Hybrid Cars Come Clean Producing Fewer Emissions

By: Rob Adams
Staff Writer
Published: Jun 4, 2009

Hybrid Electric Cars Will Help Our Environment

Conventional automobiles release several tons of carbon emissions into the air. We breathe the pollutants which can cause health problems such as asthma while harming our environment. Some people believe that the problem will just go away on its own, while others believe that finer fuels will help solve the crises.

Gasoline itself has 2,421 grams of carbon content per gallon. If you think Diesel is a cleaner fuel, think again. Diesel has 2,778 grams of carbon content per gallon.

Hybrid Cars can reduce CO2 emissions. You can also calculate the CO2 emissions from a gallon of fuel. The carbon emissions are multiplied by the ratio of the molecular weight of CO2 (m.w. 44) to the molecular weight of carbon (m.w.12): 44/12.

• CO2 emissions from a gallon of gasoline = 2,421 grams x 0.99 x (44/12) = 8,788 grams = 8.8 kg/gallon = 19.4 pounds/gallon


• CO2 emissions from a gallon of diesel = 2,778 grams x 0.99 x (44/12) = 10,084 grams = 10.1 kg/gallon = 22.2 pounds/gallon

During the year 2006, automobiles accounted for approximately 29 percent of total U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Transportation is the fastest-growing source of U.S. GHGs, accounting for 47 percent of the net increase in total U.S. emissions since 1990. Cars are also the largest end-use source of CO2, which is the most prevalent greenhouse gas.

There was a time when the greenhouse effect was known as fiction. When that term was accepted, people didn't want to believe in global warming, so the term was changed to "climate change" in an effort to please the naysayers. Whether or not you decide if greenhouse gases are harming our environment, there is scientific evidence that can support it.

Hybrid Cars Use Clean Energy With Battery Charging Stations Available

Hybrid cars are different because while most use a gasoline engine, it uses a battery pack to power most of the car. For example, you can drive up to 40 miles per hour in most hybrid electric cars without using its gasoline engine. If everyone in a city drove these hybrids, you would see less smog and fewer emissions harming our environment.

The hybrid vehicles for 2010 will allow drivers to plug in from home or work to recharge. Some cities are already building a new electrical grid to allow commuters to plug in anywhere on the roadway. Some of these power stations are in parking spots and near sidewalks.