Why Hummers Suck
A few days ago, I caught a story about a man who got caught keying a Hummer:
I understand why he did it: because Hummers suck! If I saw a $50,000 Hummer H2 sitting in a high school parking lot, I might considering keying it to. It’s bad enough that the father who owns the car let his kid drive it to school. Even worse is the fact that he installed surveillance cameras because (get this!) his last three Hummers were vandalized. Umm, gee, you think maybe you might consider a different type of vehicle?
Granted, what this man did was wrong. There is simply no justification to damaging someone else’s property just because you don’t approve of it. I would never condone the act of vandalizing a Hummer…but I understand.
So, why all the animosity over the Hummer? Why should anyone be pissed about a car like this? I mean, it is a free country. Anyone can drive any kind of car they want, right? Well, yeah, but let’s face it: when you drive a Hummer, it’s very clear that you don’t give a shit about the environment or energy conservation.
Let’s examine the average Hummer for a second:
According to the GM Fleet and Commercial website, a Hummer H3 gets around 14 MPG in the city and around 18 MPG on the freeway. By comparison, even the most fuel efficient full-size pickup trucks get around 15/20 MPG.
Thanks to federal fuel efficiency regulations, GM is not required to report the fuel efficiency of the Hummer H2 since it’s gross weight is over 8500 lbs. However, owners have reported that they get a whopping average of around 10 MPG in the city! Yep, it’s a gas guzzler!
On top of that, the Hummer H2 has a huge carbon footprint, gushing out an average of 3.4 metric tons of carbon emissions per year. That’s twice what an average sedan spits out!
But the bigger slap in the face is a tax loophole, known as the Hummer Tax Loophole, that allows business owners to get up to a $25,000 tax deduction for buying large SUV’s like the Hummer or the Cadillac Escalade. By comparison, according to the IRS website the highest tax incentive for a hybrid vehicle is around $3,000 for a Ford Escape Hybrid! Pisses you off, doesn’t it.
Regardless of how high gas prices have skyrocketed, Hummer drivers just keep sucking up all that gas simply because they can afford it. They simply don’t care that so many Americans are having a hard enough time as it is to keep fuel in their tanks. If they did then they would consider trading them in for hybrids and other more fuel efficient vehicles. I’m pretty sure GM could find a way to make the Hummer into a smaller carbon footprint by taking the trade-ins and using them as scrap metal.
So, with all this in mind, it’s no wonder that some people feel the need to key a Hummer. Again, I’m not saying it’s right…but I understand.
Tags: hummer
September 24th, 2008 at 2:18 pm
Guess what smart guy… I have an h3 and I get 17 MPG. I belong to a forum of hummer owners and most of us get 17 or better. And your telling me that a full siz chevrolet, ford or GMC truck with a big V8 engine gets 15/20 mpg? If you believe that then you should just go make babiew with all your leaflicking friends and eventually you will just weed us enviro killers out. Till then, Go hug a tree, ride a bike, eat some kashi and keep posting b.s. about things you can’t afford.
September 24th, 2008 at 4:21 pm
Alright, Dan, let’s see how smart I am. You can’t get past the facts, so let’s just look at the facts for a second. I’ll use FuelEconomy.gov, a site sponsered by the EPA, for all my statistics.
According to FuelEconomy.gov, the Hummer H3 gets an average of 14/18 MPG. That averages out to an annual fuel cost of $3,842 based on a cost of $3.84 per gallon of gas and 15,000 miles. It also spits out around 12.20 tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year. By comparison, a 2008 Chevy Malibu only puts out around 7.30 tons. So what I said was true.
Oh, and uh, Ford, Chevy, and GMC pickups don’t get all that great of gas mileage. Take a 2008 Ford F150 for example: 14/19 MPG with an annual fuel cost of $3,600 and 11.40 tons of greenhouse gas emissions. So, while your Hummer H3 might be better than a Hummer H2, it’s still isn’t better than a full-size truck in terms of fuel efficiency.
Now, let’s take a quick peek at a few other trucks. A 2008 Toyota Tundra gets around 15/19 MPG with an annual fuel cost of $3,387 and 10.80 tons of greenhouse gas emissions. A 2008 Isuzu i-370 gets around 16/20 MPG with an annual fuel cost of $3,203 and 10.20 tons of greenhouse gas emissions. Getting better, right?
My opinion is that there are plenty of SUV’s out there that fair much better gas mileage than a Hummer H3. According to HybridSUV.com there are at least 12 different models of hybrid SUV’s on the market, plenty to pick from. Take a 2009 Ford Escape for example. May not be the sexiest thing on the road, but for an SUV you can’t beat it on specs: 22/28 MPG with an annual fuel cost of $2,402 and 7.70 tons of greenhouse gas emissions. That, my friend, is even better than what I get out of my 2008 VW Beetle (20/28 MPG with an annual fuel cost of $2,506 and 8.00 tons of greenhouse gas emissions).
You’re saying you get 17 MPG? Is that city or highway miles? And you’re bragging about that? Right.
I can certainly afford to go out and buy a Hummer if I really wanted to. I just choose not to. Why? Because I’m not into uselessly wasting our energy resources like you are! In my opinion, the Hummer is just a status symbol and serves no real purpose. There are plenty of other SUV’s out there than get better gas mileage and are just as luxurious. Unlike you, I don’t need some sort of status symbol to stroke my ego with, thank you very much.
