Compare carbon footprints of hybrids

Dough Tiffany, an applied economics regional extension educator for the University of Minnesota found free, downloadable software called “The Alternative Vehicle Decision Tool”. This tool helps the buyers evaluate the price of ownership and carbon footprint of based on the price of the vehicle and type of the driving they do.

This tool will help the buyers to understand the various factors which will determine the true cost of owning a vehicle.

Two years ago when Tiffany’s brother was trying to decide which car to choose, Tiffany built the tool. When the purchase price, mpg rating, expected miles driven per year, and a price of gas was entered, the average monthly cost of owning each car was determined by using this tool.

He continued to make improvements in the tool. He modified the tool later to add columns for electric vehicles, also added the calculations about carbon emissions and added a four color chart to automatically update when the user enters any new variable.

The tool is recently been promoted to the public by the University of Minnesota. Tiffany does not how many individuals have downloaded his free tool of comparing the carbon footprint, but he has received a good feedback on the tool.

This tool is helpful for both car dealers as well as for buyers. Tiffany says that the tool will help the sales people to understand about the environmental impact and fuel-savings potential of vehicles.

As per Tiffany’s understandings, he has revealed that all electric vehicles seem to be cheaper than the conventional vehicles. As there is no need to have tune ups and no need to have oil changes. You just have to plug it in and drive it.

For most of the people cost is not only the main consideration. Some people would like to pay more for the vehicles which emits less carbon. That is the mean reason for Tiffany to including a column which estimated the effective carbon tax a buyer would carry out on themselves by buying a less polluting but more expensive vehicle.

The tool requires some predictions. For example, no one can predict what will be the cost of gas after five, 10 or 15 years. The person who may think the cost of the gas may be $6 will see the different from someone who predicts $5.

Tiffany says that “it is not a perfect tool but it helps individual understand the dynamics of car ownership”.