Group 2: Ramin Aminzadah, Gurjot Gill, Laith Ibrahim, Borden Mann, Kaylee Scott

History of the Hybrid

 * The fist electric car was built in 1839 by Robert Anderson in Aberdeen, Scotland. The next significant advance in hybrid/electric car technology did not occur until 1902, when the 27-year-old Dr. Ferdinand Porsche designed the Lohner-Porsche petrol-electric “Mixte.” This was the first true hybrid car, using a petrol engine to charge a generator, which in turn provided electricity to the motors.


 * In 1905, H. Piper filed a patent for a petrol electric hybrid vehicle. He was able to reach 25 mph by supplementing an internal-combustion engine with an electric motor. In 1916, two of the largest electric vehicle makers, Baker and Woods, offered their own hybrid cars. Unfortunately, by this point in time gasoline cars were both cheaper and more powerful, and therefore the market for the hybrid car was quite small.


 * For the next 45 years or so, electric cars were not mass produced or sold by any major automaker. This lasted until 1966, when U.S. Congress introduced a bill citing air pollution as a reason for the use of electric motors instead of gasoline powered vehicles.


 * Between the years of 1968 and 1971, three scientists developed the electromechanical transmission, or EMT. The concepts developed for the EMT are still employed in many of today's hybrids.


 * Interest in hybrid cars soared throughout the 1970's. The Arab oil embargo in 1973 caused gas prices to rise dramatically. The U.S. Government started researching the viability of gas-electric hybrids, but did not see any of the current prototypes as a reasonable replacement for the internal combustion engine. Between 1977 and 1979, General Motors spent $20 million researching and developing electric cars. It was reported that they could be in production by the mid-eighties.


 * In 1990, the state of California passed laws requiring all car companies to sell a certain amount of “Zero Emission Vehicles.” This caused more effort to be put into the development of marketable hybrid gas-electric cars. In 1997, Toyota started offering their hybrid car, the Prius, in their home market of Japan. Almost 100 years after it was originally conceived, the hybrid car was available for purchase.

Types of Hybrids

 * Full and Mild Hybrids are the two most common types of Hybrids used in Canada. Full Hybrids Use both electric and gasoline motors to provide power to the vehicle. The gasoline engine shuts down at red lights and the electric motor starts to run. Some companies that sell full hybrid cars are Toyota, Lexus and Ford. These cars can often be driven at a low speed without consuming any gasoline.




 * Mild Hybrids- This type of hybrid uses the electrical motor to provide more power to the gasoline engine. This is known as a start and stop hybrid system. General motors’ (GM) is the main company which relies on this type of hybrid technology for their vehicles. Mild hybrids don’t have an electric motor there is only an oversized starter motor that allows then engine to turn off and turn on when the car is at a complete stop or coasting.


 * Many people may not consider this type of hybrid to be worth it or a hybrid at all for example Chevrolet Silverado was only able to make a 10% improvement from the non-hybrid Silverado. Many hybrid vehicles today are equipped with built in battery rechargers that recharge the battery when decelerating or when the car is at a standstill, which recharges the cars battery without plugging it in. This is essential if you’re travelling long distances at a time, in the city. Hybrid cars do not help for highway mileage or even in the city when travelling at a high speed because the electrical motor shuts down and the gasoline one comes into use.

Parts

 * If Hybrid parts are damaged or stop working, the best place to go for replacement would be the original manufacturer since most mechanics would not be able to work on hybrid vehicles and many auto part stores do not carry parts for hybrid cars. Hybrid car technology has improved a significant amount since they were first introduced, they run a lot better than when first released and give up to 3 times as much gas mileage as a typical SUV.



Comparisons and Disadvantages

 * Hybrid cars are more fuel efficient and save you more on gas. The best hybrid to buy would be the civic because it takes only 6.33 years to payback. The Prius is a top rated hybrid car but it takes 13.14 years to payback so it wouldn’t be worth buying. Hybrids are better on gas for you but they are costly to maintain and they have a shorter life span.

Canadian Government Promoting Hybrid Cars

 * According the Conservative government of Canada, hybrid cars have the potential to reduce much of carbon dioxide emissions. In its annual budge, released March 19th 2007, the government made a commitment to promote fuel efficient cars such as hybrids, by introducing a new tax rebate.  The legislation offers anywhere from $1000 to $2000 in tax rebate upon any purchase of a fuel efficient car that meets fuel efficient standards of Canada.

