Are hybrid cars the best choice for climate change and energy independence?

Hybrid vehicles are fuel efficient, environmentally friendly, and contribute to reducing energy dependence. They need government support and infrastructure.

 

Global warming and climate change, caused by the development of modern society and technology, are of great concern around the world. Former US President Ronald Reagan once said, “About 80% of air pollution comes from carbon dioxide from plants, so there is no need to set strict emission standards for resources used by humans.” However, he also emphasized that countries around the world need to drastically reduce emissions of not only carbon dioxide but also other harmful environmental pollutants. Currently, research is ongoing to reduce pollution levels from cars, industry, livestock, and plants, with cars being the most prominent source of pollution because of the harmful air emissions from internal combustion in the engine.
While internal combustion engines are a major source of air pollution, the question is which system will drive the next generation of cars. One alternative to the standard internal combustion engine is the hybrid car. This new technology can help reduce the world’s emissions of harmful air pollutants and reduce dependence on imported fuels. Hydrogen-fueled cars are more environmentally friendly than diesel cars, and we’ll talk about why they’re more environmentally friendly and cost-effective later. For now, it’s time to increase the use of hydrogen-fueled cars instead of diesel cars.
First, hydrogen-fueled cars are more environmentally friendly than traditional diesel cars. A hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) is a combination of an internal combustion engine and one or more electric motors. However, the mechanisms for storing and using energy are different. In a hydrogen-fueled car, the internal combustion engine is used for long-distance, high-speed driving, such as on a highway, while the electric motor is used for short, low-speed driving, such as in city driving. This process enables cleaner transportation. For example, it saves fuel, increases the car’s power, and can even power auxiliary electronics and power tools. Unlike conventional cars, hybrid cars have the ability to automatically shut down the engine when stopped. They also emit less carbon dioxide, making them more environmentally friendly.
The first advantage of hybrid cars is fuel efficiency. To increase fuel efficiency and minimize emissions, the electric motor uses energy when the car starts and gains energy when it stops. In some hybrid cars, the electric motor can run up to 55 kilometers per hour. When the car starts moving, the gas engine kicks in to produce more power and charge the electric motor battery. Fuel efficiency increases with speed and decreases once the car exceeds 105 kilometers per hour. Thanks to this feature, hybrid cars are much more efficient than conventional cars.
Hybrid cars are also environmentally friendly. While electric cars don’t emit any emissions, they do produce pollutants in the process of generating electricity. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), one liter of gasoline emits 2.38 kilograms of carbon dioxide. The average car gets 7.2 kilometers per liter and emits 32.5 kilograms of carbon dioxide per 100 kilometers of driving. In an electric vehicle, it takes 30 kWh of electricity to drive 160 kilometers, generating 0.7 kg of carbon dioxide to produce 1 kWh of electricity, resulting in 12.9 kg of carbon dioxide emissions per 100 kilometers. This shows that electric cars have a less negative impact on the environment than fossil-fueled cars.
Finally, the advantage of hybrid cars is their independence from energy colonization. As the global economy depends on oil, fluctuations in oil production and prices have a major impact on the foreign policy of many countries. By using hybrid cars, we can reduce our use of oil and gain energy independence.
Governments should take several steps to increase the use of hybrid cars. First, they should offer tax breaks to hybrid car buyers and invest heavily in battery research. Second, it should increase taxes on petroleum but lower payroll taxes to keep the overall tax burden constant. Third, we need to build more electric vehicle charging stations. Fourth, additional electricity should be generated from clean sources such as wind, solar, hydro, nuclear, and natural gas. Generating electricity from coal can offset the environmental benefits of electric vehicles.
Currently, hybrid vehicle technology is spreading around the world, but the development and commercialization of vehicles that run solely on hydrogen or electricity is still some time away. The production of hybrid cars is also not economically and numerically competitive with conventional cars. In order for hybrid cars to be produced and sold in sufficient numbers, new fuels must be used.