Can we make hybrids cheaper to purchase? Alot of people can't afford them.?

Answer 1

The TRUTH of the matter, jj, is that they already are cheaper.
The common (as noted by the previous answers to your Q & other answers that I've seen here at Y!A) PERCEPTION is that they are much more expensive, have to have expensive batteries replaced & take years to make up the difference in price.
All of these are actually misguided perceptions. And simply not true!
The national average new vehicle price is $24,500.
I'm talking, car or truck or SUV, foriegn or domestic. Just the average price of a NEW vehicle.
Obviously most cars are cheaper than trucks & SUV's
But let's just look at a small SUV

(I will use the Ford Escape for my examples here because I have a lot of experience & knowledge with Ford)
The price of a Hybrid Escape has actually gone DOWN each year ( '05-'06-'07-'08) of existance! And the state & federal tax incentives have gone up for this particular vehicle. In fact the Ford Hybrid Escape has the largest tax advantage available of ALL the Hybrids & is considered the "Greenest SUV on the Planet"

Price Example:
Here is a comparison showing first a FWD Hybrid vs a comparibly equipped FWD (6 cyl) non-hybrid Escape:
Then I have also given you 2 comparably equipped 4X4's
http://www.fordvehicles.com/suvs/escapehybrid/compare/details/?vehicles=21514|21501|21516|21504

There is a little over $3000 difference between the hybrids & the non-hybrids, right ?
Well the federal tax incentive for a FWD Hybrid Escape is $3000 ! My state (Illinois) also gives an extra $500.

Oh Yea, and FMCC also offers low financing &/or Rebates on 'em.

Maintenance costs (IE; oil changes) for the Hybrid Escape are LESS. Oil change intervals for the Hybrid Escape are once a year or every 10,000 miles !

And as for the savings at the pump........
Well from MY OWN PERSONAL experience ....
I got half as many miles per gallon with the non-hybrid Escape as I did with the Hybrid ! Therefore fuel costs are cut in half !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And the MYTH about replacing batteries every few years is just that...a MYTH !
All the 'hybrid compoonants' (that would include the battery) of the Ford Hybrid Escape are covered by an 8 year/ 100,000 mile warranty ! (some states get 120,000 miles)

Case in point- New York City has a fleet of Hybrid Escapes in use since 2005 as taxi-cabs. These vehicles are in active service 24/7, have logged HUNDREDS of THOUSANDS of miles on each of them with NO PROBLEMS & NO battery replacements ! I think New Yorkers would agree with me that NYC Taxi's get quite their fair share of abuse !

I have used the Escape as example here, also because it is a FULL Hybrid. Not ALL hybrids are considered FULL hybrid. There IS a difference! I won't go into all those details here because I have already typed WAY TOO much info to prove my point......but I will leave you with one more reason to buy a Hybrid Escape:

Ford Hybrid Escapes are made in North America by Union Auto Workers. (money stays here)
ALL Toyota Prius' are imported from Japan, & employ NO UAW's (profits go to the homeland-Japan)

Answer 2

First of all the added cost of the batteries and the technology. The added cost of retrofitting exisiting manufacturing. Contrary to popular belief the new hybrids are not selling. 2 years ago everyone was excited. I work at a Saturn dealership. We have 8 Saturn Vue Hybrids that get 27 city and 32 highway for $23,000. We cannot give them away. We did not even order the new Aura Hybrids this year. No one has ever asked for them. This sends a message to GM. Oh you scream for them and you do not buy them. They spent billions on the technology for nought. The only way to recoup the cost is if they were selling. How could they sell them cheaper if no one is buying them? This I ask you.

Answer 3

You know, I've thought about this for a long time, and this is my opinion.

The automotive industry can do much more than they have done for the consumer, but it simply is not in their best interest. Sure, they came up with the hybrids, but look at the limitations they have. The last time I read up on it, I saw that it takes about 5 years for a consumer to break even on one, and that's much longer than a lot of people will drive a car.

Do I believe in the urban myths that technology exists for us to get many more mpg's? Sure I do!!

The consumer is caught in a downward spiral in so many areas that the immediate future looks pretty bleak.

Hope I'm wrong.

Answer 4

Hybrids are a joke and only for smug ******* that want to thumb their noses at everyone else. I'd love to see there faces when those batteries need to be replaced!

Answer 5

With all of the extra parts, I don't see how it would be possible.