Great Info on Hybrids
David Goodsir of Yelm, Washington enjoyed reading all about hybrid cars and electric vehicles in the October/November 2005 issue of Mother Earth News.
December/January 2005
By the Mother Earth News editors
From Dear Mother — Dec/Jan 2005
RELATED CONTENT
One of the West’s oldest symphony orchestras. Almost 90 wineries. Restaurants, galleries and museum...
You can use plant cuttings, clearance-sale plants and recycled baskets to make attractive “green” p...
From North America to Italy and back again, heirloom grain corn ‘Floriani Red Flint’ packs a rich, ...
This winter, be determined to stay off the sofa and expand your horizons. Whether you want to get l...
Many thanks for a wonderful issue. I was particularly impressed with your comprehensive and accurate explanation of the advantages of hybrid cars. However, much to my chagrin, nowhere was the battery replacement cost discussed. I’ve read that they need to be replaced after five years and the cost is between $5,000 to $7,000. To spend this amount on a 5-year-old vehicle is possibly not acceptable to some people.
Five years ago, I purchased a 1989 Geo Metro with automatic transmission and air conditioning for $1,200. After having no major expenses for five years, the engine quit at 200,000 miles. I was able to purchase an excellent low-mileage (35,000) Japanese import engine, delivered to my door, for $375. The car may be tiny, but the owners’ handbook says even though it is not suitable for towing, it has a payload of 650 pounds. I regularly carry a dozen 44-pound bags of organic chicken feed with ease, and a stainless steel roof rack enables me to double the number of full-size alfalfa bales for the rabbits from two to four. That’s two inside with the rear seats folded forward and the hatch shut, and two on the rack. Even though ground clearance is minimal, it can be used in most places around our 10-acre farm.
David Goodsir
Yelm, Washington
On Page 42, the article stated that manufacturer warranties cover the hybrid systems (including batteries) — typically for eight years or 100,000 miles — and that hybrid batteries will work for 200,000 miles or more. Experts say hybrid batteries will last for the lifetime of the vehicle, if not longer. So, the information you read about replacing hybrid batteries after five years is incorrect. Such misconceptions may come from confusing small lead-acid starter batteries — which are used in all vehicles (including hybrids) and generally have to be replaced every three to four years for about $100 or less — with the larger, longer-lasting and more expensive nickel-metal hydride traction batteries in hybrid systems. — Mother
