In essence, investing in a green vehicle, although more expensive at the time of purchase, is absolutely justified if we stop seeing it through the performance prism or by comparing it to cars that could seem to be in the same category while they are not.
Especially since what we save on gas will eventually compensate for the additional initial expense as time goes by. The math is simple: Instead of investing X dollars in our car purchase and Y dollars in the purchase of fuel, we'll invest more on the car and less on gas. Some car columnists have said that the investment isn't worth it, as we don't save enough to recuperate the difference. To that I will answer that, on top of the money factor, there's also the lesser green gas emissions AND the air pollution. So, the money factor is only one of many to consider. When I hear that if you want to save gas, you might as well buy a diesel, like a Volkswagen TDI, I can only reply that it proves the ignorance of some people towards the ecological issues, as diesel vehicles pollute more. I recently read that the new diesel cars are cleaner than the gas powered ones. That's false. In this regard, let's talk numbers.
If we compare green gas emissions, it's a simple calculation. It is directly proportional to the amount of burnt combustible, whether it is gas or diesel. So, by comparing the green gas emissions of a 2004 Volkswagen Jetta TDI (Turbo Diesel Injection), a compact car, with those of a Toyota Prius 2004, an intermediate, we come to these results:
-Toyota Prius.........................................................3.5 tons of CO2 annually
-Volkswagen Jetta TDI.............................................5.8 tons of CO2 annually
Green gas emissions being those who are known to contribute the global warming, they are a first ecological factor to take into consideration. To give another example of green gas emissions, I could mention an SUV from Mercedes, the G55 AMG 2005 that produces 14.6 tons of CO2 annually. And what about the Hummer?...
The next factor to consider is emission of pollutants. We're talking about what is commonly known as air pollution. (Formed mainly by nitrous oxide and hydrocarbons) that cause respiratory problems and smog formation responsible for ever more deaths around the world. According to the EPA (the American Environment Protection Agency), the difference is striking. Here are both cars scores:
-Toyota Prius...........................score: 9/10
(This score doesn't include California, where it scored 10/10 thanks to a better filter made possible by their cleaner fuel)
-Volkswagen Jetta TDI..............score: 4/10
These scores are linked to numbers: the amount of pounds of pollution that produce smog per 15,000 miles. (These are obviously imperial system numbers!)
Toyota Prius.................between 2.8 and 4.1 pounds for an average of 3.45 pounds
Volkswagen Jetta TDI between 20.8 and 25 pounds for an average of 22.9 pounds
So the so-called clean diesel car emits 6, 7 times more air pollutants.
(To have access to those numbers, go to www.fueleconomy.gov)
In a future article, I will do a larger comparison.
In relation with this topic, I always ask myself why some car columnists don't find the purchase of a sports car or an SUV foolish but do not seem to consider on the same level the purchase of a green car. In any of those situations, isn't it a matter of priority? How can we consider the purchase of a Porsche, a BMW M5, a Honda S2000, etc., as normal or even positive, and say at the same time that a car that costs between $3,000 and $10,000 more that uses less gas, pollutes less and emits less green gas emissions is a bad deal?
Back to the hybrid car owners, the meeting was very interesting and gave each of them a chance to learn from one another. For instance, one wasn't aware of some tricks to be more fuel efficient, which the other two showed him. So, three years after I bought my car, the situation regarding customer information hasn't evolved. This is a serious problem that I would like to see corrected by the dealers.
(Last in this series next week)
Especially since what we save on gas will eventually compensate for the additional initial expense as time goes by. The math is simple: Instead of investing X dollars in our car purchase and Y dollars in the purchase of fuel, we'll invest more on the car and less on gas. Some car columnists have said that the investment isn't worth it, as we don't save enough to recuperate the difference. To that I will answer that, on top of the money factor, there's also the lesser green gas emissions AND the air pollution. So, the money factor is only one of many to consider. When I hear that if you want to save gas, you might as well buy a diesel, like a Volkswagen TDI, I can only reply that it proves the ignorance of some people towards the ecological issues, as diesel vehicles pollute more. I recently read that the new diesel cars are cleaner than the gas powered ones. That's false. In this regard, let's talk numbers.
If we compare green gas emissions, it's a simple calculation. It is directly proportional to the amount of burnt combustible, whether it is gas or diesel. So, by comparing the green gas emissions of a 2004 Volkswagen Jetta TDI (Turbo Diesel Injection), a compact car, with those of a Toyota Prius 2004, an intermediate, we come to these results:
-Toyota Prius.........................................................3.5 tons of CO2 annually
-Volkswagen Jetta TDI.............................................5.8 tons of CO2 annually
Green gas emissions being those who are known to contribute the global warming, they are a first ecological factor to take into consideration. To give another example of green gas emissions, I could mention an SUV from Mercedes, the G55 AMG 2005 that produces 14.6 tons of CO2 annually. And what about the Hummer?...
The next factor to consider is emission of pollutants. We're talking about what is commonly known as air pollution. (Formed mainly by nitrous oxide and hydrocarbons) that cause respiratory problems and smog formation responsible for ever more deaths around the world. According to the EPA (the American Environment Protection Agency), the difference is striking. Here are both cars scores:
-Toyota Prius...........................score: 9/10
(This score doesn't include California, where it scored 10/10 thanks to a better filter made possible by their cleaner fuel)
-Volkswagen Jetta TDI..............score: 4/10
These scores are linked to numbers: the amount of pounds of pollution that produce smog per 15,000 miles. (These are obviously imperial system numbers!)
Toyota Prius.................between 2.8 and 4.1 pounds for an average of 3.45 pounds
Volkswagen Jetta TDI between 20.8 and 25 pounds for an average of 22.9 pounds
So the so-called clean diesel car emits 6, 7 times more air pollutants.
(To have access to those numbers, go to www.fueleconomy.gov)
In a future article, I will do a larger comparison.
In relation with this topic, I always ask myself why some car columnists don't find the purchase of a sports car or an SUV foolish but do not seem to consider on the same level the purchase of a green car. In any of those situations, isn't it a matter of priority? How can we consider the purchase of a Porsche, a BMW M5, a Honda S2000, etc., as normal or even positive, and say at the same time that a car that costs between $3,000 and $10,000 more that uses less gas, pollutes less and emits less green gas emissions is a bad deal?
Back to the hybrid car owners, the meeting was very interesting and gave each of them a chance to learn from one another. For instance, one wasn't aware of some tricks to be more fuel efficient, which the other two showed him. So, three years after I bought my car, the situation regarding customer information hasn't evolved. This is a serious problem that I would like to see corrected by the dealers.
(Last in this series next week)