LIHU‘E — Ideas for developing more energy-efficient automobiles abound, but people want to know what options are available now, Apollo Kaua‘i member Sharry Glass said Thursday evening. As part of the environmental organization’s transportation meeting series, panelists from three different
LIHU‘E — Ideas for developing more energy-efficient automobiles abound, but people want to know what options are available now, Apollo Kaua‘i member Sharry Glass said Thursday evening.
As part of the environmental organization’s transportation meeting series, panelists from three different car dealerships on Kaua‘i shared what they believe to be their most earth-friendly products.
“Hybrids are available today,” said Steve Shioi, King Auto Center salesperson. “The technology developed 10 years ago and they are so reliable now.”
Hybrids are gasoline vehicles with electronic assistance, he said. Wasted braking and forward action is transferred to the battery as energy, thereby reducing the amount of carbon dioxide emissions.
For every gallon of gasoline burned, roughly 19 pounds of carbon dioxide are emitted into the air, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. A gallon of diesel releases some 22 pounds.
“Hybrids are some of the cleanest burning cars in the world,” Shioi said, adding that the automobiles also have a history of holding their resale value.
Residents raised concerns about the cost of repairs and maintenance hybrid vehicles can require. But Shioi said the annual upkeep is “exactly the same as a conventional car,” though they would generally need to be brought to the dealership for work.
Hybrids also come equipped with an “eco-mode,” or button that regulates air temperatures in the car among other energy saving capabilities, said Randy Jacinto of Kaua‘i Toyota.
As far as cars which run entirely on electricity, Jacinto said Toyota doesn’t expect that to happen until around 2012. But even with plug-in automobiles, he said, “we’d still be using fossil fuels” to recharge.
Midpac Auto Center Owner James Henley said “all the manufacturers” are veering away from gasoline and have been “sharing technology and platforms.”
“But, unless it’s solar, there are going to be fossil fuels burning somewhere to recharge the batteries,” he said, adding that he does not expect to see a “significant amount of electric vehicles on the road for at least 20 years.”
Henley also shared the amount of voltage battery-operated vehicles undergo. Mechanics must wear protective gloves, cone off their area and have a “yellow pole” beside them to “yank” them away from the car in case of emergency, he said.
“You’re dealing with a lot of energy,” he said, adding that he’s thankfully never had to use the pole.
As far as changing batteries is concerned, it is difficult to know exactly how long they actually last and what the cost might be upon transition, as the automobiles are still relatively new on the market, according to online sources.
Currently, nickel-metal hydride batteries are used in hybrids, the Web site hybridcars.com says. These offer a “greater driving range” than lead-acid batteries, but are more expensive, states the EPA.
Lithium-ion are reportedly the next generation of batteries for hybrid vehicles and are currently “very costly,” according to the EPA, but “offer the potential for a long driving range and life cycle.”
Whether one can afford to purchase a hybrid vehicle, energy efficiency ultimately boils down to each individual becoming more aware of their consumptive habits.
“It’s really up to the driver to be efficient,” Shioi said. “By becoming more fuel efficient as a human being … you get the best return.”
• Coco Zickos, business and environmental writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 251) or czickos@kauaipubco.com.
