Fungible
- Thread starter Supracentral
- Start date
Tango_hotel;1594524 said:
The Prius is about the worst car you could buy for the environment. When you take into account the total environmental impact of manufacturing the car, the fuels burned to power it, the disposal of the batteries when they reach the end of their useful life and the materials used in the car, you could drive the least fuel efficient SUV you could find and do less damage.
Also, the subsidies involved make the car yet another tool of plunder, and the ugly little transport pod is outrageously overpriced for an econobox.
It's worth noting that if car makers only offered electric/hybrids that looked exactly like the normal models, you can bet they wouldn't sell very well. Driving a Prius makes a statement, it not only says "I don't understand what fungible means" but also "I'm a pretentious asshole."
SC, I don't disagree. She bought it specifically for the purpose of "making a statement", and in spite of everyone in both families telling her it was a poor choice.
She is a fashion victim, and it fits into her college age perspective. (and we don't like each other, so I also agree that she's an asshole)
She is a fashion victim, and it fits into her college age perspective. (and we don't like each other, so I also agree that she's an asshole)
Fuzz420
Are U Here 2 take My Baby
I don't hate the Prius at all, it functions very well for what it is. My previous job we used them as delivery vehicles, driving them for at least 8 hours a day, so they saved the company a hell of a lot of money. For the average person that doesn't drive that much it's a pretty stupid car IMHO...
Toyota has been recycling NiMH batteries since the RAV4 Electric Vehicle was introduced in 1998. Every part of the battery, from the precious metals to the plastic, plates, steel case and the wiring, are recycled or processed for disposal.
Using a first generation Prius battery as an example:
* After the above mentioned parts are removed, there are 89 pounds of batteries.
* The plates are removed from the cases leaving 11 pounds of plastic cases and 78 pounds of plates/chemicals/and absorbent materials.
* The plastic cases (Polypropylene) are recycled similar to any other consumer plastic.
* Of the remaining 78 pounds, we extract 32 pounds of nickel that is sold into the steel industry as an alloy to make stainless steel, four pounds of cobalt that is used in a variety of industries -- other batteries and super alloys, and five pounds of common alloy steel (terminals and intercell connectors).
* The remaining materials and chemicals are processed for recycling or disposed in an environmentally friendly fashion following local, state, and federal regulations.
Using a first generation Prius battery as an example:
* After the above mentioned parts are removed, there are 89 pounds of batteries.
* The plates are removed from the cases leaving 11 pounds of plastic cases and 78 pounds of plates/chemicals/and absorbent materials.
* The plastic cases (Polypropylene) are recycled similar to any other consumer plastic.
* Of the remaining 78 pounds, we extract 32 pounds of nickel that is sold into the steel industry as an alloy to make stainless steel, four pounds of cobalt that is used in a variety of industries -- other batteries and super alloys, and five pounds of common alloy steel (terminals and intercell connectors).
* The remaining materials and chemicals are processed for recycling or disposed in an environmentally friendly fashion following local, state, and federal regulations.
Do your own homework. Use multiple sources, come to your own conclusions:
http://www.lmgtfy.com/?q=environmental+impact+prius
(Hint: You're going to have to do a lot of reading to filter through all the politically motivated garbage on both sides of the fence..)
http://www.lmgtfy.com/?q=environmental+impact+prius
(Hint: You're going to have to do a lot of reading to filter through all the politically motivated garbage on both sides of the fence..)
Even if Toyota is able to recycle the batteries 100%, the embodied energy of the batteries is insanely high. I remember a Top Gear episode where they were explaining how the metals are mined in Canada, transported to India, refined, transported to China, where they were processed further, then shipped to Japan for assembly. The main point was that it required more energy to bring a prius to market than to bring a Hummer H2 to market. Not to mention the environmental impact of the mining, and refining and processing that takes place along the way. Something tells me that India and China might not have the best regulations regarding pollution/emisisons
SC;
Hilarious stuff. Hmm, let's make the unbiased assumption that the Hummer will last 300kmiles and the Priius will be crushed at 100k. Now, based on that level headed assumption, we can show that....
S180
If you think the hummer is made of steel from Pennsylvania, well, I've got some fine wine for you in a box.
News flash, tantalum caps in Hummer ECU mined in Congo, shipped to Taiwan for processing, shipped to China for assembly, shipped to Mishawaka, Indiana to be put in H2, shipped to your dealer so you can buy it. What's your point?
Hilarious stuff. Hmm, let's make the unbiased assumption that the Hummer will last 300kmiles and the Priius will be crushed at 100k. Now, based on that level headed assumption, we can show that....
S180
If you think the hummer is made of steel from Pennsylvania, well, I've got some fine wine for you in a box.
News flash, tantalum caps in Hummer ECU mined in Congo, shipped to Taiwan for processing, shipped to China for assembly, shipped to Mishawaka, Indiana to be put in H2, shipped to your dealer so you can buy it. What's your point?
My point is,... do your own research and come to your own conclusion.
I'm not at all interested in a pissing contest on this topic. It's too complex, and doesn't matter enough to me for me to invest one of my 400,000 character posts to display all the evidence and facts I've gathered over time on it.
It is my educated opinion that most "green" solutions aren't all that green, and are generally tools of plunder that use government subsidies as a tool of wealth redistribution to make them economically viable. In this particular case, I don't think the price of the vehicle is worth what you get for it.
But as I said, draw your own conclusions.
I'm not at all interested in a pissing contest on this topic. It's too complex, and doesn't matter enough to me for me to invest one of my 400,000 character posts to display all the evidence and facts I've gathered over time on it.
It is my educated opinion that most "green" solutions aren't all that green, and are generally tools of plunder that use government subsidies as a tool of wealth redistribution to make them economically viable. In this particular case, I don't think the price of the vehicle is worth what you get for it.
But as I said, draw your own conclusions.