You are likely spending an average of $3,800 or more on gas per year, sir! That’s about $1,300 more than what I spend! That’s $1,300 gas burned for no reason. I don’t know about you, but there are plenty of people who are struggling right now. When you and others like you are wasting $1,300 in gas every year then you’re doing nothing more than just driving up the demand which in turn drives up the cost. What you’re doing is neglecting our energy resources, something we can’t afford to do in this day and age. That’s not an environmental argument; that’s just common sense.
The solution to our gas problems isn’t “Drill, baby, drill!”. That’s a band-aid. No, part of the bigger solution is to convince people like you to get their heads out of their asses and get you to start conserving gas and using more fuel efficient vehicles. You may not agree and/or understand that point of view. Hopefully, one day you will. But realize this: There is a bigger world out there than just you. Greed and selfishness benefits no one.
Look, I’m no tree hugger. Never said I was. I’m not much of an environmentalist. You assume that just because I happen to be bitching about it. You don’t know me so don’t put a label on me. And, no, I don’t eat Kashi bars, shithead!
September 25th, 2008 at 9:36 am
checkout http://www.fuh2.com.
It will make you feel better. Accomplishes same feeling of keying the car but without the criminality.
September 25th, 2008 at 9:59 am
Yeah, I saw that site while researching this. That is some silly stuff. Definitely good for a laugh.
Like I said above, I don’t condone the act of vandalism. That’s just wrong. But I will definitely voice my opinion about the greedy nature of your average Hummer owner. Hummer owners just don’t understand. Hell, I don’t think they’ll ever understand. They can keep trying to come up with some f’ed up justification on why owning a Hummer isn’t so bad and I’ll just keep throwing it back in their face with the facts and tell them they’re wrong. In my opinion, it’s a “no-win” argument.
September 26th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
Ok, one more comment and then I’ll shut up.
Upon reviewing the statistics of my blog, which I do every now and then, I noticed that one of the referrers was the site Dan spoke of, Club Hummer Off Road . The forum itself is only viewable to registered users so I went ahead and registered so I can view the thread that was in the referrer.
Now, there are a couple of comments that I felt I should comment on. First one is a reaction to my comment about the surveillance cameras in the story. I mentioned that maybe the owner might consider another type of vehicle for which one forum poster replied:
How is it dumb? Is it dumb just because you think it’s ridiculous? It’s a matter of opinion. More on this in a sec. Here’s another reaction that bears commenting on:
Look, I have owned two VW Beetles and currently own a 2008 VW Beetle. I love my car. However, let’s say that a growing part of the population started to develop some animosity towards the Beetle. I don’t know why anyone would that doesn’t matter; it’s meerly hypothetical. If my car kept getting vandalized then, yes, I might consider getting a different kind of car. I wouldn’t go out of my way to put cameras on my car because that’s just a waste of time. It won’t stop people from vandalizing my car.
This is a free country. You can drive whatever car you want to drive. And, while I understand that some people really love their Hummers, the fact of the matter is that they choose to buy one. Owning any type of a car is a choice. Even in the face of growing animosity towards a car that sucks a lot of gas and rising costs in gasoline, Hummer owners still choose to drive them. You may really love your car and may simply not listen to anybody…and that’s your choice. But keep in mind that in doing so you may continue to be ridiculed.
Thus, don’t call me or anyone else a dumbass just because we think Hummers suck. Doing so only makes you look like a dumbass as well. The fact is that a Hummer serves no real purpose. It’s a luxury vehicle at best. There is no justification in the world to why anyone owns a Hummer other than they simply like them. You can come up with all kinds of reasons as to why it’s perfectly ok to drive a Hummer but all of them will be bullshit reasons at best. The only reason you can say as to why you drive a Hummer is this: “I like Hummers. I don’t care that they waste gas and pollute the environment. I just like Hummers.” Accepting this statement means that you’re not bullshitting anyone and that you accept the fact that you will face ridicule. If that’s ok with you then, by all means, keep driving your Hummer. Otherwise, take a big ‘ole dose of “shut up”!
September 28th, 2008 at 11:07 pm
I drive an H1 Hummer. Over 15 years they made a total of 11818 of them or less than a 1000 per year over that period. 11818…in total. Detroit makes anywhere from 10,000,000 cars in a bad year to 15,000,000 in a great year. In the grand scheme of things does anyone really think that H1s even register in the total calculations of carbon footprint or energy usage? The animosity toward Hummers is mindless jealousy, ignorance and political correctness. Many SUVs, trucks, etc serve no real purpose other than being the ride that the buyer prefers. Where is the animosity toward all of the other vehicles. ( Range Rovers, Lambos, Ferrari, Escalades, Ford, Chevy Dodge trucks…..)Even throwing in H2 and H3 sales totals only a few hundred thousand Hummers have been built. Ford built more F150 trucks in a year than the grand total of all Hummers ever built. True environmentalists would not single out Hummer but hate all of those vehicle types equally. If you are intellectually honest you will admit that there is more behind Hummer hate than saving the planet and fuel costs.
September 29th, 2008 at 12:53 am
to jwhitfield…..I am the 1st to admit I bought and own a HUMMER because it’s what I WANT TO DRIVE!! No excuses, no hype, persoanlly it’s the sweetest vehicle available and it’s What I WANTED!
How can anyone say that HUMMERS are so evil that they WASTE GAS and POLLUTE THE ENVIRONMENT. Well, I can EASILY count 5 or 6 “mainstream” vehicles that get worse mileage and/or have a LARGER carbon footprint(Prius for one, look it up)
I admit that I don’t USE my Rig for what it was built for(off-road), and I will take my lumps from the 4X4 community with a SMILE, but it’s MY RIG and I’ll do to it what I WANT…..That doesn’t give ANY eco-nazi the right to damage my property. Say all you want, ridicule away, it doesn’t bother me at all but HANDS OFF!!!Luckily for me, I’m Canadian and we have WAY FEWER Wako’s than my US breteren. I’ve had my vehicle for 4 years and NEVER had it vandalized!
