alternative fuels

[Gunner]

Those taxes I don't mind paying My Thunderbird doesn't like holes in the road.

Convert it to 4WD...........You're Tbird would LOVE it

Gunner

 

[Gunner]

The batteries in Hybrid vehicles are not the same type as the lead acid used to start your car or truck. The batteries currently used in hybrid cars are NiMH and are designed to last 150-200k miles and are warrantied 8-10 years from the vehicle manufacture. Also NiMH batteries are fully recyclable and currently on the Toyota Hybrids, Toyota pays the person bringing in the old batterys $200. So it does not cost the consumer a battery disposal fee like current lead acid batteries.

But if I remember right, there is still heavy metals in these batteries, and you can't just recycle them forever. These things are going to cause all sorts of problems in the long run, methinks...........

Gunner

 

[O'Rattlecan]

ha! There's no 'those taxes' about it. They collect, and they spend. You tell them to cut the crap and subsidies in failing markets and don't allow them to quit paving roads. Being passive about taxes doesn't do anything but encourage them.

Ryan

 

[Fellro]

On the lead acid batteries, most give a core charge for NOT turning in a battery, you should only be getting charged for not having one to give. I hadn't heard of disposal fees on lead acid, since I can sell them to certain scrapyards. If you are charged a disposal fee on the batteries, simply refuse to buy them there. Advance used to take them for free.
A diesel hybrid would certainly save a lot of fuel, and I am truly surprised that there isn't any in the lineup already. However, and I may be wrong, but I don't know that Europe is looking at hybrids, even though they perhaps should due to their pollution troubles. They are concentrating on getting very efficient diesels. Diesel technologies have promise, and with the variety of ways to make biodiesel, it has a good future. Ethanol has promise, but our current format won't do it, but is helping move us to a better way to produce it. Is it the end save all? Probably not. Combining the alternatives together will be more likely the way to do it, instead of focusing on only one way. The old saying don't put all your eggs in one basket seems to apply pretty well... Hydrogen, as stated, still relies on petroleum, so other than the emissions benefit, it isn't a good one yet. Same story on the fuel cells.