 "Photo: Jonathan Good")
As part of last Wednesday's Earth Day celebration, a public viewing of environmentally friendly cars was held at UW-Whitewater. Located in the parking lot of Upham Hall, a number of hybrid cars were exhibited for interested onlookers to check out.
Hybrid cars work differently than a traditional car.
According to the Web site Howstuffworks.com, a hybrid car combines the power of a gasoline engine with an electric motor. A generators connected to the gasoline engine and brakes recharge and batteries with supply the electric motor.
Gasoline, or internal combustion, engines are far less efficient than electric motors, on average wasting up to 80 percent of input energy (contained in the form of fuel) by way of radiated heat. By using an electric motor to assist in acceleration it improves the overall fuel effiency of a vehicle.
Furthermore, by conventional wisdom less fuel burned means a cleaner car.
"Hybrid autos are friendlier to the environment because they combine the best of internal combustion engine and electric motor technology to reduce the emission of noxious gasoline combustion byproducts," said professor Paul Rybski of the physics department.
Hybrid cars also make use of the electric elements to reduce the amount of they use.
"Hybrids emit fewer of these compounds in part because they use the most efficient internal combustion engines developed in the last 25 years," he said. "But they go two steps further by braking and accelerating more efficiently and by allowing the car to run entirely electrically at low speed."
Hybrid cars, like many other new vehicles, can be expensive. Among the cars shown were a Toyota Prius and a Honda civic hybrid.
According to Toyota.com, a new Prius starts at $22,000. For some, the purchase of a hybrid car can pay off in the future with gas mileage and helping out the environment, and buyers could be eligible for tax deductions or other government incentives.
"I think it's awesome for a company to be doing something for the environment," senior Matt Yanke said. "You get good gas mileage."
Other students who attended the showing were also impressed by the variety of hybrids. "I think they're pretty cool," senior Brandon Baertschi said. "I could see myself buying one."
For some, purchasing a hybrid car while attending college may be difficult.
"It'll be a while because of the price," Baertschi said.
Hybrid cars can be costly but more efficient than a normal vehicle. One must weigh if the cost difference can be justified when accounting for the predicted cost of fueling a vehicle over its lifetime.
"A hybrid automobile is a few thousand dollars more expensive than its non-hybrid counterpart," Rybski said. "When replacing an older car, everyone should seriously consider buying a hybrid automobile because they get better gas mileage than their non-hybrid counterparts."
Although hybrids can be better for the environment than a gas-powered car, they do have some downsides. The battery in a hybrid car contains nickel, which can be harmful to the environment according to Howstuffworks.com. Futhermore, extra weight and losses realized in the energy transfer between gas and electric can mitigate
According to Hybridcars.com, nickel is not without some environmental risks and is considered a probable carcinogen. There are also concerns about the environmental impacts of nickel mining and apparent challenges with fully recycling the nickel used in hybrid batteries.
Concerning the nickel in hybrid car batteries, it can also contrast with a hybrid's benefits to the environment. To combat this, the life of a nickel battery can last about 10 years and in some cases be recycled.
In many ways, purchasing a hybrid car is a wise choice. A hybrid car can provide additional gas mileage as well as contribute to the United States becoming independent of relying on gas.
"I feel we should be gas independent," graduate student Amanda Greening said. "Buying a hybrid is a step in the right direction."
For some, buying a hybrid as opposed to a traditional gas-powered car can be a wise choice.
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