The Pros of Hybrid Vehicles

By Nicolas SilveiraChelita Borbon

Vanessie ChristensenElizabeth Goulet

The Hybrid CarBy Nicolas Silveira

Brief History of Hybrids

- Hybrid technology for the use of automobiles has been around since the late 1800s with combination of electric and steam power or electric and combustion engines.

- A hybrid vehicle that uses two or more distinct power sources to move a vehicle.

- The 1970s oil crisis brought hybrid prototypes in response to high gas prices. Not very commercially viable.

- In 1997 the Toyota Prius was introduced in Japan and later introduced to the United States in 2000. This was the first commercially mass produced hybrid.

How Hybrids Work

- The electric battery component is usually made out of lithium ion or nickel metal hydride. - Include systems that recapture energy from braking, and converting it to electricity to be stored in the battery. Also known as regenerative braking.- Emphasis on aerodynamic design and the use of lightweight materials for vehicle composition and components in order to maximize fuel efficiency.

- The figure in the slide depicts a Hybrid electric vehicle (or HEV) that uses a gasoline engine as the main source of power, and an electronic engine as supplemental power that increases efficiency of the vehicle.

Alternative Hybrid Engine Uses

Aircraft

Ground operations of next generation Boeing 737s use hybrid electric drives that reduce fuel consumption.

According to the RITA Bureau of Transportation Statistics, approximately 12,800 MILLION gallons of jet and aviation fuel was consumed in 2009.

Railway

Use rechargeable energy storage technology (high capacity batteries) which captures energy from regenerative breaking.

Companies such as GE and Hitachi have fully functional lines of hybrid trains that reduce emissions and fuel consumption.

Currently the United States, Japan, and the United Kingdom have all implemented hybrid train use.

The Hybrid BatteryBy Chelita Borbon

Hybrid Car Batteries

The Most Commonly Used Hybrid Car Battery

Nickel Metal Hydride

NiMH –in my different versions of hybrid cars, and have different variations in the amount of energy they produce. This is because manufactures are testing to see what version of the NiMH battery is most effective.

NiMH batteries are also proven to be less toxic than our Lead-Acid batteries commonly used in non-hybrid cars.

Examples shown: Prius, Highlander, Fordescape

Other Examples not shown: Honda Insight, Saturn Vue

Toyota Prius Hybrid Battery

(Nickel Metal Hydride)

The Prius produces 201.6 volts of energy.

Ford Escape Hybrid Battery

. The total energy of the battery pack is 330 volts.

Toyota Highlander-NiMH

Produces 500 volts. This battery pack provides 40 percent more power than the Prius battery, despite being 18 percent smaller.

Progression: Lithium Ion Batteries

A NiMH battery carries twice as much energy per pound over the conventional Lead-Acid battery that is in the average car.

The Li-ion cells hold roughly twice as much energy per pound as do the previous generation of advanced batteries, nickel-metal-hydride batteries which is the standard battery in most hybrids today.

Lithium-ion vs. Nickel-Metal Hydride

30 percent smaller

50 percent lighter

Two to three times the power for the same mass, greater acceleration and fuel efficiency

Three to four times the energy for the same mass, greater electric-only vehicle range and fuel efficiency

Two to three times faster recharge

Enhanced cycle life (battery operating life)

Environmental ImpactsCarbon Nanotube Batteries:

(Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science) Coating the anode of a lithium ion battery with a

nanotube membrane, they could extend the storage life and discharge capacity.

Possibility of recharging in minutes Extending the life indefinitely Cutting the cost of Hybrids

According to the Environmental Defense:

Lead

Nickel Metal Hydride

Lithium Ion

How Are Hybrid Batteries Recycled?

Toyota and Honda both reclaim and recycle nearly 100% of their hybrid batteries-

Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC), Toyota Chemical Engineering Co., Ltd. (Toyota Chemical Engineering), Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd. (Sumitomo Metal Mining) and Primearth EV Energy Co., Ltd. (PEVE) launched the world’s first business to recycle nickel in used hybrid-vehicle nickel-metal-hydride batteries for use in new nickel-metal-hydride batteries.