September 29th, 2008 at 8:38 am
There are a few valid points here. Vague points but valid nonetheless.
There is no doubt that very few H1’s sold in its lifetime. The first Hummer sold very well upon inception but quickly started to tank in sales and in 2006 GM discontinued the Hummer H1. About 12,000 total were sold.
The Hummer H2 and H3 on the other hand are a bit of a different story. More than 100,000 H2’s and more than 50,000 H3’s have been sold since they both went on sale. That’s quite a few Hummers compared to the H1. Bad news though: According to a few reports (Guardian.co.uk, NY Daily News, and CBS News) GM is considering selling off the Hummer name in an effort to boost its image as a more “green” company. GM cites rising gas prices as the primary reason why the Hummer line is seeing major declines in sales.
Are there other cars out there that get just as bad gas mileage as a Hummer? Absolutely. The Hummer may be the poster child of anti-Green vehicles but just about all large trucks and SUV’s are targets right now. Sales of trucks and SUV’s are down by 25% across the board with some vehicles seeing up to a 50% drop in sales over last year alone. Why? $4 a gallon gasoline, that’s why!
I know someone who owns a Cadillac Escalade, an SUV that gets almost as bad of gas mileage as a Hummer. The reason is that she drives an Escalade is because she is a realtor and needs a luxury vehicle to haul loads of papers and yard signs and still have room for a two or more prospective home buyers. So the Escalade, while big and boastful, does serve a purpose for her. Although I haven’t asked her, I bet she doesn’t like the cost of gas anymore than anyone else. As such, I’m willing to bet that if Cadillac made a hybrid version of the Escalade she’d probably buy it for the simple reason that it would cut down on gas expenditures for her business significantly.
Five years ago gas prices were not nearly as high. As such, people didn’t bitch so much about large trucks and SUV’s. More and more people started driving large trucks just for the sake of driving a large trucks. In a lot of cases, it’s very clear they’re not using them for work or for hauling anything. I’m sorry, but when you put large chrome wheels on a full-size pickup, it’s pretty clear you’re not driving it for practical purposes. Same applies to some SUV’s.
Practical. I think that’s the key word here. The Hummer is not practical. The Hummer has attained the image of being one of the most impractical vehicles on the road today. That’s why it has become the poster child of the anti-Green movement. Sure, not all the animosity is due to it being anti-Green and fuel inefficient. A lot of it is due to the image that they exude and, unfortunately, that image includes the attitude of the driver. Just like with BMW’s, many people look at Hummer’s and think “asshole”. Granted, that’s not fair but that’s what some people think.
I don’t think all of it is just “mindless jealousy, ignorance and political correctness”. I for one am not jealous or ignorant, nor do I go with a stance that is “politically correct”. My opinion is that due to the high cost of gas prices the Hummer is such an impractical vehicle that most people wouldn’t want to touch them with a ten-foot pole. Judging from the reactions from the Hummer crowd it doesn’t look like Hummer owners are taking this attitude so well. Here’s what I feel I’m getting out of most Hummer owners:
“Why do you drive a Hummer? It’s such an impractical vehicle?”
“Because I love Hummers and really like driving them!”
“But gas is skyrocketing to $4 a gallon and will likely be higher soon. Don’t you care?”
“No, I don’t! I can afford it! So I’m going to keep driving my Hummer!”
Wanna know why there’s so much animosity? There’s your answer. Look in the mirror, my friends.
Question for Hummer owners: If GM came out with a diesel and/or a hybrid version of the Hummer tomorrow, would you consider trading in your current Hummer? What would motivate you to do so? If not, why?
September 29th, 2008 at 9:38 am
Interesting. You say ignorance, jealousy and political correctness has nothing to do with the attitude vs Hummers yet your answers says otherwise.
Why is it any of your business what I drive? If I like Hummers and can afford to drive one why do you care if I choose to spend my money on them? Jealousy perhaps? Political correctness because it is “hip” to hate Hummers?
Since when did other people get to start deciding what Americans chose for themselves. It is none of my business what other people drive. I don’t care if the drive a Prius or F-550, it is none of my business.
Throw in the grand total of all Hummers produced and it still only equals one good year of production for the F-150 truck.
You mention the cost of gas and say that is a reason for the Hummer hate. Once again, jealousy, envy? Anyone that thinks Hummers are responsible for the current cost of oil and gas probably isn’t…oh well no point going there.
Practical? Since when do other people get to decide what is practical for me? I go camping and hunting quite a bit and the H1 is an extremely practical vehicle for me. One thing most people don’t understand is that very few people drive an H1 as a daily driver. Most use them as a secondary recreational vehicle. Visit any site ( Ebay, Autotrader, etc ) and look at the classified ads. Very few H1s are driven more 5000 miles per year.
As to H2 and H3 trucks the mileage that they get is not much different than other trucks in their class. The market will determine which vehicles survive and thrive. If the market chooses 4 Runners and Titans over Hummers and F-150s then so be it but for other people to try to tell me what I can drive…not ever going to happen.
September 29th, 2008 at 9:58 am
I’m pleased to see that despite your one-sided views on the Hummer Brand that you have not brought the war overseas into this like so many of the leaf lickers out there.
