Hybrids not the only solution

Mar 29, 2008

The other day, I picked up a copy of The Oprah Magazine. Several celebrities had been asked what would make the planet a better place. The sole automotive solution was a woman who said, "A Prius in every driveway."

I almost threw the magazine across the room.

Few things anger me more than a simplistic answer. It's not just hybrids, although they have a cheering section of their own. Depending on who you ask, the solution to our transportation woes is ethanol, or hydrogen, or plug-in electrics, or bicycles, or the bus, or starting a business we can run from the back bedroom.

It's not that simple. I used to naively believe that, one day, we'd be given one single perfect solution that would replace petroleum overnight. Now I realize that it's going to be a combination of solutions, each with pros and cons carefully weighed – and not all of them will have four wheels.

Hybrids are part of it, but they're not for everyone. They achieve their maximum benefit in urban driving. They also have a price premium that not everyone can afford. And some automakers are fitting the systems to large-by-huge SUVs that remind me of low-fat potato chips. Yes, they're somewhat better than regular chips, but maybe being healthy means not eating chips at all. Likewise, if you want to save the planet, consider a smaller vehicle first.

A well-rounded solution will consist of numerous vehicles, each chosen for the need. That might mean plug-in hybrids for those commuting shorter distances, clean diesels for their fuel economy and long range, and readily-available alternative fuels.

We also need to look at the cars themselves. Almost every redesign results in a more fuel-efficient engine in a vehicle that's bigger and heavier than the one it replaced. The model eventually gets so bloated that it no longer fits into that segment, and the company introduces an all-new vehicle that slots in below it. Why not put that improved engine into the same size car, and realize even better fuel savings?

The solution also looks at needs. Some people can use a subcompact, some need a minivan and some need a truck, and expecting that one vehicle will work for everyone isn't realistic. Not everyone can get everything done on a bicycle or a scooter.

And at the other end of the scale, each time I review a Smart, I'm guaranteed at least one letter complaining that the diminutive car is no good for someone with three children and a Great Dane. Well, a pencil still has value, even if you can't send an email with it.

We also need to get everyone on board. A politician can talk sustainable transportation all he likes, but as long as he allows developers to build houses on cul-de-sac mazes and put big-box stores in the middle of giant parking lots, he's an ass.

City planners need to add bicycle lanes and give public transit a higher profile. And parents need to stop bemoaning the quality of the air while they're queuing up to drive Junior five blocks from school to home.

Despite what Oprah's magazine thinks, the solution isn't going to be a Prius in every driveway. It's going to be a Prius in this driveway, a diesel-powered sedan in that one, a bicycle in that one, and the last house on the block won't even have a driveway, because the homeowner can walk to work. As long as we think there's only one piece to the puzzle, we haven't a hope in hell of solving it.

jil@ca.inter.net

Toronto Star