Quote:
Originally Posted by guudasitgets
Now somebody gets it. Amen brother, add to the fact none of the raw materials and energy that was not used to produce a car, polluted anything because you didn't have to make a new Prius. No imported steel made in coal infested China, no Japanese nuclear electricity, no plastics and aluminium mining etc. The beater is already made, YOUR recycling IT.  |
Even if the old beater would require a major overhaul, it might eventually be still less energy-expensive than making a brand-new hybrid.
Let's now consider a modern car as an example: the Peugeot 3008
It's available in some markets with a 1.6L turbodiesel fitted with idle-stop, and a hybrid version with a 2.0L turbodiesel providing FWD with the electric motor bolted to the rear axle. In this case, the hybrid version doesn't really provide such a great improvement in fuel savings, in spite of the 4WD being a nice feature. Then, we must consider the overall energy expense to manufacture and to perform the maintenance, the more intense mineral extraction (or eventually a higher demand for recycled materials which could be used for other purposes) and the disposal of the batteries.