# Why do hybrid or electric cars have wheel 'pants'? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 16, 2005, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-hybrid-or-electric-cars-have-wheel-pants/317215 "2005-08-16T04:13:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-hybrid-or-electric-cars-have-wheel-pants/317215/21 "2005-08-18T12:37:56Z")
> [@Grelby](#): > > This may be taking this thread into IMHO territory, but using _any_ car at all, including the Insight, to transport a single occupant and virtually nothing else is grossly inefficient, and a fundamental misuse of a motor vehicle’s capabilities. Your logic is good, but not that good. I, for one, can’t wait to get myself an Insight. Yes, I use my bike around my rural town (luckily, I work at home, so I have no commute anymore). But, since I live in the country, I also often have to drive 200 miles away on business trips to meet clients. My commuting is pretty much all or nothing, and there’s no way for me to use public transportation to do what I need. Mmm… Insight … ---
**Author:** ![dlack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@dlack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dlack)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-hybrid-or-electric-cars-have-wheel-pants/317215/22 "2005-08-18T13:21:44Z")
> [@Grelby](#): > > This may be taking this thread into IMHO territory, but using _any_ car at all, including the Insight, to transport a single occupant and virtually nothing else is grossly inefficient, and a fundamental misuse of a motor vehicle’s capabilities. We have made this foolishly wasteful use of cars all but necessary for many of us in this society. Where I live with my family during the summer is fairly rural, so it is spread out and lacks a mass transit network. I ride my bicycle for a lot of my errands around town, but unfortunately, I need the car if I want to go further in a short amount of time. So if you had to live in this area full time instead of the other area which has a nice bus system, wouldn’t you agree that the Insight is a worthwhile compromise? Or would it still be useless? ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-hybrid-or-electric-cars-have-wheel-pants/317215/23 "2005-08-18T14:11:38Z")
Re: The Car Bra: My room mate was telling me that out in the Westerly portions of Texas where he grew up, a Car Bra was an excellent way to ruin the paint on the front end of your car. Basically, as you drove it around in the dry, dusty, and windy environment of that part of the world, little particles of dirt and sand would find their way under the bra and get stuck. Over the course of several years, chafing would occur (ouch!) because the particles would get caught between the body of the car and the bra, both moving in slightly different ways. Years later, if you removed the car bra, you’d find the paint badly scraped up and in need of re-painting. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-hybrid-or-electric-cars-have-wheel-pants/317215/24 "2005-08-18T14:13:43Z")
Grr… hit send too soon. And re: Bicycles vs. Cars: Cars also provide you with some protection against accidents (oftentimes involving other cars). It could be said that if everyone rode bikes, this would be less of an issue of course. That said, most folks I deal with on the road drive cars, and a fellow on a bike can be rather hard for an inattentive drive to notice. ---
**Author:** ![RM\_Mentock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@RM\_Mentock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RM_Mentock)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-hybrid-or-electric-cars-have-wheel-pants/317215/25 "2005-08-18T14:22:29Z")
> [@Raguleader](#): > > a fellow on a bike can be rather hard for an inattentive drive to notice. Other things not noticed by inattentive drivers: a) brake lights b) turns c) oncoming traffic d) trees e) end of the garage f) wheel pants [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-hybrid-or-electric-cars-have-wheel-pants/317215.md?page=1)