Re: [T3] Hybrids

[Steven Ayres <comwest@att.net>]

<x-flowed>JamesM=> hybrids, meanwhile, add highly toxic battery technology to the
=> problem, which will require some disposal mechanism in a few years.

I know that in Japan, at least, the government is mandating that 
manufacturers phase in total recycling of their products. So I expect 
that the Japanese carmakers are either working hard on recycling 
batteries or are already there.

I agree with others here that it's a dynamic system, and if this first 
modern generation of cars not running exclusively on internal combustion 
does well, it will add support to the drive for new battery technology, 
which is the key to the whole enchilada.

=> An ex-girlfriend had a Renault 5 in 1981 that would get 45mpg...

And I have a '59 BMW 600 that gets 55mpg with four passengers.  But 
let's face it, many times carmakers have run good, economical ideas up 
on the rocks of the US market. It's probably smart strategy to keep the 
changes relatively small and target the new stuff at affluent 
first-adopters to help recoup R&D costs before they start making the 
cars that the rest of us can afford and will really make a difference. 
Notice that the SMART cars never did get approved by USDOT. That's a 
major hurdle right there.

Steven Ayres, Prescott AZ
'66 KG1600

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