October 8th, 2024

Hybrids a better choice than. pure electric vehicles


By Lethbridge Herald on March 8, 2023.

Editor:

After reading Al Beeber’s article on electric vehicles I’m wondering about this rose-coloured idea. 

First of all how are the vehicles going to be charged on the present electric grid? 

Already last year during the hottest part of the year  electric companies were asking people not to use their air conditioning during peak hours due to a shortage of electricity. Won’t this make the problem worse? 

So while gas/electric hybrids are being sort of frowned upon they are actually the best way to go! There is no need  to plug in: your gas engine kicks in to recharge batteries as well as help you drive up hill or against the wind. 

I know – I have a Hyundai Tucson  hybrid of this type. And my range at least is 760 kilometres using gas and electric. 

I only fuel up once a month so far at a nominal cost of $25. This is not bad. There are other gas/electric hybrids that may do better but I haven’t heard of one yet. 

Pure electric cars are very expensive and you have to plug them in. Where are all the charging stations going to be and what about  out of the way places?

Answer that question! 

DaleE. Finley 

Lethbridge

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Citi Zen

Good article. But take it one step further… propane or Nat gas electric hybrids would be even cleaner.

Jersey44

I believe there are 2 big issues with electric cars to solve. Once these are solved they will be a lot closer to being feasible. The first is battery production and life. Batteries must be produced in a more environmentally friendly manner and store more power and have a longer life. The second is solar panels. Similar to batteries, they must be produced cleaner, and they must last longer. Then every roof should have them. I think the energy needed on average for the year would be met for each house to have at least one EV.

biff

the letter makes sense. and the comments by cit and jersey also add food for thought to the letter.
at the point of transition we are at, and i feel it is essential that we find a better way forward, we need to get this right.
so far, it strikes me that we are, at present, changing from one set of unsustainable approaches toward another unsustainable set of approaches. i further feel most of present alternatives being pushed are primarily about pocket lining – and, indeed, most public money being given away handily by govts is going to private firms and the wealthiest people, without any equity being returned to the public. thus, we are lining pockets while not fixing much of anything.
and please, do not point a finger at any one party – they all are doing it. the game is a hoax; we might get variances in social approaches, but when it comes to who really is in power, it is always the oligarchy. it is sublime: they control the vast majority of the money, and hence govt fiscal and environmental policies, and yet they are far removed from ever being accountable to the public. they are always there, “donating” money to parties, then lobbying, and pulling the strings of the silly puppets we flip between, somehow feeling they really make a difference.

Fedup Conservative

I fully agree with the article and until they can come up with a system to charge their batteries while driving it makes perfect sense. Propane is too dangerous and you can’t park a propane vehicle in a garage. Natural gas is likely the same.

Citi Zen

Can you imagine a diesel generator mounted on the bumper? Or perhaps a wind turbine on the roof?

Jersey44

Question for Dale Finley. Do you have a plug in hybrid and do you plug it in, and how many kilometers are you traveling for your 25 bucks worth of gas.