How are Hybrid Batteries Recycled? continued…

The two companies also offer a $200 incentive for hybrid car owners to return their batteries: On the hybrid battery is a a phone number for hybrid car owners to locate drop off locations as well as receive their reward/incentive for returning the battery.

Lithium recycling plants are already in the works! Umicore

Hybrids reduce pollution

By Vanessie Christensen

“Greenhouse Effect”Occurs naturally

Humans have substantially increased the amount of GHG’s in the atmosphereAltering the composition of the atmosphere &

influencing climate

•GHG’s come from human activities & natural sources•Carbon Dioxide

Burning Fossil Fuels, & Automobiles!

Volcanoes, Forest Fires, & Biological Processes

Figure 1. Source: Samaras and Meisterling 2008.

The Combustion Process

Gasoline and diesel fuels are mixtures of hydrocarbons (H, O, and C atoms), which are burned by combining with oxygen.

Fuel

Air Hydrocarbons

Nitrogen oxides (NOx)

Carbon dioxide (CO2)

WaterCarbon Monoxide (CO)

*N and S atoms are also present and combine with O when burned to produce gases. Hence, automotive engines emit several types of pollutants…

Air Pollutants Released from Combustion in Vehicles

Carbon Monoxide(CO): a colorless, odorless, poisonous gas 2/3 of the carbon monoxide emissions come from

transportation sources, with the largest contribution coming from cars.

Carbon monoxide decreases the ability of your blood to carry oxygen.

Nitrogen Oxides (Nox) Catalytic converters in car exhaust systems break down

heavier nitrogen gases, forming nitrogen dioxide (NO2) Can irritate airways, especially your lungs. Nitrogen

oxides are precursors for the formation of other smog components such as ground level ozone

Carbon dioxide (CO2): a GHG that traps the earth's heat and contributes to climate change

Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5): contains substances including metals, acids, carbon, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons Can be inhaled deep into the lungs Aggravates respiratory or cardiovascular diseases

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs): come from unburned or partially-burned fuel VOCs vary widely in toxicity Some are cancer-causing agents Precursors to ozone

Air Toxics: pollutants such as benzene, 1,3-butadiene, & formaldehyde Contain cancer-causing agents

Air Pollutants- Why Should We Care?

OZONE!SMOG!

Ozone: forms from reactions involving VOC and NOx from vehicles

•irritates airways and can trigger reactions in people who have asthmaSmog: produced by a set of complex photochemical

reactions involving VOCs, nitrogen oxides and sunlight, which form ground-level ozone

Effects: asthma, emphysema, & other respiratory problems; eye irritation & reduced resistance to colds and lung infections

What Makes a Hybrid Vehicle Unique?

Idle-stop System: Shutting down the engine during traffic stops or while coasting or idle periods

Dual Engines/Motors: results in a smaller engine, lower weight, and greater fuel efficiency

Regenerative Braking: captures & converts kinetic energy into electricity Especially in stop-and-go traffic

Greater Battery Storing Capacity: reuses recaptured energy

Improved Aerodynamics

Low Rolling Resistance: harder tires = greater gas mileage

How do Hybrids Reduce Such Air Pollutants?

A Hybrid reduces incidence of gasoline waste and total chemical atmospheric release

Although the pollution associated w/the production of fuel for Hybrids = the pollution created in the production of fuel for conventional vehicles, their pollution is significantly reduced because the vehicle has a greater fuel efficiency

By switching to a hybrid, you can literally save the Earth a couple tons of GHG’s!

Conserve Gasoline Reserves!By switching to a Hybrid vehicle, gasoline

consumption will be cut in half, thus saving the other 50% for generations to come.

It’s a Start!

Although perhaps not long-term, it is a short-term solution that can only lead us in the right direction.

“Everyone on this planet has an effect on the environment, but the largest impact any one person tends to have on the environment, especially to greenhouse gas emissions, is through the use of an automobile. It is because of this that individuals have in their power the ability to make a significant contribution to the fight against global warming. Consumers using hybrid cars are becoming a growing force in the attempt to limit greenhouse gas emissions.”

