Toyota Prius - one of the first hybrid cars
A new survey shows that about 80% of the Israeli public does not know what a hybrid car is. The survey showed that the fifth of the population who did know what a hybrid car is, clearly tends to be more educated and affluent. The survey was conducted by the Heschel Center for Environmental Thinking and Leadership through the Rotem Institute for Marketing Research and Diagnostics.
The term 'hybrid vehicles' refers to vehicles that combine a regular gasoline or diesel engine and an electric motor that operates mainly in the city at low speed. The field of hybrid vehicles is gaining momentum in the world because this technology significantly reduces air pollution from vehicles and on the other hand allows long travel distances between refueling, when refueling can be done at regular gas stations. In a comparison between similar vehicles (hybrid model compared to the conventional model), a saving of about 30% to 40% was obtained in fuel consumption. (For complete data, see www.fueleconomy.gov).
According to Jeremy Bernstein, Vice President of the Heschel Center for Environmental Thinking and Leadership, the technology of hybrid vehicles is a welcome technology that is expected to contribute to the reduction of environmental damage and other consequences of the consumption of petroleum products. However, this does not contradict the continued promotion of additional measures to save fuel and reduce air pollution, including a transition to efficient and clean public transportation. "The fact that the public is not aware of this technological possibility and the existence of hybrid cars indicates the lack of encouragement for this on the part of the government ministries and on the part of the car importers."
Vehicles are the main source of air pollution in Israel, which causes diseases and great economic damage, and are the second most important source, after industry, of the emission of the main greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide. According to the data of the Central Bureau of Statistics (April 2006) 97% of carbon dioxide emissions and 30% of nitrogen oxide emissions from burning fuels are from vehicles.
According to surveys conducted in the United States, 70% of Americans demand that by 2010, half of all new cars that will be produced will be hybrids or other types of fuel-efficient vehicles. 86% of Americans are in favor of requiring good fuel efficiency and 77% are in favor of requiring car manufacturers to meet higher fuel efficiency standards even if it means buying or leasing a car will be more expensive.
