From a study published in this week's Science Express ($ub Req'd):

Bioelectricity is the act of making electric power by burning biomass for boilers or turbines instead of fossil fuels like coal.

In a nutshell the study says that an electric car using electricity generated by burning biomass will get 81% more miles per acre than a car using cellulosic ethanol. That is equivalent to improving the purported American average of 24 mpg to 44 mpg, which coincidentally is also the improvement achieved by the Prius and Insight.

I touched on this subject in an article titled Misplaced Priorities over in Grist last year. Imagine replacing the coal in the above photo with corn or wood or hay. Something has to give.

Corn ethanol was also part of the study and as you might have guessed, faired much worse than cellulosic. Not studied by this paper are environmental impacts and costs:

Which of the above energy sources will be increasing in cost and which will be decreasing?

The study looked at pure internal combustion cars and pure battery powered electric cars. It did not look at plug-in hybrids, which would eliminate range constraints imposed by today's battery technology.

The paper also said:

What we have here is a battle forming up between increasingly electrified transport (hybrid--plug-in-hybrid--fully electric) and corn ethanol powered internal combustion engines (cellulosic is and will probably always be just five years from economic viability). One side is championed by consumer demand being met by market forces and the other side is championed by our politicians who force us to pay to turn our own food into fuel and then pour it down our throats. These are the same politicians who subsidize oil with one hand and its competitor, biofuels with the other. If it hasn't dawned on you yet that our politicians are not capable of solving complex problems like this, maybe it's time it did. Take matters into your own hands. Make your next car purchase a hybrid, plug-in hybrid, or full electric when they arrive (on dealer lots next year).

The Renewable Fuels Association and the National Biodiesel Board are going to have their hands full debunking all of this peer-reviewed rubbish being published in rags like Science (see here and here).

You can listen to a Science podcast here.

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Today, Toyota Motor Sales reported March '09 sales numbers, which showed a 55 percent decline for the Prius brand.  In March '08, Toyota sold 20,635 Priuses, but in March '09, only 8,924. (Maybe everyone is holding out for the 2010 model?)

Overall, Toyota numbers were down 36 percent from March '08, but up 19 percent from February.

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It's almost 2009 -- do you know where your fuel-efficient car is? (And with oil dipping below $70 a barrel, do you care? Oh, calm down, we kid.) The U.S. EPA has released its annual list of the most and least fuel-efficient vehicles. Topping the list: the you-ain't-cool-unless-you-have-one Toyota Prius, achieving an estimated 48 miles per gallon on the highway and 45 mpg in the city. It's followed by the hybrid versions of the Honda Civic, Nissan Altima, and, in a three-way tie for fourth, Ford Escape, Mazda Tribute, and Mercury Mariner. The Smart Fortwo has vaulted onto the list for the first time at fifth. The Toyota Camry Hybrid places sixth, followed by the Volkswagen Jetta (manual transmission in 7th place, automatic in 8th) and Toyota Yaris (manual in 9th, automatic in 10th). The list of least fuel-efficient vehicles is dominated by those you would expect -- Lamborghini, Bentley, Ferrari, and Mercedes-Benz -- with the Jeep Grand Cherokee sneaking in too, boasting 11 mpg in the city, 14 mpg on the highway.

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Thanks to the persistent popularity of the Prius among American drivers, who buy 65 to 70 percent of all Toyota hybrids sold worldwide, the company is considering developing a bigger, badder version of the gas-sipper. James E. Lentz III, the head of Toyota Motor Sales USA, says he has proposed creating a separate Prius brand akin to the auto giant's Scion spin-off. The new line, which would be sold in regular Toyota dealerships and available only in the U.S., could include various sizes -- including, said Lentz, "one on steroids." Sa-weet! Company officials, who recently announced the long-term possibility of converting their entire high-end Lexus line to hybrid models, are said to be mulling over the idea. "We're catching the wind on this," Lentz said. Or is that the breeze from a thousand F150 owners laughing?

