Plus, when the lithium runs out, the bipolar segment of the population will become more annoying and/or dangerous...
I think you are thinking about typical lead acid car batteries. The batteries used in hybrids, as I understand it, don't contain liquids. barfo
And that means things will be a bit more testy around here. The really good news is that this is just the beginning. From Prius to Volt to.... to..... to.... each new generation of vehicles will just get better and better.
I saw a billboard the other day for "3rd generation Prius". Since I'm basically ignorant about these cars, can anyone tell me what the differences are? What upgrades have been made over the last decade or so? Seems like it'd be a pretty decent way to extrapolate tech transfer in forward-thinking auto design.
Human waste people, human waste. It's always the answer. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2007/jun/21/energy.renewableenergy
One of the biggest differences is that you can use soler power to power your AC. Pretty freaking cool.
Yes, but think about things. Any car company that put out an unsafe vehicle would be cutting their own throat. Competition is too tough, and safety standards in the USA are too tough for this to happen. One of the reason we can't get good gas mileage cars right now in the USA when they are available in Europe already is because they are undergoing safety test that almost take a year to complete if not more before they can even go on the market here. What do you think would happen to a company who was already on the brink of going under if they produced the equivelent of the 70's Pinto that blew up, but this time with Batteries. They have too much on the line for this to take place, and there are people who get paid to ensure we get safe vehicles that spend a lot more time worrying about this stuff than you do who do this for a living.
The first generation Prius looked like a corolla: I own a 2nd generation Prius. It was one of two hybrids specifically designed to be a hybrid. From the tires to the air conditioner to the aerodynamics... It also has a forward/reverse only transmission - it never shifts gears as you go faster and faster - it's an electric car with gas engine as a boost and to recharge the batteries. The 3rd generation Prius has more energy saving features to reduce battery consumption. When I got my prius, there was a lot of concern about its safety. It has 6 air bags, so it's not about collisions. The fire departments and other rescue workers were afraid to use the jaws of life on them for fear of electrocution.
