The Prius is (duh) environmentally superior to a Hummer.

A few months ago it was widely reported that, all inputs and outputs considered, a Hummer is more environmentally friendly than a Prius. That struck me as entirely plausible, because batteries are notoriously environmentally demanding. Now the Sierra Club has done the math and found that the Prius is far better than a Hummer, better still when one considers that the battery is entirely recyclable. The original study was laughably flawed. Also, the Prius will save you about $20,000 in fuel spending over its lifetime. For a fascinating read on the total environmental costs of everyday goods, I recommend highly “Stuff: The Secret Lives of Everyday Things.”

Published by Waldo Jaquith

Waldo Jaquith (JAKE-with) is an open government technologist who lives near Char­lottes­­ville, VA, USA. more »

2 replies on “The Prius is (duh) environmentally superior to a Hummer.”

  1. If I were to spend day and night pouring acid into the drinking supply of the nearest elementary school, I would probably do less environmental damage than driving around the block in a Hummer. But I wonder where the Prius lies in the entire pantheon of automobiles when it comes to environmental impact? Is it better than all, or are there some highly efficient conventional vehicles that have less of an impact?

  2. The original study was one of the most bogus ever. It assumed a 12-year, 106,000 mile (clearly too low) lifespan for the Prius and a truly unbelievable 35-year 350,000 mile lifespan for the Hummer.

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