Saturday, November 19, 2011

Yeah, but you should see the other guy




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Out: Crumple zones, sound engineering

In: Brute force




People who invest in hybrid cars are significantly less likely to be injured in an accident because heavy batteries under the hood make the vehicles safer than a traditional car, an insurance industry study found.

The average hybrid is 10 percent heavier than a traditional car of the same size, and the extra heft reduces the odds of being hurt in a crash by 25 percent, the report says.

"Saving at the pump no longer means you have to skimp on crash protection," said Matt Moore, vice president of the Highway Loss Data Institute and author of the report.

The first generations of hybrids generally were smaller, lighter vehicles than those produced more recently. With manufacturers increasingly converting a portion of some traditionally powered car models to hybrids, the hybrid versions are heavier.

For example, a Honda Accord takes on about 480 pounds when transformed into a hybrid.




Now, ain't that a turn?

Wasn't it just like, yesterday, that over-sized/over-weight SUVs were the scorched Earth bullies of the highway? And wasn't the fact these larger SUVs provided an inherent safety advantage an unspoken selling point with families in the market for the modern day station wagon?

The moral preening and hand-wringing is entirely absent, however, when it is applied to these front-end biased hybrid battering rams and the Newton's 3rd law damage they are inflicting on other cars and drivers out on the highway.


More evidence of the selective logic that is applied when bowing before the altar of green technology.

3 comments:

Harrison said...

Interesting. But most battery packs are behind the back seat and low down and the structure of the car (in front) doesn't change when it's turned into a hybrid (Accord, Civic, etc...).

But there IS a danger from first responders getting zapped.

Doo Doo Econ said...

They seem to have misplaced the "of similar sized vehicles" somewhere...

Aren't batteries full of acid? I wonder how environmentally friendly these cars are in an accident or a junk yard.

Dean said...

Better yet. Full of toxic rare earths.