Green Ninja

Before You Rush to Trade-in Your SUV for a Hybrid

SUV sales have plummeted since fuel costs have increased. Many SUV owners who are trying to sell or trade their vehicles will suffer huge losses as values decline. SUVs are simply not selling and many dealers really do not want them on their lots. Before you rush to sell or trade your SUV, truck or minivan and buy the most fuel efficient hybrid available, consider these calculations.

For this example, let’s say you drive 12,000 miles per year and gas costs an average of $4.00 per gallon. An SUV will get about 15 mpg and a hybrid will get 46 mpg. Based on fuel costs only, driving the hybrid the same amount of miles per year will reduce your fuel consumption by 539 gallons and save you about $2156. That is pretty good but it may not save you any money at all if your monthly loan payment is going to increase or if you are standing to lose thousands on your trade-in.

You may be able to save more money by analyzing your driving habits and coming up with other creative ways to reduce fuel consumption. Reducing the number of miles you drive by 50 per week or 2600 per year equates to a savings of almost $700. This narrows the savings gap between the hybrid and the SUV to $1432 per year. Granted, this is compared to driving the SUV less than you would drive the hybrid. But, if you did have a hybrid, you may even be compelled to drive more which would also reduce your the total savings for the year.

If you are in a good position to buy a new vehicle, then by all means you should consider a hybrid or one of the other alternative fuel vehicles. The environment will thank you and these vehicles seem to be holding their value. If you are stuck with a gas guzzling SUV or truck though, I think it is wise to look at the whole picture not just the mpg. Think about how much you absolutely have to drive and find out if you will end up still owing money on your auto loan if you trade it in.

When you do buy a new vehicle, the cost of getting those extra mpg’s is something to consider too. For example a small fuel efficient sedan may get 35 mpg and a hybrid may get 46 mpg but the hybrid is a lot more expensive. Will a 10 mpg fuel savings really have an impact if you are paying more for the same size and comparably styled vehicle? You may have to drive a lot to actually reap the benefits of the better fuel efficiency of a hybrid. Maintenance is something else to consider. If you plan to keep your vehicle for three years or more, you may have to replace parts such as batteries in your hybrid. It has been reported that some fully battery replacements can cost over $3000.

A Comeback for Airships?

Today everyone is coming up with new ideas and bringing back old ones to cut fuel costs and reduce carbon emissions. Some companies are investing in airships as a revived mode of transportation. Most of us have heard of the Hindenburg explosion over 70 years ago and associate that with airships being unsafe. The zeppelins of today are much more sophisticated due to advanced materials and improved propulsion.

The US is researching airship technology but only for military use at the moment. Entrepreneurs in Germany and France are exploring the possibilities of using airships for commercial flights and transporting parcels. In Germany the Deutsche Zeppelin-Reederei transports sightseers and scientific payloads. Over 12,000 people were passengers of Zeppelin-Reederei last year.

Some experts contend that airships will remain a niche vessel and will never expand beyond the occasional tourist flights or transportation of scientific payloads. Airships travel at speed around 100 mph which is slow in comparison to a jet and they require a very large space to land. Storms also pose a concern.

Source: New York Times - Why Fly When You Can Float?

Recycling waste heat from car exhaust

This is an interesting concept. Everyone wants vehicles that use less fuel and are more efficient. By harnessing this source of waste energy autos could be greener and reduce fuel requirements.

In the article Electricity From The Exhaust Pipe it states

ScienceDaily (2008-06-04) -- Researchers are working on a thermoelectric generator that converts the heat from car exhaust fumes into electricity. The module feeds the energy into the car's electronic systems. This cuts fuel consumption and helps reduce the carbon dioxide emissions from motor vehicles.

Researchers at Cardiff University in the UK also explain that "conversion technology is used in everyday applications such as controlling the central heating system or refrigerator temperature". Read the full article here - Could Waste Heat From Car Exhausts Be Recycled To Help Power Cars?