How so?

They're buying up futures and driving the price up.

Dogmeat's long post pretty much got it. The Highway Penalty thing is that wind resistance is not recouped, so driving long distances at high constant speeds will actually reduce the mpg of hybrids.

The most torque is produced at 0 rpm because there is no back EMF (basically the motor acting as a voltage source) and the most amount of current flows during this time, and current is what causes the magnetic field to propagate. The magnetic field produces force which is torque.

Hybrids are pretty good cars for reliably, just that the nickel used is really bad for the environment when smeltered. Most green car I think is one of the scions, and cheapest for the life of the vehicle.

I'd say get a fuel efficient car for every day use, there are some 30+ mpg vehicles that are 5 star crash rated. If you have a truck, actually use the damn thing, I hate seeing someone with a small penis driving a truck around all jacked up and looking like it belongs off road, but drives the damn thing every day.

the nickel argument is old and flawed as all hell

how is it flawed? that's something I have read a lot about.

hells yeah... you prob got one of the last ones. GM has retired the big block

Yeah that is one thing I think helps a lot. I am always the guy that drives when we all go to lunch. We can cram in six people if someone rides "super-bitch" as we call it (middle front, "regular" bitch is the middle back seat).

I can verify the new Honda Civic Hybrid at 48 mpg in the city.

I didn't buy a 2007, I bought a used 2005 with 29k on the clock ... truck is just like new.

But either way, it fucking pisses me off bad that they discontinued this motor, i fucking LOVE the thing.

Given I don't get as good of miledge on the highway as my dad's 6.0L .... his is a 2008 6.0L that even has the displacement on demand ... but I get better miledge towing a 6,000-lb trailer than he does ... I was getting 8 mpg towing his trailer, he was getting 7 ... and that 8.1 most definatley tows better than a 6.0.

Pisses me off bad GM discontinued that motor, because I sure as hell don't wanna have to pay an $8,000 penalty right off the bad to buy a new truck that actually has a motor I can tow with, then have to pay $0.50 more per gallon to operate the thing.

Face it GM, the 6.0L isn't enough and the Duramax is way overkill. Bring back the big block!

I thought it was more to do with the fall of the dollar (I have no idea if these two events are mutually exclusive or not). I saw an article about how the price of gas has remained close to steady compared to gold, but has skyrocketed compared to the dollar.

...which brings up my next rant. The fucking dollar dropping. I would bet most of you guys aren't affected tremendously, but it genuinely sucks when you are living in a foreign country and getting paid back home in dollars. I mean, I've been here for a little over two months and seen the amount I'm earning (in Danish Kroner) drop 5% because of the falling of the dollar. Some other people who were here starting a year ago has had it drop about 15% from when they started. Its fucking stupid... Now whenever I get paid I immediately withdrawl my paycheck into Kroner asap to save a little $$$.
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Yeah I grew up around them w/the race cars and such. We have an old 1979 crew cab long bed w/a 454 that I drove in high school. And yeah I sure as hell wouldn't want the duramax right now w/how bad diesel prices are getting. My dad has a 2003 crew cab dually duramax he tows his race car trailer with and it does great with that, but driving around town would be esspensive. I'd love to get an old chevelle or impala and drop a fuel injected 502 or somethin in it.

I believe gold has skyrocketed a lot more than gas has. I don't have any numbers in front of me but I recall it being around the mid $750 range this time last year, now its up over $1,000!!??!? Wish I'd have bought some up!


I don't keep up with it so I could be completely wrong, but from the financial reports I hear on the radio and such, I've heard the dollar is actually starting to do pretty well.

i believe i posted the breakdown in some thread awhile back. the infamous nickel plant in Canada people like to bring up produces over 10% of the world supply of nickel which toyota buys about .0000001% of. people like to say how the plant (and somehow they mention toyota in this) is destroying the environment as if their lifestyles and automobiles run on happiness and dreams. the city the plant is in is the largest mining operation in the world. its far from the one plant that also sells to companies like Ford and GM. the other thing i think people misunderstand, the prius battery is not a huge block of glowing nickel or some shit. it just has SOME nickel components.

and the articles that site how bad the plant is - are basing it off 30 years ago when mining was a horrible business. since the 70s environmental groups have thankfully got their way and changed the business
Sudbury is where the plant is


the prius battery also lasts A WHOLLLLLLLLE lot longer than your average car battery (which is toxic, pollutes, and even in the recycling process is dangerous). so you replace the battery that has some nickel in it rarely. for example, a friend of mine drives a prius with 230,000 something miles on it. hes only on his 2nd battery.

im sure you heard the nickel thing from that pathetic article siting the Hummer as being more green? thats the one most people bring up. besides the writer being blasted for the horrible research (or lack there of) and payoffs by GM, it was not peer reviewed. it was an opinion article that people got into their heads as being scientific.

IN ADDITION the new prius battery has even less nickel then before and the upcoming revolutionized prius wont have ANY nickel and even more efficiency and power.

in the end the negative environment impact of the prius and hybirds are far less than the benefits to the consumer and the environment. (the argument against this idea is mostly just by dumb americans who dont know any better hohoho)

What will be funny to me is when the ice age comes and we'll have to all switch back to extremely dirty fuel just to keep some warmth in. New hondas will have 500hp V8s with dual 4 barrel carbs.

fuck carbuerators.

i hate them.

I hope I never own a vehicle of any kind with a carbuerator on it.

I've been dicking with carbs for my entire life......now what I do on my fuel injected sled now?

I drag a fucking mouse to adjust my fuel curve.

How much more simple could it possibly be?