Hybrid & Flexible Fuel Vehicles, MPG, Greeness & VRT

Seth Brundle

I am a bit puzzled about the VRT on hybrid vehicles & flexible fuel vehicles (those that can take a mix of petrol and ethanol)
.
There is a 50% rebate on these vehicles but are they actually more environmentally friendly than comparative vehicles?

The Prius gets similar mpg to many diesels and its CO2 levels IIRC are about 30% lower than many petrol cars. However wasn't the Lexus hyprid 4x4 giving crap results?

Can anyone think of a car in the same class that is cleaner than any of the ones that gets a VRT rebate?

Is the governments taxation policy on hybrid cars stupid?

Tipsy Mac

It is a stupid policy, really if they wanted people to go Prius they should zero VRT it.

Seth Brundle

But is the Prius the 'cleanest' in its class? Are some diesels cleaner?

jayok

The Prius isn't really that efficient or clean for that matter. It only really comes into it's own when stuck in traffic - i.e. when the engine switches itself off. On normal runs, it's the same as a normal car or even worse that some of the diesels.

The only clean car I've seen at the moment is the Civic Hybrid. But this is based on the 1.4 iDSL engine for the Jazz and is cleaner because of that, 109 g/KM. But for the normal 1.8 Civic, the 2.2 diesel is actually cleaner.

I suppose like most of the Government policies on VRT and the environment it seems like a good idea but in reality it wasn't planned correctly. They should just simply tax on emmissions. But this would require insight...

Anan1

Also, CO2 levels aren't the be-all of cleanliness. There is a difference between a car producing CO2 which has been removed from the atmosphere by the growing of renewable fuels and one producing CO2 as a result of burning oil.

jayok

Anan1 wrote:

Also, CO2 levels aren't the be-all of cleanliness. There is a difference between a car producing CO2 which has been removed from the atmosphere by the growing of renewable fuels and one producing CO2 as a result of burning oil.

Never thought of that. But I suppose CO2 is at least a standard that can be applied across all vechicles (most carbon burners to some degree)

Anan1

jayok wrote:

Never thought of that. But I suppose CO2 is at least a standard that can be applied across all vechicles (most carbon burners to some degree)

True. And the deeper one digs the murkier it gets. Apparently some countries are engaging in wholesale deforestation in order to make space for the growing of renewable fuels.

colm_mcm

now that Toyota bought a chunk of Isuzu, expext diesel hybrids soon

jayok

colm_mcm wrote:

now that Toyota bought a chunk of Isuzu, expext diesel hybrids soon

Why would Toyota need Isuzu for Diesels? Isn't their own home grown stuff good enough? (I'm thinking of the 2.2 170bhp, 400NM torque one in the IS220 here).

Anan1

jayok wrote:

Why would Toyota need Isuzu for Diesels? Isn't their own home grown stuff good enough? (I'm thinking of the 2.2 170bhp, 400NM torque one in the IS220 here).

I haven't driven it, but I don't think that particular engine found much favour with reviewers.

jayok

Anan1 wrote:

I haven't driven it, but I don't think that particular engine found much favour with reviewers.

I think the problem there is reviewers are expecting a smooth and refined Lexus car, but the diesel banger up the front doesn't help. Compared to Honda's 2.2 "whisper" diesel the Toyota's is supposed to be the roughest of the rough.

Apart from that I think the output is impressive and shows the have the diesel technology.