# Say, GM, Where's YOUR Hybrid Vehicle? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 29, 2005, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-gm-wheres-your-hybrid-vehicle/306035 "2005-05-29T23:44:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2005, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-gm-wheres-your-hybrid-vehicle/306035/41 "2005-06-01T19:14:19Z")
> [@Unintentionally Blank](#): > > I’d imagine they wouldn’t come with an easy pull-tab for opening, if that’s what you’re thinking. I’m thinking a terrorist with power tools can cut a groove in the containment vessel, pack the car with explosives and use it as a dirty car bomb. > [@](#): > > _I’m_ thinking nuclear power could be used to crack water for Hydrogen…or charge more conventional batteries. I’m all for that. I just don’t think big chunks of plutonium should be sold at every used car dealer. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2005, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-gm-wheres-your-hybrid-vehicle/306035/42 "2005-06-01T21:43:52Z")
> [@Diceman](#): > > Dude, you want to put millions of radioactive batteries in the hands of the general public? Are you insane? But those batteries don’t use anything more than “heavy water.” It’s **not** uranium or plutonium, it’s freakin’ **water** with a couple of extra particles hanging around for a good time. There’s probably a couple of molecules of the stuff in every glass of water you drink. Ya dead from radiation poisoning yet? Have you exploded? No. A while back I post a thread about those batteries and got in a discussion with folks who couldn’t believe that anyone would think that the stuff was dangerous. I’m sorry you guys missed the thread, because you’ve neatly proved my point. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-gm-wheres-your-hybrid-vehicle/306035/43 "2005-06-02T01:15:23Z")
Oh, you’re talking about the tritium-powered batteries. (Weren’t you advocating RTGs in another thread?) The hydrogen in heavy water is deuterium, not tritium. Tritium is more radioactive and, IIRC, it’s considered carcinonegic and mutagenic. It’s still safer than plutonium, and I suppose it’s no worse than many other industrial chemicals in wide use, but it’s not from harmless. I don’t know if tritium has enough energy density to power a car, but for now its high price would be a problem - around $20,000 per gram, even when made as a by-product of nuclear power stations ([cite](http://www.fas.org/spp/starwars/crs/97-002.htm)). Using the figure of 24 watt / kilogram (from [here](http://peswiki.com/index.php/PowerPedia:Beta_voltaic), which I admit I may be mis-interpreting), currently you need $600 million worth of tritium to power a 1-horsepower motor. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-gm-wheres-your-hybrid-vehicle/306035/44 "2005-06-02T02:06:59Z")
> [@scr4](#): > > Oh, you’re talking about the tritium-powered batteries. (Weren’t you advocating RTGs in another thread?) I was referencing RTGs since I’m more familiar with them than the tritium batteries. > [@](#): > > The hydrogen in heavy water is deuterium, not tritium. Tritium is more radioactive and, IIRC, it’s considered carcinonegic and mutagenic. It’s still safer than plutonium, and I suppose it’s no worse than many other industrial chemicals in wide use, but it’s not from harmless. Right, but no matter how benign it is, since it’s got the “radioactive” label attached to it, you’re going to be having people screaming, “OHMIGOD!!! WE’RE GONNA DIE!!! WE’RE GONNA DIE!!! WE’RE GONNA DIE!!!” whenever the subject is brought up. > [@](#): > > I don’t know if tritium has enough energy density to power a car, but for now its high price would be a problem - around $20,000 per gram, even when made as a by-product of nuclear power stations ([cite](http://www.fas.org/spp/starwars/crs/97-002.htm)). Using the figure of 24 watt / kilogram (from [here](http://peswiki.com/index.php/PowerPedia:Beta_voltaic), which I admit I may be mis-interpreting), currently you need $600 million worth of tritium to power a 1-horsepower motor. And I’ve got the _perfect_ solution to that problem. There’s an uber-Porsche that’s barred from being imported into the US. Even Bill Gates has been stymied in his efforts to get one, so all we have to do is get the Feds to say to Gates he can have one, provided it’s tritium powered. He buys one, and then all his wealthy friends will want one too. Sensing lots of money, folks will feverishly research ways to drive the cost of tritium down, and then we’ll all be able afford one! 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-gm-wheres-your-hybrid-vehicle/306035.md?page=2)