Prius: the world's most environmentally disastrous car

[cyberknight]

British Prius drivers are the real nobbers, at least in the last few years. Why buy a hybrid car shipped over from Japan when the same manufacturer makes a hybrid car just off the A38?

A good percentage of cars made their are hybrids , just saying is all but only about 10 % are right hand drive cars.

 

[cyberknight]

Do you think they'd be making that (I suspect assembling is a more accurate description) if it hadn't been for the success of the Prius?

Making would be more accurate, unfortunately there is not have a smelting plant for the steel but most of the bodywork is made in house or bought in from branch companies that are liable to be part of the overall head companies assets.

 

[Berties]

Life span will grow as more work is done ,same as solar panels,they last 25 and break down slowly being less efficient over the years,inverters can go at 10 years,if you don't replace you have is a shiney roof for all the birds to slide on and that's it

 

[marknotgeorge]

Do you think they'd be making that (I suspect assembling is a more accurate description) if it hadn't been for the success of the Prius?

Who can tell? But that wasn't my point. My point was if you're going to buy a car that's supposedly more environmentally friendly, shouldn't you be thinking about the environmental cost of shipping the completed car?

I've got it. Apart from a badge on the boot, a hybrid Auris looks like one that's powered by squashed dinosaurs. Whereas a Prius looks like nothing else...

 

[mustang1]

I would rather cycle commute with a bunch of priuses and whatever low emissions they emit rather than any old cars. I recall pre catalytic converter days and how awful the emissions were back then.

I checked out priusez some time ago. See http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1078138_toyota-hybrid-battery-replacement-cost-guide

 

[Linford]

I would rather cycle commute with a bunch of priuses and whatever low emissions they emit rather than any old cars. I recall pre catalytic converter days and how awful the emissions were back then.

I checked out priusez some time ago. See http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1078138_toyota-hybrid-battery-replacement-cost-guide

We will ignore what the 'essential' bus, van and HGV's pump out at the same time then in the capital when people complain of vehicle emissions ?

Also, How much time as a percentage does a Pious actually spend moving purely under battery driven conditions in London traffic ?

 

[P.H]

. My point was if you're going to buy a car that's supposedly more environmentally friendly, shouldn't you be thinking about the environmental cost of shipping the completed car?

I'd have to see a lot of analysis before reaching that conclusion. It's not like food miles, these cars are not grown, I'd have to understand the whole picture rather than just the final part.
OT - I understand from a wholesale florist, that there's less impact of buying flowers grown in South America and flown over that the same flowers grown in heated glasshouses in the UK. Of course there's a lot less impact of only buying flowers grown in season and even less in not guying them at all.

 

[Linford]

[QUOTE 2774084, member: 9609"]I beleive the greater environmental damage comes from how much fuel it uses

Citreon C1 6ton CO2 in its production, at 55mpg another 6ton co2 produced after 32,000 miles (3 years)
Discovery 35 ton in its production, at 22mpg another 35 ton produced after 77,000 miles (7 years)

So depending where the electric is source to power the prius and its initial co2 figures for its production - it may be less damaging than you think.[/quote]

What you might also consider is that a C1 will probably end up being scrapped after about 10 years as they are made of tin foil and spend all their time having the rings ramped out of them as they are so under powered.
Many 4x4s actually have a much greater lifespan, and cover much lower miles PA than a regular car (especially if they were only ever bought as a towing vehicle as they are so juicy to run out of taxed income) I think you will find that a modern disco can average into the 30's on a run, and is a 7 seater car, so the argument has been massaged to see the worst scenario of the 4x4 and the best scenario of the rollerskate. Also something to consider is that a C1 is a very impractical vehicle for a family and averages 50 to the gallon. It is a 1st car for a student which is cheap to insure or a singletons town car. You'd not want to mess around strapping small children into child seats in the back of one...that is all really.

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/realmpg/land-rover/discovery-4-2009/27-tdv6

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/realmpg/citroen/c1-2005/10i-egs

 

[gavroche]

The Prius is a joke. It is no more economical than a modern diesel car. Hydrogen cars is the answer but the oil companies wont let it happen until oil runs out. And that is a long way away yet.

 

[Linford]

[QUOTE 2774160, member: 9609"]I used http://www.fuelly.com/ to source the mpg (make sure you set it to UK gallons)

I am not trying to say one vehicle is better than another, just used two vehicles at very different ends of the spectrum to see when the driven co2 would equal the production co2.[/quote]

I've looked into buying a Smart car before now, and they are usually borked mechanically by the time they get to 70k miles. Take a look on Autortrader and see how many C1s there are nationally with over 100k miles (there are actually only 6). In comparision, there are many many Disco's with over 200k for sale on the website and are still going strong.....When we factor in the scrapage of the vehicles at well sub of 100k, they aren't really quite the green option they might seem (IMO)

 

[Linford]

[QUOTE 2774166, member: 45"]The C1 has the 3 cylinder Toyota engine. Low emissions, reliable and good mpg. We had a Charade with the same engine. It was nippy, pulled the car very easily and was a happy motorway cruiser with 4 passengers plus luggage. £35 tax if I remember.[/quote]

My mate had a Charade GTTi. I drove it a few times (and worked on it) and it was a hoot....however, it was absolutely tiny, the handling was scary, and you had as little protection in a crash as a biker does. It was also made of tin foil.
When you say 'luggage', do you mean this ?

 

[Hip Priest]

I regularly see a purple late 90s Toyota Corolla on my commute which the owner has re-badged as a Prius. I also once knew a bloke who put a Mercedes badge on his Smart roadster because Smart is owned by Mercedes. Poor desperate souls.

 

[Linford]

[QUOTE 2774215, member: 9609"]Horses for courses really - if you do 15 k a year around town by yourself, the C1 is the answer, if you are towing a horse box regularily along country roads the disco could be the answer,

The problem arises when the large 4x4 is employed to drive 1 person around town (which most of them are), and then renewed every other year for the latest model.[/quote]

Yer, but these people were before buying big engined 5 or 7 series Beemers, or Mercs, and usually have them on lease contracts as company cars. Once the cars fall into private ownership, the mileage drops to the least they have to do with it if being used as a tow car, and they run a roller skate as a more sensible daily drive.
My 4x4 lived in Japan for the first 12 years of its life, and when imported, had only done 43k miles in that time. Second owner did 20k in about 15 months as he was was living in Hereford (ex military) and working as a bodyguard for various footballers and their families in Manchester, and then I got it about 9 years ago and have since only done 30k miles in it in that time as a towing car. With diesel knocking on £7 per gallon and 15mpg when towing, they are very expensive as regular runarounds...far too much for me, always has been, always will be....

 

[Crackle]

As if owning a Discovery wasn't silly enough.

Well it's all about staying alive......

...reminds me, I need to post more crap in the song lyrics thread

 

[Linford]

As if owning a Discovery wasn't silly enough.

Ah, a troll account...any chance that the mods might take a look at the IP address on this one ? . We are trying to have a serious conversation here
[QUOTE 2774255, member: 45"]I could get a couple of bikes in with the front wheel off.[/quote]

With the back seats folded down I take it ?