Tank vs. Hybrid—Is it possible that a Hummer's better for the environment than a Prius is?

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://www.slate.com/id/2186786/

Tank vs. Hybrid

Is it possible that a Hummer's better for the environment than a Prius is?

By Brendan I. Koerner
Posted Tuesday, March 18, 2008, at 7:39 AM ET

I'm shopping for new wheels and was considering a Prius. But one of my co-workers insists that the Prius isn't nearly as green as Toyota boasts, due to the energy required to manufacture the car's battery. The guy also claims that scientific studies have shown that a Prius is more environmentally harmful than a Hummer is. Really?

Like those old chestnuts about poisoned ATM deposit envelopes and the dangers of flashing your headlights, the bizarre anti-Prius meme cited by your colleague refuses to die. It keeps making the e-mail rounds every few months, with multiple versions landing in the Lantern's inbox. There's a minuscule grain of truth to the allegation, since the Prius' nickel-metal hydride battery is a more complicated beast than your typical EverStart. But the rest of the case against the best-selling hybrid? Malarkey.

The Hummer-beats-the-Prius talking point began with this report (PDF) from CNW Marketing Research. The report, titled "Dust to Dust," was cited in a March 2007 editorial in the Recorder, a student newspaper at Central Connecticut State University. That editorial, in turn, was praised by Rush Limbaugh, thereby guaranteeing its eternal life in blog comments, online forums, and the musings of George Will.
[br />The skeptics' basic argument is that the Prius' battery is irredeemably un-green, mostly because of its high nickel content and complex manufacturing process. As a result, "Dust to Dust" contends that a Prius will consume $3.25 worth of energy per mile over its cradle-to-grave lifetime. A Hummer H2, by contrast, will use $3.03 per mile and the Hummer H3 just $1.95.

Such a contrarian conclusion is manna to those who sneer at Prius owners as effete or snobbish. It's also unsubstantiated bunk. As numerous learned folks have pointed out, the 458-page "Dust to Dust" makes zero sense, and not just because it betrays its scientific shortcomings early on by referring to "gigajeulles" of energy. For starters, the report automatically penalizes the Prius by prorating all of Toyota's hybrid research-and-development costs across the relatively small number of Priuses on the road. New technologies obviously require massive upfront investment, so this puts the Prius deep in the energy hole right off the bat. (CNW Marketing defends this decision here.)

...

[frazzled]

1. Totally laughable

On the level of George Carlin's:; "and then you cross the international dateline ...."

[Maat]

2. This gets my dander up.

The argument that the Hummer is better for the environment is nonsense. First of all, the Prius has meant that ExxonMobil and Shell won't get 100 tanks of gas that I would have purchased, had I still had my old automobile. That's a whole lot of emissions that haven't gone into the air.

Second of all, virtually all of my driving is in town - and I've never gotten under 47-48 miles per gallon on a tank ("45" - that's laughable).

Third of all, my Prius is staying in the family; a relative of mine will probably get the car should I fall in love with a new Prius.

Fourth of all, my mechanic says that this car is in GREAT shape, and will last "forever."

My monthly gas bill has dwindled down to "next to nothing."

I will guarantee that the battery will be properly recycled.

Thanks for listening - end of rant.

[diane in sf]

3. The winger propaganda effort never rests. The minute Limbo endorses it you know it's a lie

[wtmusic]

4. Please don't post this crap as if there's a legit debate.

Is GM that desperate? Rumor has it that their propagandists are out in droves.

[OKIsItJustMe]

5. Sorry... I've heard about this study repeatedly, and gone through pains to rebut it

I thought others might also find it handy to have this rebuttal at their fingertips.

I didn't mean to imply that their was a meaningful debate, any more than the article's author did.

[hatrack]

6. Not at all - it is convenient to have the complete rebuttal right to hand

This old wheeze does pop up in my email from time to time, God knows why . . .

[Viking12]

7. Bookmarked for future reference. Thanks for posting.

I too see the 'Hummer-is-better-than-Prius" nonsense regularly on other boards. Nice to have a fingertip response.

[Maat]

9. It IS handy to have the rebuttal ready.

I get SO tired of this old crap. I wouldn't care if they were just taking down themselves (the Irresponsible Ones), but they're ruining my daughter's future too!

[jpak]

8. Not this shite again - this was a consultant group for which industry????

Their motto: "Guaranteed Results"....

and it's gig-o-jewels....

:nuke: :evilgrin: :nuke:

[wtmusic]

10. You have to admit

Mr. Art Spin-ella has entrenched his "research" in the public consciousness. His clients are getting their money's worth.

[gravity]

11. They should compare a hybrid and an economy car

You can tell their is an agenda behind this comparing a Prius to a Hummer and that the results are going to be biased.

A non-biased analysis between a Prius and a conventional car with similar size and performance would be very useful though.

[NickB79]

12. Is this the same report that assumed the life of a Prius was 100,000 miles

But gave the Hummer a 300,000 mile lifespan?

God, I'm surprised there isn't a claim about "1.21 jigawatts at 88 mph" in there somewhere.