The Prius' battery
contains nickel, which is mined in Ontario Canada. The plant that smelts
this nickel is apparently nicknamed "the Superstack" because of the
amount of pollution it puts out; the area for miles around it is a
wasteland because of acid rain and air pollution.
But the main problem that the "Dust to Dust" study has with the Prius' impact on the environment comes next.
That
smelted nickel then has to travel (via container ship) to Europe to be
refined, then to China to be made into "nickel foam," then to Japan for
assembly, and finally to the United States. All this shipment for each
tiny step in the production process costs a great deal, both in dollars
and in pollution.
The study then concludes that -- all the
production costs in mind -- the Prius costs about $3.25 per mile and is
expected to last about 100,000 miles. The Hummer, on the other hand,
with all the same factors counted, costs about $1.95 per mile and is
expected to last about 300,000 miles.