It’s my right to drive whatever vehicle I want to. Why can’t the leaflickers understand that? I’m not a fan of imports but I see no need to damage one. What does the average thug that damages a Hummer think they have accomplished? I can afford $4 gas and a $70,000 truck but the $100 a month to insure it is too much?? Wake up!
I personally own 2 Hummer H2’s. There isn’t a vehicle I feel safer in when I am on the street and there isn’t a better vehicle I would rather take offraod with my GF, 2 kids and 3 dogs.
I would buy a Diesel H2 if it was available… but guess what. Leaflickers have driven the cost to produce diesel engines to a rate where we will never see it in a Hummer H2, H3 or in Civilian H1’s. That is unless we pay the $30,000 to modify our H2’s with aftermarket companies.
So… if the Hummer brand is sold… or just goes away what will you jokers have to hate on next? My dad’s Silverado gets 8mpg with it’s 8.1l V-8… much worse than my H2 getting 11mpg pulling a 6700lb trailer.
So… call the truck impractical… but realize it is my right to drive whatever I want to drive. I am a veteran and I have earned that right while supporting your right to hate for no reason. Perhaps instead of starting a blog that 40 people read you could write your congressmen to pass legislation to ban these vehicles. Perhaps you could realize that you are never going to make a difference and focus your efforts elsewhere. Maybe you should take some time and volunteer in a soup kitchen… or visit a nursing home… or participate in a make a wish charity… Because I am here to tell you that is what I do… and that is what my friends do… all in our hummers.
September 29th, 2008 at 10:54 am
Leaflickers? WTF? And you wonder why some people have such animosity towards Hummer drivers.
Look, as I said before, this is a free country. Feel free to drive your Hummer. You are free to do so. And if you find a practical use for a Hummer, great. If you like driving a Hummer on the weekends as a recreational vehicle, great. If you modify your Hummer and outfit it with a diesel that can run on biofuel, great.
All I’m saying is that a Hummer is impractical for everyday driving. That is my opinion. And, judging from recent sales figures and GM’s wish to sell off the Hummer brand, it’s pretty clear that it’s the majority opinion of the country as well.
Why is it any of my business what you drive? Energy conservation. You think high gas prices is the only thing effecting our energy costs? No, it’s not. It’s the car you drive, the light bulbs you use, how often you turn up the A/C in your home, how well insulated your home is, whether you recycle or not, and much, much more. All of these things effect energy costs in some way. Being “green” doesn’t always mean “being environmental friendly” or having to do with “global warming” or being a “leaflicker”. It’s also about energy conservation. And while you, me, and many others might be able to afford the continually rising cost in energy, there are millions who are struggling to keep putting gas in their gas tanks and pay their utility bills.
And while some people’s reasons on why they don’t like Hummers might be out ignorance, jealousy and political correctness, mine are not. I’m not ignorant, I’m not jealous, and I definitely am not politically correct. By comparison, calling someone a “leaflicker” only shows your own ignorance. In my opinion, that kind of statement shows an insensitivity towards the philosophy of energy conservation. In other words, you don’t care about energy conservation and would rather needlessly waste gas and electricity simply because you can.
And, yes, I am taking action. I’m getting involved in my community in an effort to educate others on the need for energy conservation. I’m also working hard to get more people to vote in the current elections. And, no, I’m not interested in trying to “ban” anything nor do I have to. GM will likely sell off the Hummer line anyways so no need for that kind of talk. While talking to people, doing community work, and giving to charity is admirable and definitely worthwhile, it doesn’t change people’s opinions on energy conservation.
Energy conservation requires the majority of our nation to get involved. It’s not about the government telling you what to do or what kind of car to buy. It’s about people understanding that in order to drive down energy costs we need to change how we look at it and change our habits. That includes people who can afford higher energy costs, if not more so. Those who can afford it have the opportunity to push the industries involved in the right direction. All you have to do is buy into the technology and use it. After all, the market is determined by you. If you think that is bullshit and just a pipe dream then that is your opinion and you’re entitled to it.
September 29th, 2008 at 11:21 am
I love the hummer brand so much that I will own a Hummer, it may be another 5 years before I am able to get one, but i dont care because I want to drive what I love, this is America and we should be able to drive what we love for our own reasons and not have to be so concerned over an enviromentalist vandalizing our cars that we have to install survailence cameras! its just wrong! and the only thing that people who vandalize hummers do is bring the hummer community closer together and promote hatered towards the environmentalists!
You quoted me from the site (I’ll admit I could have gotten my point across in a more ploite way but I dont really care…)
I said:
“that is the dumbest thing Ive ever read… these people think that they are making a difference when they key a hummer “you think He’d consider another vehicle” bahahaha thats sooooo rediculous. these people are SUCH DUMBASSES!!!”
you said:
“How is it dumb? Is it dumb just because you think it’s ridiculous? It’s a matter of opinion. More on this in a sec.”
