 cents per mile, the Hummer H3 (among most SUVs) was only $1.949 cents per mile. That figure is also lower than all currently offered hybrids and Honda Civic at $2.42 per mile.
The conclusion? “Basing purchase decisions solely on fuel economy or vehicle size does not get to the heart of the energy usage issue,” because “some high-mileage vehicles actually cost society more than conventional or even larger models over their lifetime.”
Hybrids never made much sense economically, as it was difficult to make up the additional upfront cost in fuel savings. But it allowed people to feel that they were making a contribution to a more “sustainable” world. Well, baby, it may be time for a trade. And while we’re at it, can we now get single-driver hybrids out of the carpool lane?
The link to a report on the study is here. [Update 2/07: A link to the current version of the report itself is here; a newer post on criticisms of the report is here.
Categories: Environment, Science