If you were to walk down the street, taking a survey of which vehicle is more environmentally friendly: the Hummer or the Toyota Prius, what would the likely answer be? I think it’s a safe bet that most people would say the Prius.

The Prius - clean for its whole lifecycle?

Some may choose the Prius because it’s a) manufactured by Toyota, b) It’s a hybrid and c) The Hummer is an SUV and they are notorious enemies of the environment. Would those people be right or wrong?

The Hummer, loved by the Oil industry

Over the past couple of years, there has been great controversy over the Hummer versus the Prius. Some lean toward the Prius simply because it’s a hybrid, while others claim that the Hummer is in fact greener as it uses less energy during the manufacturing and recycling processes. Both points of view are accurate. So what’s the answer? Overall, there are so many factors to consider that there really isn’t a simple answer. But let’s explore them anyway.

One of the most cited sources of information regarding this issue is a report released by Oregon-based CNW Marketing Research, Inc. The report, titled “Dust to Dust: The Energy Cost of New Vehicles from Concept to Disposal”, (catchy, love the word art font) makes evaluations and judgments based on all stages of vehicle production, from the drawing board to manufacture, assembly, sales, operation, maintenance, and end of life recycling and/or disposal.

While that seems to be the utmost in thorough studies, one has to wonder if all the components are factual or estimated, realistic, or relevant. You have to ask the question – what are the guidelines for making these determinations, and what are the boundaries?

These questions go unanswered for the most part. The CNW report only states that the criteria for the study includes an overview of all “social energy expenditures”, but never really defines just exactly what that means. In a vague attempt at an explanation, there is a somewhat useless coffee analogy which states that while many studies analyse nothing more than the “energy demands from the grinding of the coffee forward, the firm’s report analyses everything including the coffee mug maker.”

As an anology, this doesn’t work…

In rebuttal, one savvy reporter wanted to know, “But if the mug could also just as well be used for tea or hot chocolate, do you still include that cost?” Good question. I wonder if the representative for CNW who answered that question is now Obama’s running mate or is looking for a new job.

Before we get into the nuts and bolts of the thing, let me dispel one pertinent piece of falsehood regarding Toyota and the manufacture of products containing nickel. Many uninformed environmentalists accuse Toyota of turning Sudbury, Ontario, Canada into an “arid wilderness” due to its egregious errors in nickel mining techniques. This is a huge untruth.

Nickel mining - harmful to the environment

First of all, the mine of which they speak, Inco, is not owned by Toyota. It is true that Toyota has been purchasing nickel from Inco since the early 1900s but at last count, Toyota purchases about .5% of the mine’s output, while approximately 2/3 of the product goes toward making stainless steel. As for the “arid wilderness” part, Inco owned up to its mistakes and changed its manufacturing criteria around 1970. Due to the changes made nearly 40 years ago (yes I know - I don’t believe it either) Inco’s sulphur dioxide emissions have plummeted by 90% and they are well on their way to hitting a 97% reduction rate by 2015.

Moving on… I’ll try to put this into a framework that makes sense and doesn’t cause my brain to explode.

The irrelevant/misleading factors involved in the Hummer/Prius debate are these:

Studies that gauge the use of energy and environmental issues as one item are in error. Energy may be a part of environmentalism, but it is not the same thing and cannot be judged as such. It seems unrealistic to determine a vehicle’s eco-friendly status by including such variables as auto maintenance, standard mechanical and accident repairs, administrative responsibilities, energy used during the employee’s commute to and from work, and sales related costs to name just a few. Seriously?! I’m surprised that the report doesn’t consider the amount of mental energy required for assembly line workers to decide what to have for lunch.

Some of those items are utterly ridiculous, and cannot possibly be considered because they are averages at best – if they are relevant at all. I find it impossible to believe that the eco-friendliness of my new car relies on whether Mavis has been in six accidents in one year because she never uses her indicator, or that a vehicle can be held responsible because Sean is completely obsessed with changing his oil.

Lifecycle. This is a biggie, especially since lifecycle itself is a huge factor. However, many of the facts used to gauge length and efficiency of the vehicle’s lifecycle are bogus. Currently, the lifecycle comparison between the Hummer and Prius are as follows: 379,000 miles for the Hummer and 109,000 miles for the Prius. My initial reaction to this was that it was all poppycock, particularly since Toyotas are notorious for their longevity. It is true, however, that hybrids have a significantly shorter life cycle. I still haven’t been able to figure out why the study also included the fact that most hybrids are second cars for a family, unless they are using that fact to judge gas mileage and emissions production, which are important factors.

How long does a Prius last?

Relevant factors:

Gas mileage/emissions production: By far, the Prius gets much better gas mileage than the Hummer. Due to the multiple engine system, the Prius doesn’t begin to use fuel until it hits 48 kph (30 mph). The gas mileage goes from 19 km/litre (45 mpg) and up. Naturally, there are variables that apply such as speed, highway vs. city, etc.

Recycling/recyclable materials and processes. On this one, the Hummer wins hands down. While hybrids are good for the immediate environment, they are also more complex in their manufacture. This means that it takes more to recycle a hybrid than a Hummer, plus the hybrid will tend to have parts that aren’t as eco-friendly.

There are many more things that can be discussed but it seems to me that the automotive industry continues to change so rapidly that many of them will soon be a non-issue.

So, after all this, the answer to the question: “Is a Hummer really more environmental than a Prius?” is simply, “I don’t know.” And I was wrong – my brain does hurt.

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