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Dear Umbra,

Could you help me clear up a rumor about cars? I've heard that although hybrids reduce your carbon footprint because they use less gas, the process for mining the nickel in the hybrid batteries produces far more pollution than the process for regular car batteries. So are we really making a difference by buying hybrids? I personally decided to get a more fuel-efficient car and bought a used Honda Fit, which I love. Did I make the right choice?

Kimberly W.
Raleigh, N.C.

Dearest Kimberly,

As long as you're buying a fuel-efficient, low-emissions vehicle, you're doing the right thing. That philosophy is broad enough to accommodate all our pocketbooks and typical passenger loads and yet narrow enough to give us some motivational guilt. Of course, small hybrids are the most fuel-efficient vehicles. But sometimes we just don't buy them -- they aren't the right fit (sorry, couldn't resist).

Photo: Donna Block

As far as I can tell, the "hybrids ain't so great" rumors (about the Toyota Prius and Honda Civic Hybrid, mainly) are patently untrue. There was the fabulous urban legend in which Hummers beat Priuses in eco-friendliness over a lifetime, a bit of bogusness propagated by the likes of George Will (and thoroughly debunked, in case you were wondering). And then there's the rumor about the nickel in hybrid batteries, which is based in good thinking -- are we robbing Peter to pay Paul? -- but turns out to be similarly deceptive.

The manufacturing process for a Prius is more energy intensive than the process for a non-hybrid of its size. However, according to research from Toyota, the Argonne National Laboratory, and the Rocky Mountain Institute, to name a few, the fuel savings you get in a hybrid more than make up for the initial eco-hit. (For a user-friendly rendition of all the science, check out the analysis in Slate).

There is indeed nickel mining involved in the production of the Prius' nickel-metal hydride batteries, and nickel mining has nasty impacts. One fun fact you can tease out of the Hummer rumor, though, is that the Hummer's frame contains twice as much nickel as a Prius frame. Once a Prius begins life on the road, moreover, it requires far less petroleum-related environmental destruction than similar non-hybrid cars. Consider: Your Fit is getting about 32 mpg on a good day, while a Prius or Civic Hybrid gets in the high 40s. (A Hummer, if you're in need of wincing, gets about 14 mpg.)

In a decent life-cycle analysis, the unique pollutants from battery production, lower fuel usage, and other key automaking components are translated into comparable units and stacked up against each other. Here I defer to my fellow eco-advice columnist, Ask Pablo, who examines a widely respected automobile life-cycle model and compares the Prius, Hummer, Toyota Highlander, and Highlander Hybrid. Despite the battery issue, he concludes that the Prius is indisputably the greenest car, followed by the Highlander Hybrid, the Highlander, and (dead last) the Hummer.

So what should one do about choosing a new car? I've been thoroughly enjoying the insights of dear Clark Williams-Derry, a longtime Gristian, on this point. Clark has put much thought into the costs and benefits of hybrids, new cars, and used cars; I highly recommend considering his worthy idea that money saved through buying a non-hybrid used car instead of a more expensive hybrid can be put to use for other environmental protections.

In short, the Prius and Civic Hybrid come out on top in the new/used/hybrid debates. And they should: They have the highest mileage in the gasoline fleet, very low emissions, and great performance. A used car, however, requires no new manufacturing impact, and for that reason it's also a fabulous choice. A used Prius would be the best of all worlds. Still, the Fit is considered one of the top ten most economical new cars by both Edmunds.com and Consumer Reports -- and if the Prius or Civic didn't exist, it would be considered incredibly fuel-efficient. Use it sparingly and wisely, and you'll never look back.

Fittingly,
Umbra

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Dear Umbra,

I'm in need of a new car. I'd love to get a Prius, but I often need more passenger seats than the Prius has. What is the most environmentally friendly and responsible choice for a driver who needs a larger car? It seems like the bigger hybrids (i.e., the Toyota Highlander) are expensive and don't get very impressive gas mileage compared to the Prius. Are there any industry plans to make SUVs that get more miles per gallon? What do I do in the meantime? Where is the minivan hybrid for us carpooling moms?

Julie E.
Los Angeles, Calif.

