An environmentalism/global climate change question

ReturnOfKuus

Since obviously cars can be made to use way less gas by being electric hybrids, and obviously greenhouse gases from oil use are a huge honking problem, why are cars that aren't hybrids still even made?

Note: I am not asking why people buy non-hybrid cars, since hybrids are ridiculously expensive.  I'm not even asking why non-hybrids aren't outlawed.  I just want to know why, with the current climate crisis and the ability to make hybrid cars, car companies are even making anything else?

MNNEBride

Consumer demand?

GBCK

in bed w/ oil companies?

re-fitting factories is expensive--it's more profitable to keep making the same crap than to make it new and better

they think it's what people want? 

VarunaTT

Hybrid cars aren't easy to make.  Many factories aren't outfitted to make them.  There is also the issue of retraining first responders to deal with hybrid cars.  They also use technologies and resources that are expensive, even now, and are non-renewable resources.  I honestly believe exchanging a hybrid vehicle is just changing one problem for another one, albeit farther down the road.  It can also be a more dangerous one, since most of those resources are simply non-existent in the US and exist in places like China.  You also are still leaving a carbon footprint that is larger than if you just kept driving your fuel charged engine by replacing with a hybrid

You could wave your magic wand and replace all of the vehicles on the road and it wouldn't reverse the climate change.  It will take a lifestyle change for Americans; getting back to urbanized living, walking, bike riding, etc, in addition to the fuel changes.  We are simply going to have to use LESS energy in addition to renewable energies.

ReturnOfKuus

That makes a lot of sense; thanks.  I knew there had to be some kind of reason for this.

emmyg65

We won't buy hybrid cars because we believe that the batteries aren't environmentally sound. I drive a very efficient Mazda and DH drives an even more efficient diesel VW, and we both drive as little as possible.

mellyD2014

Lobbyists are another huge impediment. Oil companies make billions of dollars in net income each year and have stupidly low taxes, so they have a lot of money to throw at lobbyists, who then throw it at various legislators. There's no real demand for change at this stage, unfortunately, so it's unlikely alternative-energy cars will become a true movement for change anytime soon.

thejucheidea

I just wish we had more public transit so I wouldn't have to drive everywhere. There are railroad tracks near my house and railroad tracks behind the offices for the hospital -- why can't I have some damn S-Bahn action here?

PirateBarbie

i think it's just the overwhelming fear of a "Smug" epidemic. 

dharmabunny

thejucheidea said:

I just wish we had more public transit so I wouldn't have to drive everywhere. There are railroad tracks near my house and railroad tracks behind the offices for the hospital -- why can't I have some damn S-Bahn action here?

Word to this!

But of course, one needs to spend a breathtaking amount of money to make it worth using. Traffic AND parking need to get exponentially worse as well.

Good luck with that in TN.

tawillers

I think we all know the logical solution here:

dharmabunny

Or this. Why even maintain the roads??

dharmabunny

Infrastructure already established