-Laurence O’Sullivan

Hybrids reduce dependency on oil

By Elizabeth Goulet

Hybrid vehicles require less oil

Visualize it. We use 14 million barrels of oil a day for

transportation- 70% total oil consumption

A barrel is 160 liters

This picture is

equivalent to 2 barrels

Imagine this

7 million times

That’s our daily usage

for transportation alone

Environmental Impacts of OilFinding sources of oil

Extracting oil

Transporting oil

Finding oil reservesResearchers send seismic waves into the

ground- what bounces back indicates whether oil is there based on topography

Seismic activity affects whales and other marine life, leading to mass whale beaching In June 2008 ExxonMobile had to stop exploring

around Madagascar because 100 whales beached themselves

Building roads on land to explore undeveloped land disrupts pristine environments

Extracting oilFurther disrupts ecosystems as land gets

fragmented by roads and drilling sites

Stresses sensitive species at important life stages Alaska pipeline in region where caribou, moose,

and polar bears cross to give birth: vulnerable

Fish can normally flush out PAH toxin from oil wells, but increased stress -> cancer

Oil transport problems: spillsAccidents are inevitable but disastrous

1989: Exxon-Valdez spill- Prince William Sound, Alaska

1991: Gulf War spill- Persian Gulf

2010: Deepwater Horizon spill- Gulf of Mexico

Constant spills in developing regions Nigeria: from 1982-1992, 1.6 million gallons spilled

in 27 instances 700 spills a year in Russia’s pipelines

Spills devastate the environment

Lethal effects on plankton- primary producers

Seabirds dive through oil layer on water’s surface. Feathers covered in oil -> drowning, starvation, and loss of heat

High concentrations of PAH from oil kills organisms or causes birth defects, impaired growth, and skewed sex ratios

Accumulation on shoreline and in shallow water

Lasting effects on the environment

Mangroves are the base of some ecosystems. Oil kills them off and recovery can take decades

20 years after Exxon-Valdez spill, animals high in food chain just recovering

Hybrids average 50mpg

Makes one gallon of oil go twice as far

Cuts demand for oil in half

Works cited (websites)http://www.transportation.anl.gov/pdfs/TA/378.PDF

http://www.bts.gov/publications/national_transportation_statistics/html/table_04_05.html

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1361920909001266

http://science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/everyday-myths/does-hybrid-car-production-waste-offset-hybrid-benefits1.htm

Durning, Alan. “Plug-In Hybrids Revisited.” 2 October 2008. Web. 17 October 11. http://daily.sightline.org/2008/10/02/plug-in-hybrids-revisited

Hunt, Tam. “Why Electric Vehicles Will Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions.” 11 January 2011. Web. 17 October 2011. http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2011/01/why-electric-vehicles-will-significantly-reduce-greenhouse-gas-emissions

“Greenhouse Gases.” Environmental Protection Agency. Web. 17 October 2011. http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/indicators/pdfs/CI-greenhouse-gases.pdf

“Global Warming and Your Vehicle Choice.” 26, March 2006.

“Hybrid Cars and Global Warming. Automobiles that Give Better Fuel Economy and Lower Greenhouse Gases.” 13, April 2008.

Works Cited

http://www.hybridcars.com/battery-toxicity.html 

http://www.greenhybrid.com/hybrid-car-articles.php

http://epiphytic.com/what-is-a-hybrid-car/

http://www.hybridcars.com/hybrid-car-battery

http://www.hybridcars.com/hybrid-car-battery

http://www.carseek.com/articles/hybrid-car-batteries.html

http://www.hybridcars.com/battery-toxicity.html

Rebuttal

Improving hybrid technology decreases oil use

Hybrids are especially good for specific regions to

maximize benefitsLos Angeles

very high amount of smog relatively high gas prices (currently as high as

$5/gallon) lots of traffic: in stop and go situations, hybrids

operate on their electric batteries -> no emissions engines also shut off when stopped for a period of

time

Taxis in high density urban areas

It’s not that bad!