As a matter of fact, it IS dumb because it’s rediculous [that you think that you can determine what other people drive]
you said:
“Thus, don’t call me or anyone else a dumbass just because we think Hummers suck. Doing so only makes you look like a dumbass as well. The fact is that a Hummer serves no real purpose. It’s a luxury vehicle at best. There is no justification in the world to why anyone owns a Hummer other than they simply like them. You can come up with all kinds of reasons as to why it’s perfectly ok to drive a Hummer but all of them will be bullshit reasons at best. The only reason you can say as to why you drive a Hummer is this: “I like Hummers. I don’t care that they waste gas and pollute the environment. I just like Hummers.” Accepting this statement means that you’re not bullshitting anyone and that you accept the fact that you will face ridicule. If that’s ok with you then, by all means, keep driving your Hummer. Otherwise, take a big ‘ole dose of “shut up”!”
calling you a dumbass makes me sound like one… but being ignorant, calling my ideas “bullshit” and telling me to shut up makes you sound like a model citizen doesnt it? NO! so what if a Hummer is a luxury vehicle and so what if we have a little more than we need… If you havent noticed thats what the automotive industrie has been about for decades! when they came out with the first civilian Jeep, did anybody take it to war? NO Does everybody who owns a ferrari, lamborghinni, or ducati (or any other racing bike) take it to the track NO (less that 5% of owners do) Let me ask you this, when you drive your beatle do you make sure all 4 seats are filled and the trunk is full before you drive? no, you’re being WASTEFUL and DRIVING MORE THAN YOU NEED…. sounds rediculous doesnt it? well so does keying a hummer because its “wasteful”
Face it, Hummers are just so easy and so exceptable to blame so you do it.
September 29th, 2008 at 11:45 am
Zach, it’s obvious that you’re very loyal to the brand. After all, I’m quite loyal to Volkswagen, Apple, Dyson (great vacuums!), and many others. But my reasons are much different. In my opinion, your loyalty to the Hummer brand is misguided. The argument isn’t about environmentalists, whether it’s right to key a Hummer, whether the majority of people who hate Hummers hate them out of ignorance and jealousy, or not. My argument isn’t about any of that so why do you folks keep bringing it up?
The argument is about energy conservation, plain and simple. Either you believe in it or you don’t. If you do, then do something about it. Make a sacrifice. Cry bloody havoc and get GM to start listening to Hummer owners and engineer a more fuel efficient version of the Hummer. If you don’t believe in energy conservation then keep doing what you’re doing. It’s a free country. Either you understand the argument or you don’t.
Now, in regards to comparing a Hummer to a Ferrari or Lambourguini, that’s not a fair comparison. Your average Ferrari or Lambourguini costs well over $100,000, well out of the reach of most folks. How much is a Hummer? $50,000? That’s a little different. Also, like I said, large trucks, SUV’s, and Jeeps have flourished for years but that was before gas was $4 a gallon. The industry is already changing. Did you know that VW is working on a diesel hybrid that gets an average of 50 MPG? You bet your sweet ass I’ll be buying a Beetle that has that engine the moment it comes out! There’s the market for you.
You know what I’d like to see? A Hummer that runs on natural gas. You think that sounds ridiculous? No, it doesn’t! Again, you are the market! Push the industry to change with the times and get with the program!
September 29th, 2008 at 11:45 am
Your last response answered two posts and was somewhat less than clear. Glad to hear that you agree that I can still choose what I drive. I agree that we need to expand the use of alternative energy but not necessarily that we need to conserve energy. Through hydro, wind, solar and nuclear this country can produce far more power than we could ever use and that totally discounts coal, natural gas and petroleum. Our esteemed Congressional leaders and environmental leaning citizens that they are slaves to over the last 25 years have insured that we don’t have the energy we need today. Can’t build coal fired electric plants even using new clean/green technology, can’t drill for oil, can’t build refineries, can’t build nuke plants, can’t build anymore large dams for hydro electric power….I know let’s kill the SUV, that will solve all of our problems. Nuclear and hydro electric are as clean a forms of energy production as you could want and they are off limits. As far as I am concerned the government has retarded the growth of energy production, new technologies, etc and put us in this position. We have the oil, natural gas and coal to provide for our energy needs over whatever period is required to develp the wind, solar, nuclear power that we need.Higher gasoline prices have provided the impetus for the government to actually start to move in the direction of true energy independence. You should be happy.
September 29th, 2008 at 11:57 am
I wasnt comparing hummers to farri/lamboghinni for the price, I was talking about how they are desogned for specific reasons (hummer=offroad ferrari=race track) yet people still use both on the road. as for natural gas hummers… the H1s are diesel and quite a few H2s have been converted to diesel and a LOT of those diesels run on vegitable oil and Ive seen a few that run on propane. The reson they dont come from the factory like that is that the public has a misguided opinion of diesels (asuming them always as loud, clanky and dirty) and there isnt large availability of natural gas as fuel.
September 29th, 2008 at 12:01 pm
Energy conservation you want… Think about this:
CNW Marketing Research’s second annual “Dust to Dust: The Energy Cost of New Vehicles from Concept to Disposal” report concludes that the overall environmental impact of the Prius is significantly higher than many SUVs and other nonhybrid cars because the automobile’s fuel economy is not the largest factor in its impact.
The study added up all energy needed to design, build, ship, drive and dispose of a vehicle throughout its lifetime. The data is then translated to a dollar figure. According to findings, the Prius costs $2.19 per mile over its expected life span of 100,000 miles. There are 156 cars with lower per mile cost than the Prius, including pickup trucks and SUVs such as the Toyota Tacoma ($.97), Jeep Liberty ($1.11), Ford Explorer ($1.87), Dodge Durango ($1.69) and Jeep Wrangler ($.65).
The top factor in determining a car’s environmental cost-per-mile is its recyclability. Because hybrids are newer technology, their parts are less reusable in other makes and models. For example, each Prius battery is made of 32 pounds of nickel. The environmental cost of mining the nickel and the cost of recycling the nickel batteries are significant because there is not a massive industry, as there is for regular batteries.
Overall, the CNW study found that newer technology, while it may be environmentally friendly in theory, can do more harm than good until the technology becomes more widespread. Hopefully other tech can catch up to these superior engines.