Dearest Julie,

This has been a perennial question for the Gristies, and I wish the automakers knew what they were missing. You and I both know that a high-mileage, high-capacity, affordable car would sell like -- well, like organic milk. Eco-moms are a huge market. Americans are clamoring for a comfy seven-seat vehicle that gets 40 mpg -- and has the safety record of a minivan instead of a death-taunting SUV.

The Toyota Estima. Sorry, you can't have one.

Such a vehicle does exist -- in Japan. Toyota makes a hybrid minivan called the Estima that gets 35-plus mpg. The Estima -- and a hybrid version of the Toyota Sienna minivan -- have been eagerly awaited in the U.S. but ne'er seen. Last spring, the Union of Concerned Scientists launched a petition to bring a Toyota hybrid minivan here, and nearly 18,000 people reportedly signed it. Still we wait. According to the UCS, one reason Toyota (and perhaps other car manufacturers) delay bringing such hot items to the U.S. is the fear that doing so will hurt the sales of their other, less eco-friendly models. So your minivan, Julie, is still in Japan.

The UCS Hybrid Car Center has a nice little timeline about the anticipated release dates of all future hybrids, and the list does include some retooled SUVs, which will get more miles to the gallon than the current crop. In the meantime, you're right: The Prius smacks down every competitor but the Honda Civic hybrid. The Prius is estimated to get gas mileage in the mid-40s. Miles per gallon for midsized hybrids hovers in the high 20s or low 30s, falls to the mid-20s for the hybrid (and pricey) Highlander, and drops to the (ouch) teens for non-hybrid minivans.

Greenercars.org offers a 2008 Best Vehicles by Class listing, and that's where I would start car shopping if I were you. Everyone has different auto preferences, and while I can give you the standard briefing on buying the smallest car possible that meets your needs, etc., it sounds like you've already thought through all those steps. Now you just need to build a list of potential cars in the desired size range and go over all the emissions, mileage, and performance details. Start at Greenercars. Then follow up on sites such as Consumer Reports (if you have an account there), Car Talk (I just used their Auto Advisor on your behalf), the Union of Concerned Scientists' Hybridcenter, and the federal government. That's right, our federal government -- at fueleconomy.gov -- is standing by to let you know the air pollution score, the annual petroleum consumption, the cost of a fill-up, and the new mpg score of your cars of choice.

All that said, standard-issue minivans remain pretty poor on the mileage front. There's a higher-mileage SUV to consider: The Ford Escape hybrid apparently gets about 32 mpg, but it's basically a five-seater, and I don't know if that's enough capacity for you. I kinda think the Highlander hybrid may be the answer if you regularly need lots of room. But you're the only one who can figure out how to wrap your bank account, space requirements, and environmentalism into one less-than-perfect car. It might be time to consider a used Highlander or maybe even a regular minivan (for that eco-friendly carpooling you're doing). We can all hope that in another five years there will be an easier answer to this question.

Avoidantly,
Umbra

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A Japanese newspaper is reporting that Toyota plans to install solar panels on its next model of the popular Prius hybrid. If the company follows through, it would be the first major automaker to incorporate solar power into its vehicles. Even with the panels, though, the pimped-out Prius wouldn't actually run on solar power (it's still a gasoline-electric hybrid, yo); instead, the solar panels would reportedly power the vehicle's air conditioning.

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Worldwide sales of Toyota's Prius hybrid have passed the 1 million mark, the auto company announced Thursday. The world's first mass-produced hybrid was introduced in Japan in 1997 and in other markets in 2000. While it was at the time a risky business venture, it didn't take long for the word Prius -- Latin for "to go before" -- to become synonymous with popular hybrid technology (and yuppie environmentalism). Nearly 60 percent of the 1.028 million Priuses/Prii/Priora sold have been to customers in North America. Inspired to join the crowd? "This is a special vehicle, and as fuel prices keep rising, it gets more special,'' says a Toyota spokesperson. "Right now, U.S. customers can get a Prius. Next month or the month after that, it's tough to say.''

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