US to accelerate change from petrol to hybrid vehicles

[Guest]

Just heard a report about how the US is really waking up to the need to develope non-gas/petrol vehicles and is planning to greatly accelerate the programme within the next two years.

The FOX News report said that the US also hopes to have hydrogen gas stations throughout America within the next few years to become free of the need to import foreign oil.

found this detail from the Beeb:
mountaingirl.

~Hybrid cars take hold in US~
By Kevin Anderson
BBC News Website, Washington

"Hybrid car owners rally for energy independence in Washington
The United States - land of the brave and home of the SUV, sport utility vehicle.

But now the gas-guzzling gargantuans are being challenged by fuel-efficient, environmentally friendly hybrids like the Toyota Prius and hybrid versions of popular models from Honda.

The hybrids could one day help to reduce the United States' output of greenhouse gasses..........."
CONTINUED:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4283117.stm

[judyofthewoods]

Well, a glimmer of hope, but even hybrids have to run of something, and even the cleanest power like renewables require energy and resources in their manufacture, almost certainly non-renewable. A lot of hydrogen is made with hydrocarbon fuel rather than elecrolytically split from water. Electric vehicles use a lot of energy to carry their heavy energy store and the extra heavy chassis that requires. And how many acres of rapeseed oil, sugar cane or soy should we devote to producing bio diesel/oil? The term environmentally friendly car is a contradiction in terms, and a clever marketing ploy, at best its a car which is not as bad as some of the others. The bottom line is still - reduce, reduce, reduce, and that includes our breeding. Sorry, folkes, thats the reality if anything is to change for the better, anything else is window dressing and a drop in the ocean.

[mountaingirl]

Thats very true Judy, we have a long way to go and I dont think we can make real progress perhaps until someone finds the codes for nuclear fusion?

It is amazing that we are still using engines devised over a hundred years ago, and yes these new vehicles will produce less pollution but not as much as we would like.