September 29th, 2008 at 2:03 pm
Dan, you’re absolutely right about the problems with the Prius. There isn’t an industry there, well, at least not yet. I recently read an articled in Wired magazine about the future of the electric car. A gentleman named Shai Agassi is attempting to create a new industry built off of electric cars. The problem? You can’t create an electric car industry in a granular fashion. Instead, you have to roll out the infrastructure all at once. The infrastructure he talks about revolves around the idea of servicing the battery in the form of charging stations in parking lots and battery exchange locations. He’s talking about creating a whole new way of doing business in the car industry. That’s what the real problem is with the Prius and other hybrids: the infrastructure isn’t entirely there yet.
The same applies to cars that can run on natural gas and other fuels. It’s not that it can’t be done or that the fuel doesn’t exist. It’s that the infrastructure to support vehicles that run on alternative fuels does exist. And that’s the main problem.
Zach, point taken. You’re right that people are misguided in regards to the benefits of diesel engines. However, like I said above, the problem with natural gas isn’t that the fuel doesn’t exist, it’s that there isn’t any infrastructure there. Right now, most of your major cities have converted their buses and other public vehicles to run on natural gas. It’s cleaner and more fuel efficient. If we were to boost the number of vehicles running on natural gas by as much as 10% then we could potentially save as much as $7 billion dollars in energy costs. That’s a pretty significant chunk of change that would be better spent in other areas.
David, only thing I’ll say is that I don’t agree with the use of nuclear energy. The upfront costs and overhead are enormous, not to mention the problems with disposing of waste. It’s not as “clean” as most people think. Hydro, wind, solar, and other more natural means are one answer but not the total solution. In the meantime, till there is an infrastructure for alternative fuels, fuel conservation is something everyone can contribute to. Sure, we can drill for more oil but that’s really more of a band-aid than anything else. It still doesn’t solve the problems of a lack of refining capacity on the part of the oil industry. By reducing the demand, we can possibly buffer some of the refining and curb the rising costs to a degree. Only way to do that though is for people to be more conscience over how much gas they use.
September 30th, 2008 at 1:52 pm
Your an dumbass. You’ve got way to much free time to blog about such a topic.
Stop wasting space on the web. You need to get out of your wifebeater, put the bag of chips down, clean yourself up. hit the gym because you having this much free time infront of the computer waging wars has got to have taken a toll on your weight & social life.
Get a real Job.
Oh an since you joined our forum. Id like to see what you drive. Post a pic.
Share with us.
September 30th, 2008 at 2:36 pm
I disagree with your thoughts on energy conservation… to some degree. Hummers may waste energy by not being the most efficient thing on the road… but what about some regulation on Oil Futures?? Why do we let people drive up the costs based on fear? Here comes hurricane season lets raise gas a dollar a gallon… refineries can’t keep up.
It’s a game. America has done this to themselves… People are struggling or not getting as far on their welfare? You paint a grim picture and link the blame to Hummers… but the truth goes far deeper.
September 30th, 2008 at 5:04 pm
Muddydawg75, you make some good points. I wrote a bit about the deregulation of the futures market a while back:
So, yeah, part of the solution is to get the futures market back in line to where pricing on oil is more realistic and fair. FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt) definitely has a hand in the futures market, no doubt. There have been plenty of times when FUD was used to artificially raise the cost of oil. What I wonder is how much of a hand do the oil companies play into that when it happens.
Definitely a game and one that has been going on a little too long in my opinion. And, yeah, I might be overly generalizing and placing way too much emphasis on Hummers in my posts here. I honestly don’t blame Hummers for all our woes. That would be silly. The truth does indeed go much deeper.
Dee, if you haven’t noticed, I tend to rant about shit that pisses me off from time to time thus the reason my blog is called “Steamd”. But rather than just rant for the sake of ranting, I try at best to offer some constructive criticism with my rants. If you don’t like it, don’t read it. It’s as simple as that.
If you want to offer some constructive criticism then feel free to comment. But don’t come on my blog or anyone else’s blog and call them names and make shitty comments and expect me or anyone else to answer you in a civil manner. If you look back at all my comments, not once did I call anyone any names. (Well, except in the first comment when I called Dan a shithead, but that was very tongue-in-cheek.)
FYI, I am far from a dumbass. I am a web developer. That is my career, which is a bit different than just having a job. I own and use a Bowflex and do try to take care of myself. So, no, I don’t where wifebeaters or sit around eating potato chips all day. Saying that is just rude.
As far as what I drive, I drive a 2008 VW Beetle, which is the second Beetle I’ve owned. Both my wife and I got new cars this year. I drive the Beetle:
And she drives a 2008 Nissan Sentra:
I love my Beetle. I would have bought one with a TDI diesel engine but VW stopped selling Beetles with them in 2006. However, Wired magazine recently did a few articles (here and here) about a new Golf TDI diesel hybrid that gets over 70 MPG! It’s only a matter of time before they start offering the TDI diesel hybrid engine in the Beetle. When that happens, you bet your sweet ass I’ll be trading mine in for one. 70 MPG? That’s insane!
So you could say that my wife and I are highly practical. I’m a geek and musician so I tend to spend my money on tech related stuff (computer, iPhone, etc.), music, movies, instruments, and comic books. And no, I don’t wear wifebeaters. Where the hell did that come from?
