hot_fat_chik1982 asked: I want to buy a new car, and i want something that will help the environment. I know i can make my own biodiesel, and while nto helping so much in the emissions, it is still better for the environment, but i have also done some reading in FlexFuel (methanol, ethanol or gasoline engines) and hybids but am not sure which is the best option
Website content
diesel run on biodiesel
period !
Diesel run with Bio. That would be my choice.
Hybrid would be the best, electricity is a renewable source, so you can recharge your car anytime.
i would definetly go with biodiesel it is very clean and extremely cheap which the other choices dont have and its something that should be done more, you should tell as many people about biodiesel as possible too
wait a couple years and buy a hydrogen car……. no emissions but water
Flexi fuel,s are fine in there own way but in my opinion Bio is by far the better.Because it is alltogether natural.I have been in the transport game all my working life.I deliver both Diesel and Bio.I also run a 1964 Wolseley 16/60 which I have converted.
Regard,s Peter.
well ,i must answer your question . the besting on the market is your own energy please for the sake of the world d don’t buy a diesel or petrol nor your so call bio,pleased you two feet . if you really wanted to save the world thank,i hope u have got a lot of energy one love respect .
Hybrids have many more batteries made of precious metals lead and nickel not to mention acid, adding weight to the vehicle and creating serious disposal, ( hazardous materials) repair and replacement issues.
Hybrids Don’t get anywhere near the EPA estimates in mileage.
Ethanol Causes MPG to drop 20-30 %.Ethanol has less energy ( in BTU’s) then gasoline. Physics
Ethanol Absorbs water and is corrosive. This creates massive storage and transportation issues.( Although E85 cars are designed for this).
Ethanol Is very difficult to make produce much more so then gasoline.
Oh, and Bio-diesel is even worse then any of the above.
Forget about getting that diesel started in cold temps.
if you’re into helping the environment, the lowest emissions choice is a hybrid.
any kind of diesel, while defintely showing improvement in mpg over traditional gas cars, is still much dirtier than gas. hybrid cars emit 99% fewer emissions than the average vehicle on the road.
and don’t buy the crap about hybrid battery disposal- the manufacturers have recycling programs for used batteries. besides, those batteries are expected to live 250k or more miles and have a very low failure rate so few of them need disposal in the first place. they add about 100 lb to the car, which is nothing considering the weight of your average car anyway. you can definitely get the epa mileage if you try, it takes a bit of a driving adjustment (for instance, using the gas engine to get up to speed, then letting it switch to electric to coast rather than just using gas all the way) but you don’t have to drive like a granny or anything. i sure don’t and i get 50-54 mpg
(combined epa mileage estimate for a prius is 55 mpg)
ethanol requires either burning of large amounts of sugar cane or growing and harvesting LARGE amounts of corn. burning is never good for the air and those corn plants could be used to feed people. plus it actually decreases the mileage you get out of your car. there is debate as to whether the cost savings is justified when you take into account the production cost of ethanol anyway.
of the three, the best for the environment is a hybrid car. you can’t plug them in just yet, but that’s coming and that will be a huge advance. diesel is dirty. E85 is a meet-in-the-middle case, but probably not that great for the environment either.
to balance cost and emissions, pick up a hybrid car, take advantage of the tax credit, and drive it for 8 years. the prius costs about the same as a camry anyway. hybrids in general depreciate slowly (mine’s a year old with 15k and still has a KBB value of $1400 *more than* the purchase price) and if you have any remaining hybrid warranty left you’ll have a better chance of selling it and you will get more money for it too. by then we’ll have even better technology on the roads fo you to get.
added:
HA HA HA!!! expensive to maintain, he says below… HA!!
in 14 months i’ve had two oil changes (extended engine oil life) and two tire rotations (not hybrid specific anyway). i’ll never have to replace my brake pads, there’s no major transmission service before 100k because there are no parts grinding against each other like in a regular car, there is NO maintenance on the electric motors, and i will never burn out an alternator because I DON’T HAVE ONE.
In my opinion: a diesel ran on biodiesel would be the way to go, then a flex fuel vehicle.
Personally…the current hybrids on the market in my mind are a bunch of crap. Including the Honda Civic Hybrid, Honda Accord Hybrid, Toyota Prius, Ford Escape Hybrid and what not.
These hybrids have got it all wrong and seem to be a way to get stupid people to pay more for cars. (a civic hybrid truly gets about the same mileage as a dx civic….and the hybrid costs about $6000 more!)
This is nutz. The only car I would buy if it was a hybrid would be a Honda Insight….as it does get stellar gas mileage. But is the stellar gas mileage isn’t only from the hybrid engine….its also because they made the car lighter, more aerodynamic, and no air conditioning.
My Thoughts on biodiesel are that if you use used cooking oil, you are making a useful fuel out of something that is considered waste. (although it is used for many other uses.) Or if you use new cooking oil (commonly reffered to as neat oil) you are using something that is green and grown in this country for fuel….which is cool.
Flex fuel all the way around is cool. People have been selling ethanol for years. Back in the 70s it was popular (before it got bought out) and even earlier in this century it was being used.
The overall best option for the environment is a hybrid. Let’s compare 3 vehicles – one flex fuel, one hybrid, the other diesel (which can run on Bio-diesel). Although they are not direct competitors these three vehicles make an interesting comparison.
Chevrolet Impala Flex Fuel ($ 20,990) – City 16mpg, Hwy 23mpg
Toyota Prius ($ 21,725)- City 60mpg, Hwy 51mpg
Volkswagen Jetta Diesel ($ 21,605) – City 36mpg, Hwy 41mpg
Out of the three the hybrid is the big winner. However a diesel is not that bad, though it emits far more pollutants than a hybrid. A flex fuel vehicle doesn’t seem worth it as they get worst fuel mileage which counter acts the cheap price.
Both biodiesel and hybrid cars are incredible for the environment. It’s basically a cost and availability issue. Biodiesel will run in any diesel engine with little or no modification, but you either have to make it yourself or try and find someone who does. Hybrids run on gasoline available everywhere, but they are very expensive to buy and maintain.