Since the oil demanded from Europe is low, gas prices across the nation about about to drop below $2 per gallon by February since 2009. However, this decrease in gas price does not necessarily mean we are saving as much money as we possible can.
Take a regular compact car as an example; the 2014 Toyota Yaris gets approximately 32 MPG in cities, with a 16-gallon gas tank. If a person drives spends most of his time driving in the cities, assuming that the gas price is 2 dollars per gallon, with a full tank he can drive
16 gal x 32 miles / gal = 512 miles
with the a cost of
$ 2 / gal x 16 gal = $32.
However, a person who owns a hybrid, a 2014 Toyota Prius for example, with 50MPG in cities and 16-gallo gas tank, can drive
12 gal x 50 miles / gal = 600 miles
with the same cost of the Yaris’ .
From another perspective, Hybrid cars also do less harm to the environment than do conventional cars. A conventional compact sedan emits about 87 pounds of CO2 while a hybrid electric car only emits 57 pounds of CO2.
It is because of the fuel economy that an environmental friendly car can deliver that the latest Consumer Reports has concluded that about 39 percent are considering buying a hybrid for their next car. Even though a hybrid car usually costs about 3000 to 4000 dollars more than a regular car, not only will owning a hybrid benefit the consumer, but it will also be favorable to the environment.
This is an apt topic given the recent drop in oil prices. I think many car buyers are considering what is a more economical purchase in the long-run. Although you post discusses some of the financial components in selecting a hybrid car, it doesn’t mention any of the ecological components. Is owning a hybrid car better for the environment? There are many possible topics to explore. Are hybrid engines more efficient than gasoline or diesel? Can we estimate the carbon emissions per mile with these vehicles and compare? What about other types of emissions produced by cars?
I found this post interesting because although I assumed hybrids were a good idea, I had never really looked into it in depth. Although more expensive, I think I would be more likely to invest in a hybrid to help both the environment and myself (because really, a hybrid is a better car which will last longer and thus I would have to spend less on cars over the years).
I really liked this topic as well, your thought process and comparisons were really useful to what’s going on with us lately (gas prices being at an all time low, etc.) and what we’re learning in class. Really enjoyable!
I believe that you hit on a very important topic. The automobile industry is crucial in reforming the way we live as far as sustainability is concerned. However, there are a number of things that I noticed that I think could benefit your current analysis. First off, the oil prices (gas prices) are dropping because OPEC (mainly Saudi Arabia) is responding to the large increase in US based oil and gas drilling. They are letting the price fall in hopes that they can drive the US based companies out of business. This is for the most part unrelated to oil consumption in Europe. Secondly, I would compare the average amount of money saved on gas from owning a hybrid with the extra initial cost that is associated with hybrid cars. For example: If the hybrid gets 50 mpg compared to the non-hybrid at 32 mpg, how long would it take for these savings to amount to the $3000 or $4000 initial extra cost of a hybrid?
Many people in the United States never buy new cars. Also how long is the lifetime of the batteries? I’ve heard they only last 10 years.