September 30th, 2008 at 11:50 pm
.Its easy to RANT. The problem i have with bloggers is.. you guys do just that ‘rant’. Ive seen numerous accounts of rants that hurt people. effect people. Topics like this support & often motivate idiots to do things along the lines of what this old man was doing. I still feel he will get of easy for his crimes because we pity the elderly. (age discrimination if you ask me. ) if i would have done the same thing i would have been locked up on some pretty heavy charges.
.. Its always very easy to Rant about a problem. .. To solve a problem .. takes skill.
You didnt like me judging you with the blogger stereo type. So please dont apply gas & hummers & associate a personality with what you feel maybe fit.
October 1st, 2008 at 1:09 am
Dee, you just stepped over a line. You don’t know me. You don’t know what I’m really like. Hell, I might even be someone you would like having a conversation with. But don’t try and say that I’m being overly judgmental and trying to apply a stereo type on Hummer owners. I am not in any way, shape, fashion or form hurting anybody or motivating anyone to do anything. I made it very clear at the very beginning of this post that I do not condone the act of vandalism on anyone’s vehicle. That includes what the old man did. All I said was that while I do not agree with the act of vandalism, I understand the motivation of what would cause someone to do it. And, like I said in my last comment, I may be generalizing a bit about Hummer drivers. However, what part of that generalization isn’t true?
Answer me this, Dee: How many Hummer owners do you know that actually care about environmental issues and energy conservation? Although it’s a broad generalization, how much of that isn’t true? Do you care at all about the environment? Does smog levels bother you? What about alternative fuels? Would you like to see a Hummer that gets better gas mileage? Those are the questions I’ve been asking. What’s your answer?
I do not believe for a minute that this post would cause anyone to become so upset that they would go out and key a Hummer. That’s just ridiculous. Dee, what I do on my blog isn’t even remotely close to the kind of media that other bloggers and media personalities are spewing out every day. Do you want to hear hate? Do you want to hear people who are actually effecting and hurting people?
How about Michael Savage who wished AIDS on a caller, who hates Muslims, and talks nonsense about gay marriage. Check out the video where he goes completely postal on Liberals. Do you think maybe that this sort of talk is hurting people?
How about Rush Limbaugh and his description of Operation Chaos, especially the part where he condones the act of violent riots with burning cars and the whole bit. And you think I’m even close to motivating idiots into keying Hummers? Please.
Then there’s Ann Coulter. Now, you may not like Obama nor will you be voting for him. I don’t know. But for someone to insinuate that Obama worships Lucifer and compares his book to Mein Kampf, that’s really stretching it thin. But it doesn’t stop there. She goes on and on in many blog posts and TV appearances spreading hatred for Liberals, about how Liberals are godless and that they are all liars. Hell, she even wrote a book called “Godless”. I’m not even a Liberal and even I find all this offensive.
Gee, do you think this sort of talk can lead to people getting hurt? Absolutely. Have you seen the story about a man by name of Jim David Adkisson who shot and killed two adults and wounded seven others at a church in Knoxville, Tennessee? The reason? According to reports on both MSNBC and CNN, Adkisson did it because he was frustrated with not being able to find a job, was on the verge of losing his food stamps, and blamed Liberals for it. Since he couldn’t attack any known Liberal political figures, he attacked a church with known Liberal teachings instead. According to his affidavit, Adkisson felt that the Democrats had tied his country’s hands in the war on terror and they had ruined every institution in America with the aid of major media outlets. The question is though: Where did he learn this?
No, Dee, I am not trying to hurt anyone nor am I trying to associate anyone into a stereo type. If that’s what you think then you really need to re-evaluate your idea of rational thought. I do not like labels and stereo types so I try at best to not use them. I am merely voicing my opinion and offering some constructive criticism to the best of my ability. I may rant here and there but my rants don’t hurt anyone. If you have a constructive opinion and wish to say something then by all means say it. Otherwise, I’m sorry, but you won’t get much of a response with that kind of attitude.
October 1st, 2008 at 9:42 am
[...] Steamd Rants, raves, and other geeky nonsense « Why Hummers Suck [...]
October 1st, 2008 at 4:54 pm
One last comment on the Hummer boards that show true intelligence:
Yep, sheer intelligence! I’m supposed to be gay just because I drive a Beetle? I’m fully aware that some people may consider the Beetle “faggity”. Not me though. Being that I’m straight as a board it doesn’t bother me the least bit. What does bother me though is that I’m accused of stereotyping Hummer owners and then I read that drivel on their boards. I’m not even trying to draw any stereotypes and here we have stereotypes. If I seriously wanted to reciprocate this and claim a stereotype then I could potentially say something like “You think he might be compensating for something? He must have a small penis cause he drives a Hummer!”. Same thing, right? I can dish it out as much as I can take it but I prefer not to. Why? Because it’s not the sort of constructive criticism that solves anything. Insults don’t get you anywhere. They just piss people off and create more problems.
October 1st, 2008 at 7:35 pm
jwhitfield, I would just like to say thank you for all the extra traffic you sent to my forum, good or bad, I won’t even get in to why I drive a Hummer because it will get shot down any ways, so thanks again!
BB
October 2nd, 2008 at 12:04 am
Interesting that your response does not include any names like Olberman, Couric, etc. That would seem to indicate a particular bent to your ranting. As far as conservation goes I belong to a number of organizations that are responsible for amazing amounts of reclamation and conservation work ( Quail Unlimited, Ducks Unlimited, etc ) I agree that we should be as clean and green as is reasonably possible but Hummers are not the problem. Hummers have been singled out by quite a few of the green crowd, from the Sierra Club on down, as the poster child for all things wrong in the world. Eliminate the Hummer and whales, eagles and gnatcatchers all become plentiful again. Obviously this over simplication and focus are ridiculous and wrong. Like any group, when attacked you defend yourself, especially when attacked unfairly. By the way I like VW bugs and don’t think they are gay.