A hybrid (ex. Prius) only has to be driven 13,000 miles for its CO2 savings to outweigh production emissions– about the distance you drive in a year

Toyota is decreasing CO2 emissions during production– solar panels at their Tsutsuni location provide half the energy needed for daily operations

Water discharged from the Tsutsumi location is 5x cleaner than river water

Inco factory in Ontario

Inco nickel factory at Sudbury in Ontario, Canada: environmental damage there predated Prius production by 30 years

Since then, Inco reduced sulphur dioxide emissions by 90%+ and planted 11 million trees

It is praised by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment and environmental groups, with conservation awards and is an eco-tourism center

Special new features

New features- solar powered ventilation to circulate cooling air within the car’s cabin and reduce the temperature inside the car to a level approaching the external ambient temperature

Excellent secondary cars

A hybrid car may have less lifetime miles than other more traditional cars, but they are often secondary cars used for small town errands or getting around in the city- times when you’re going to want to maximize mileage and minimize emissions

Improving technology

The hybrids that have the highest environmental cost and lowest relative efficiency are the original ones- the prototype that has been improved on with better technology for more than 10 years now

Just like when you get a new iPod or computer because the technology is better, the old hybrids are simply obsolete compared to the new ones

Rapidly evolving technology

Repair costs may be high now but that’s because technology is evolving so quickly. It doesn’t make sense to pay significant money to repair it when a new one may cost close to that

The old materials then get recycled and the scrap metal gets reused into products that are usable

Dust to Dust report

CNW Marketing Research, Inc. 2007 “Dust to Dust: The Energy Cost of New Vehicles From Concept to Disposal”

Hummer H3 has lower life-cycle cost than a Prius, considering energy cost of production and use

Critiqued by Pacific Institute for Studies in Development, Environment, and Security Provide independent research and analysis

Dust to Dust report

Little evidence that the claims made are unproven or wrong

“Faulty analysis, untenable assumptions, manipulation and misuse of facts and data, numerical mischaracterization, and inadequate review”

No peer review, no release of actual data

Dust to Dust report

Selective and Biased use of data Assume the Hummer H1 will travel 379,000

lifetime miles over 35 years, the Prius will travel 109,000 miles over 10 years

This reverses the conclusion

Distribution of lifetime energy Majority of energy used is in use, not production

CNW won’t reveal who funded the report

Safety

Ford Escape Hybrid (34 city/ 31 hwy)

- Heavy use of lightweight materials in the production of hybrid vehicles does not make them less safe.

- According to a 2009 joint study by researchers at Queen’s University in Ontario and Xiamen University in China, “While earlier analysis often suggests lighter, more fuel-efficient vehicles are less safe for their occupants, the relationships between vehicle safety ratings and fuel efficiencies seem to have been mostly positive from 2002 to 2007.”

Production of HEVs

In a 1997 study performed by scientists from the Argonne National laboratory for the Air and Waste Management Association Exposition, they found that “the total energy from the fuel cycle, vehicle operation, and vehicle cycle, they found that the HEVs reduced energy use and GHG emissions by around 40% compared with the steel intensive conventional vehicle because of their improved fuel economy”

Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles

- Is a hybrid vehicle which uses batteries that can be recharged to full power by connecting it to an external power source.

- Research conducted in 2006 at University California of Davis found that the operating costs of plug-ins charged at night was equivalent to 75¢ US per US gallon of gasoline.

- No emissions when operated under fully electric mode.

Economics and Hybrid Battery Life Span

The average life span of a hybrid car battery is around 8-12 years or an estimated 180,000 miles. The warranty on a hybrid battery is about 8-10 years, so just about as long as the life of the car.

The average cost of a hybrid car battery is between $5,000 and $7,000 to replace.

Honda, Toyota and the entire auto industry are pumping millions of dollars into research regarding lithium ion batteries for tomorrow's cars. Their primary motivation is to reduce the cost and increase the potency of hybrid batteries. Fortunately, supplanting lead and nickel batteries with rechargeable lithium batteries is also promising from an environmental perspective. Instead of clogging landfills with more toxic chemicals, hybrids—especially future hybrids powered by lithium ion batteries—may represent greener pastures for car batteries.