Luxuries Even For the Environmentalist :: Essays Papers

Luxuries Even For the Environmentalist Imagine, instead ofbeing stuck in forenoon rush hour because you drive by yourself, youget to go in the HOV lanes alone because of the car you drive. This occurs within some states for those who own loanblends. Hybrids are the or so serviceable vehicle for the majority of America s population because non solitary(prenominal) are they better for the environment but they also have nigh all the features of luxury cars. Few individuals think of hybrid vehicles as a practical option when car shopping. With the combinedtechnology of electricity and hit manoline, hybrid vehicles are to a greater extent environmentally friendly then the standard gasoline driven car. However, most consumers worry more about their comforts than their effects on the environment, tether to disagreements on the best vehicle for the consumers needs. They argue that many luxuries are lost in the hybrids because hybrids are more expensive to ma nufacture, and are not as large as some conventional gas cars. This has changed though. Since hybridsbecame getable there has been an increase in efficiencies, moreluxuriesand increased driver benefits.When first designed, hybrid vehicles aimed toreduce fuel consumption by half ofalready high gas milage vehicles. The hybrids historystarted off rocky because the electric batteries, generators, and motorshad losses of 15-25 percentage in energy, causing it to be more desirable toroute as frequently of the engine power directly to the wheels (Cheng 114). Doing so, however, was not sufficient for power. Since 1975, five improvements were make that rendered itmore available to the public. These included decrease in electrical losses low-spirited to 2-4%, improved shapes to produce far higher energiesand powers, magnetic bearings, new turbines from opposite materials to increasethermal efficiencies, and small turbochargers for piston engines (Cheng 114). Together these im provements made the hybrid more aerodynamic,efficient and light in cost to manufacture. In a recentstudy by W. Chenget al, the hybrid was compared to gas turbine-engine vehicles. Their results showed that the hybrid engine would producevirtually no vehicle pollution during trips less than 30 minutes, and lessthan normal cars when trips were longer. The strongestcharacteristic of the hybrids is the higher gas mileage which allows it tobe more environmentally friendly and cost effective.