October 2nd, 2008 at 5:27 pm
Np, Blackbear. I might shoot you down a bit but somewhere in this strange debate we’re having there might just be some common ground. There’s at least two, maybe three things we can all agree on. One, vandalism is bad no matter what kind of vehicle it is. Two, the market for vehicles that run on alternative fuel isn’t going to happen unless the infrastructure is there. Three (and this is a maybe), Hummer owners might consider driving a diesel or natural gas powered Hummer if GM were to offer it. I think you guys need to push GM into changing the direction of the Hummer. Hell, Volkswagen did after many loyal Volkswagen owners revolted on the company.
David, the reason I didn’t mention people like Couric and Olberman is because they don’t attack people in the same manner as folks like Savage, Limbaugh, and Coulter, not even close. Couric, Olberman, and other media personalities like them do not partake in the sort of talk and action that can lead to people getting hurt. They are members of the news media. If they did then they would get fired in a heartbeat.
Personally, I don’t like Katie Couric too much. Here interview style leaves much to be desired. It’s as if she is trying to lead her interviewee into a pre-defined outcome with a specific answer. Plus, she tends to allow her interviews to be editing down heavily to fit a specific context. I don’t like that too much. I majored in video production and I don’t like the fact that she has to use slick editing and interview techniques to make here interviews interesting. That’s just not what I call unbiased, objective journalism.
Regarding Olberman, I’ll admit that he can get a little radical at times. However, the one thing he doesn’t do is lie. He bases all of his little rants on the facts and is highly constructive with his criticism. I think he’d be the first to admit that he isn’t much of a journalist. I think of him as part journalist, part commentator. Probably more on the commentator side though. And, yeah, he definitely leans to the left for sure.
Yeah, definitely shouldn’t over simplify. There is definitely a much larger conversation to be made than just talking about the environmental impacts of the average Hummer.
Oh, and, uh, good to know you don’t think I’m gay.
October 3rd, 2008 at 5:32 pm
I also hate that people stereotype vehicle owners. I have to openly admit that I am ashamed that Dee and I own the same model of Hummer. I personally think that 60% or more of the "hate" toward owners are due to people like him. You see the young loudmouth with the big wheels flashing and trying to be important… and that breeds hate.
I don’t want to be included into that catagory… same as you don’t want people to assume that you are gay based on your beetle.
BTW… I am involved in energy conservation, to include financial donations. I am also involved in other environmental events… as well as others on our forum. You will find a few threads on our efforts.
I just posted a thread called 545 people… they are indeed the ones responsible for the country’s crisis.
October 4th, 2008 at 7:34 am
Muddydawg75, this is one of the most constructive comments I’ve had yet on this particular blog post. I highly appreciate it and I agree with you wholeheartedly.
I personally like a lot of European cars, mostly German ones, thus the reason why I own a Volkswagen. I also like BMW’s. Not because they’re a status symbol or anything like that but because BMW makes a damn good car. Now, BMW’s aren’t without a stereotype. Most BMW’s owners are labeled as what? Assholes, right? Granted, there are plenty of asshole BMW drivers. I see them every day when I’m going up and down the Dallas North Tollway, darting in and out of traffic recklessly like they own the road. But does that mean that every BMW driver is an asshole? Of course not.
I picked up on that 545 people thread. Definitely a good read. In fact, I think it’s so good that I think I’ll post it up on my blog. Don’t worry, I’m gonna give you credit for it.
October 9th, 2008 at 11:13 am
Just wanted to add to what Muddydawg said. I currently own 2 H3’s and this makes 3 total that I have owned. We bought the first one mainly because my wife wanted one. I had always had JEEP’s or a full size pick up. Being in the Army for 16 years at the time, I couldn’t see where owning a HUMMER for home would be desirable. But like your BMW,(have also owned a Mercedes and am well aware of the “asshole” tag that goes with that),After driving hers around for awhile I really started to like it. 1. It’s just fun to drive 2. We live in Ohio and the 4×4 aspect can come in handy during the winter months 3. I like to off road and this is a great vehicle for off roading and comfort at the same time.
As far as not caring for the environment, I do “small” things to help out with this. Energy saving lightbulbs throughout the whole house, trash compactor to limit the amount of space my trash takes up. Digital programable thermostat to ensure that we aren’t keeping the house at 70 degrees for 8 hours that we aren’t there. Small things but at least I’m trying, right?
I also serve in the US Army and contribute a considerable amount of time to cleaning up local parks, adopt a highway program, etc…
Like Muddydawg said, please don’t lump us all in one bunch. We aren’t all the eco-haters that we are thought to be. I will wait for your blog about the economy/environment before I get into that more
October 10th, 2008 at 8:37 am
Rhill20, thanks a bunch for your comment. Some good, solid constructive points there.
One thing I will comment on is your time in the military. I don’t know if you’ve served time in Iraq or the Middle East or not. One thing I will say is that no matter what anyone says your time in the military is honorable. Others, like myself, have been opposed to the Iraq war. That doesn’t make us unpatriotic. Just because we disagree on something doesn’t mean that we don’t support the troops. I very much support the troops. I may disagree with the war but I damn well support the troops and the treatment of our soldiers when they return. Just a thought I had upon reading your comment.
October 18th, 2008 at 11:11 am
[...] gentleman from my Hummers post commented on this article. It’s an article written by Charley Reese and was first [...]