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Like the article says, saving money isn't the only reason to drive a hybrid. If you care about the environment, and are wealthy enough, you might be willing to

Like the article says, saving money isn't the only reason to drive a hybrid. If you care about the environment, and are wealthy enough, you might be willing to pay a premium to reduce your carbon footprint.

ekianjo 14y ago
Like the article says, however, footprint is also a factor of the car's manufacturing process. If that piece of information is not being disclosed, you have no idea whether you are, overall, reducing the carbon footprint. Making a car takes huge amounts of energy (and therefore, "carbon"). The best thing you could do as a car owner is to keep your car as long as possible. It's not what the industry wants, however...
waterlesscloud 14y ago
Like the article also says, you don't actually know if you're reducing your "carbon footprint" or not. You don't know how much more carbon is produced in the manufacture of a prius than the manufacture of a non-hybrid.
- frankus 14y ago
  Price is generally a pretty good indication of resource intensity if you're comparing two things with generally similar level of externalities and subsidies/taxes. If anything I would say the fuel cost understates the externalities, at least in the US.
kamechan 14y ago
not only that, but if you believe in economics, you are "voting with your dollar" for alternative technologies, signaling to auto manufacturers that a growing number of people care about cars with increased fuel economy and reduced emissions.
- ekianjo 14y ago
  Yeah, but don't forget that emissions = emissions generated to produce the car (A) + ongoing emissions when using the car (B). Since Toyota does not disclose the (A) part, just considering the (B) factor is pretty much pointless. (A) is supposed to be huge to begin with, and there's no way you can make up for the initial emissions produced to make the car in just a few years of driving. Hybrid cars Manufacturers are not stupid. They don't want you to look at the (A).

ekianjo 14y ago

Like the article says, however, footprint is also a factor of the car's manufacturing process. If that piece of information is not being disclosed, you have no idea whether you are, overall, reducing the carbon footprint. Making a car takes huge amounts of energy (and therefore, "carbon"). The best thing you could do as a car owner is to keep your car as long as possible. It's not what the industry wants, however...

waterlesscloud 14y ago

Like the article also says, you don't actually know if you're reducing your "carbon footprint" or not. You don't know how much more carbon is produced in the manufacture of a prius than the manufacture of a non-hybrid.

frankus 14y ago
Price is generally a pretty good indication of resource intensity if you're comparing two things with generally similar level of externalities and subsidies/taxes. If anything I would say the fuel cost understates the externalities, at least in the US.

kamechan 14y ago

not only that, but if you believe in economics, you are "voting with your dollar" for alternative technologies, signaling to auto manufacturers that a growing number of people care about cars with increased fuel economy and reduced emissions.

ekianjo 14y ago
Yeah, but don't forget that emissions = emissions generated to produce the car (A) + ongoing emissions when using the car (B). Since Toyota does not disclose the (A) part, just considering the (B) factor is pretty much pointless. (A) is supposed to be huge to begin with, and there's no way you can make up for the initial emissions produced to make the car in just a few years of driving. Hybrid cars Manufacturers are not stupid. They don't want you to look at the (A).