Khazzoom-Brookes Postulate

 * A term created in 1992, the Khazzoom-Brookes Postulate states that the more fuel efficient cars get the more it will be used. For example: When hybrid cars become more economic people will buy more of them.  The more hybrids that are bought the more it will be used. Since Hybrids are more fuel efficient than the standard combustion engine vehicles people will be less environmentally conscience when driving. Driving will increase, thus causing carbon dioxide emissions to stay at the same levels as they are today.

OPEC’s Questionable Retaliation on Fuel Efficiency

 * OPEC’s key objective is to keep Oil prices high. This is achieved by keeping oil supply low in times of elevated demand.  This trend is no longer apparent, due to the threat of alternative energy and technological advances such as hybrid cars. OPEC now is reversing its role of cutting production among its members and is now increasing production to keep alternative energy in the side lines.

The Ideal Future for Hybrid Vehicles

 * 1.Cool design is started by a company.
 * 2.Investors, invest in new design.
 * 3.Market overflows with Hybrids.
 * 4.Cost per unit driven down.
 * 5.Smaller players get eliminated.
 * 6.Hybrid cars are developed by few major firms.
 * 7. Hybrids are now affordable.

Hybrid Efficiency

 * Hybrid vehicles, when driven in the city, are definitely more efficient and environmentally friendly. With reduced CO2 emissions and less gas consumption it is safe to say that hybrid vehicles are a wise choice for city drivers. However, when we shift to driving on the highway we don’t see any obvious advantages to driving a hybrid. Why is this? When hybrid cars are stopped, or idling they switch off their engines and run off of their batteries. When driving on the highway we tend to maintain motion, thus using the gas engine of the hybrid car.

Why aren’t Hybrids More Popular?

 * As it is right now, car companies just don’t have enough materials to build these hybrid cars in large quantities. Even if the demand were there for hybrid vehicles, companies would not be able to keep up with the demand.


 * Yet there are many other factors that deeply influence the demise of the current hybrid vehicle. These supposed “earth friendly” vehicles cause more environmental damage than their “evil” counter-parts. The nickel battery produced for the Toyota Prius is initially mined in Sudbury Ontario in a plant that has caused so much environmental damage that there is absolutely no life for miles in any direction. In this case study the energy required to build and drive the Toyota Prius is fifty percent higher than a Hummer. The study goes further to show that the total energy taken from the electrical, fuel, material transportation, as well as other factors expected over the life of the vehicle the Prius costs on average $3.25 per mile driven over a lifetime of 100,000 miles. Yet the Hummer costs a mere $1.95 per mile driven over a lifetime of 300,000 miles.


 * With these large costs to produce hybrid vehicles compared to the petroleum vehicles it would take approximately 5 years to overcome the price difference between the two vehicles.

Benefits to Driving A Hybrid

 * So with so many reasons not to get a hybrid, is there any reason to keep making them? Hybrid cars are a new technology that is quickly advancing. They have had their issues, but companies such as Toyota and Hyundai have worked hard and spent millions towards improving the hybrid vehicle. The large environmental impacts of producing hybrid cars are decreasing, the life time of the battery is increasing, the battery technology is increasing, the environmental impact of the battery is greatly improving and battery recycling is quickly silencing the issues of disposing of the lithium-ion battery, or nickel battery.


 * If the costs of buying a hybrid don’t scare you off, then the benefits of city driving is impressive. The reduced emissions and decreased fuel costs make most people proud to be doing their part in reducing their carbon footprint. The dependence on oil, more specifically foeriegn oil, will greatly decrease as hybrid cars take a stand; yet another way to reduce CO2 emissions and increase environmental sustainability.

Where the Hybrid is headed

 * According to many companies in the car industry the future is electric. Hyundai claims that around the year 2010 the main vehicle will be a hybrid. Even companies such as Nissan that were anti-hybrid are coming around and announcing that in the coming months and years they will be releasing more hybrid vehicles. The main factor contributing to the transition from the petroleum vehicle to the electric hybrid is the lithium-ion battery. Until the technology surrounding the lithium-ion battery advances the hybrid will continue to be the underdog, however many of the heavyweight vehicle companies are confident in stating that the knowledge and technology surrounding the battery is quickly adapting and changing, leading us to towards a full production line in as little as 3 – 4 years (~2012).  With the advancing battery technology, reduced cost for hybrid parts and increasing oil and gas prices the future is becoming quite clear; the days of the gas powered vehicle are coming to an end, the hybrid is coming.