A Stock Toyota Prius Just Drove Across America Averaging 93 MPG, Setting A Guinness World Record

[progree]

23. Oh, a conventional hybrid is definitely better than an ICE car as far as fuel efficiency and emissions

The point I was making is that both the conventional (non-plug-in) hybrid and an ICE car get 100% of their energy from fossil fuels, and this is not the path to zero carbon emissions which is a necessary and soon according to the IPCC to avoid catastrophic climate impacts that make what we've been seeing the last 3 years a veritable Nirvana in comparison. From everything I read about climate and how much of U.S. energy is fossil fuel (about 83% IIRC), we're in dire straits, and making far too slow progress. Similarly on a world-wide basis. And actually not only net zero carbon emissions but we need NEGATIVE carbon emissions, as OKIsItJustMe has posted in an excerpt about a month ago. https://democraticunderground.com/1127175258 #12 and #14 and #16 (edited to add the #12 and #14 and #16) (And by carbon in the above I mean carbon and other greenhouse gasses like methane, or "carbon equivalent" ). Making incremental improvements in our fossil-fueled cars' efficiency is just not going to cut it. The atmospheric concentration of CO2 (and methane) is not only increasing, but increasing at an increasing rate (accelerating).

Back to the consumer level -- the conventional hybrid will be somewhat more expensive to buy than the equivalent ordinary ICE car. I believe that most people drive enough so that the conventional hybrid will be cheaper in the long run due to its considerably better mpg than the ICE car, overcoming its initial purchase cost disadvantage. (ICE car meaning gasoline or diesel fueled "Internal Combustion Engine" without any kind of electrical assistance beyond that provided by the 12 volt battery for sparking the spark plugs and lighting the lights and dashboard. Like what all cars were 30 years ago and many decades before that.)