Hybrid or Hype?

It never ceases to amaze me the lengths that some companies will go to to promote themselves as “being green!”

Let’s get a few “green” things straight here.  And please understand that these are my humble yet well-researched opinions on what is really green.

The terms “Going Green,” “We are Green,” “100% Green,” etc., are becoming all too familiar on many business ads and products.  Marketing people love to promote anything green with the pictures of the beautiful landscapes and people out and about in nature. 

The unfortunate thing is that they are not really promoting eco-friendly (aka Green) products and businesses in many of these ads.  They are merely capitalizing on the “Green Wave.”  They know that “Green” is the new “Black!”  They know that if they put an eco-friendly spin on their product, service or business that they will attract a bigger audience.  And who can really fault them for that?  After all, it is the American way is it not?

My issue with this stems from the lack of integrity that these companies are showing – should consumers think to question what they are advertising.

Point in case – hybrid cars.  I am all for reducing the use of fossil fuels.  They pollute the air, use a lot of energy to produce and will eventually run out among other things.  I am not expecting them to run out in my lifetime, but they are a finite resource after all.  So I think we can all agree that fossil fuels are bad.  But are hybrid cars the answer?

What is a “hybrid car?” Basically, it is a car that uses gas as well as electricity for power.  It has two motors for this and by using this setup, is more fuel efficient.  There are also a few “totally” electric models on the market today.

A few facts about hybrid cars that you may or may not know about.

1. Yes – they increase gas mileage because they are not just using gas to power them.  Part of the power is electric from a battery therefore saving gas use and increasing gas mileage (a good thing when gas prices are currently soaring!)
2. Yes – the majority of hybrids still use gas.  This means that there are still pollutants coming from the hybrid car.  Not as much as a regular car, but don’t be fooled by any company preaching a “carbon neutral” hybrid.
3. Is it really cost effective to own a hybrid? Depends on whether or not it is time for you to buy your next car.  Don’t run out and buy one just because it’s “green!”  Do your homework!  They are not all the same! Between repair costs and gas/electricity, you really are not saving much of anything from a money standpoint.
4. Batteries….this is still a controversy.  The batteries in hybrids are supposed to be non-toxic but that has yet to be proven as we have no real data to go by.  It all depends on who you talk to.
5. How do they make the cars?  Are they made at an eco-friendly production plant with all sustainable materials?  Think again!  Most of the materials are not sustainable and the plants – well…we just won’t go there!

So, should you run out and buy a hybrid and put your “I’m Green” button on? My advice – don’t rush it!  Do your homework.   The good news is that as the need to reduce the use of fossil fuels grows, engineers are constantly creating new ways to not only remove the need for the fossil fuels but also find new, more innovative ways to create a “cradle-to-cradle” production system.  They are focusing on creating new cars from sustainable materials in sustainable plants that can be recycled at end-of-life.  But we are not quite there yet.  If you need a new car – absolutely check into the eco-friendly models.  After all, doing a little of something after all is better than nothing at all!