Why don't you buy a hybrid?

Question

"Hybrids currently account for 1 percent of new car sales in the United States"

http://www.cnn.com/2006/AUTOS/08/22/bc.autos.hybrids.reut/index.html

I don't understand this, and it strikes me that it may be a political reason. It's not a financial reason:

"assuming vehicles were driven 15,000 miles per year and gas was priced at $3 per gallon, owners of the Toyota Prius and Ford Escape Hybrid would break even within three years.

Buyers of the Saturn Vue Green Line from General Motors Corp., the Toyota Camry and the Civic Hybrid from Honda Motor Co. would break-even within six years"

http://www.cnn.com/2006/AUTOS/08/22/bc.autos.hybrids.reut/index.html

If you get a 3-6 year loan then the extra cost in your monthly payments will be offset by your gas savings, and after that time you'll be saving money!

It's not an environmental or engineering reason, because hybrid batteries last the lifetime of the car and are fully recycleable. Why are 99% of sales not hybrids?

And please don't bring up that bogus marketing (not scientific) study comparing a Hummer to a Prius. Here is one of many sites debunking its misinformation:

http://www.pacinst.org/topics/integrity_of_science/case_studies/hummer_vs_prius.pdf

Hybrid batteries are under warranty for 8-10 years. Priuses used as taxis have over 200,000 miles on the original battery. The batteries are a non-issue.

Answer 1

Will they pull my equipment for farming and construction?

Answer 2

Yes, it is a financial reason for me. I am fresh out of graduate school, and I couldn't afford to spend more than $10k on a vehicle, no matter how much financial sense it made in the long run or how short the payoff period would be. I simply did not have the money for a new car.

So a few months ago, I bought the most fuel-efficient car that I could afford for under $10k; a 2002 Honda Civic that gets around 35 MPG, and I plan on driving it until it dies on the side of the road.

And that's a very good reason why I didn't buy a hybrid vehicle. No matter how much I may have wanted one, I just could not afford the up-front costs when shopping for a car. And I suspect I'm not the only one who made that choice.

Answer 3

Because, by the time i get it paid off, the technology will be obsolete. In reality, the technology should already be obsolete, if more research would have been funded on hydrogen fuel cells, and hydrogen production by microorganisms a couple decades ago, when it should have been funded, instead of waiting until things get to the point we have no choice but to rush for alternatives.
Its fine to jump into the hype of the newest and latest technology when its a $200 video card for the computer, but when its $40,000, its time to slow down and think things over a little more.

The only time i will decide to buy a hybrid, is when the government decides to look the other way while I make my own ethanol in my backyard, after i see the technology may be around for longer than 2 or 3 years.

If i had money to burn, I'd would already own one, but i don't..yet.

Answer 4

For me, it's because I don't have the money to buy a new car right now, period. I drive a 97 Camry, and it gets fairly good mileage. By the time I get a new car, I've got my eye on an electric, or maybe a diesel VW bug.

Alot of people seem to think that because they aren't the right car for everyone, that means they aren't the right car for anyone. Well of course if you're towing massive loads all the time you aren't going to get a prius. But you wouldn't get any small car, so that argument is ridiculous.

The fact of the matter is, we are becoming less and less of an industrial society. More and more people have white collar jobs, and jobs in the service industry. That means, dispute what the commercials on TV tell you, not everyone needs a massive 4X4 truck.

The question though, Dana, is not why aren't more people driving Hybrids, but rather why aren't more people driving smaller more efficient cars in general (hybrid or not).

Answer 5

Here are a couple of reasons:
- There is a small selection of hybrids.
- There is a waiting list for many of them. They are not keeping up with demand.
- Many people are in the "wait and see" crowd particularly when it comes to the battery situation. I hear all kinds of estimates to the life of these batteries from 3 years to "the life of the vehicle" I have owned a 20 year old car that was still running strong. What is considered 'the life of the vehicle"
- Very little data exists about the long term costs of maintenance and repairs.
- Some of the fuel mileage estimates I have seen are very unimpressive. My Honda Goldwing motorcycle with an 1800 CC engine gets a little over 40 MPG and it's not a hybrid. One of the Fords has a lower rated MPG. I'll keep my bike...

Answer 6

In my own case I don't buy one because I prefer a car with decent performance. I own a Mustang GT which with current modifications is usable as a daily driver if you don't mind getting around 14 mpg on the highway,and while it's not the fastest thing on the track it holds its own. If my job demanded that I drive a good distance to go to and from work perhaps I would consider a hybrid,but I put less than 10,000 miles on my car per year so for me it's a non issue. It's not a matter of politics it's a matter of priorities,the only politics that even enter into it is that I don't buy into all the environmental hysteria currently in vogue. However if others wish to buy hybrids,and if they make hybrids and electric cars that meet our needs I have nothing against it,I simply don't like all the hysteria.

AD

Answer 7

I own a hybrid, and get this it is a diesel so I can run it bio fuels. I would think that the savings one would reap by having a hybrid would be lucrative enough. Not just savings on fuel, my insurance is also cheaper, maintenance is less expensive as the car is more reliable.

Even as such the hybrid was only more expensive because I opted for a diesel engine.

And to answer the statements, I have a 4 door sedan, sure it has zero towing capacity as it is a sedan, however I can very easily keep up with traffic flow on the highway, it is safe and roomy.

Why people aren't catching on is a mystery.

Answer 8

I drive a 2000 Ford F-150 - WITH APPOX 70,000 miles on it.
My neighbor drives a Toyota Prius appox 2 1/2 years old
and has just over 50,000 miles on it,( she drives quite a bit to see her parents and daughter in colleague).
They had to replace the battery's which cost almost $4500.00
3 - weeks ago, it has been recalled 3- times, because of the mot-er and they continue to make payments on the vehicle.
---------------------------------
THE BATTERY'S ARE NOT UNDER WARRANTY FOR 8-10 YEARS. What you can do is buy an extra warranty for your car to extend the warrenty period.
--------------------------------------------------
The only thing I have done is replace the tires and brakes - once - I only paid 12,500 for this truck new.
So my question is who's really ahead of the game ?

Answer 9

Your math is flawed.
15000 miles per year for Prius equals 300 gallons (assuming 50 mpg) or $900.
The same 15000 in a similar car (Corolla) equals 500 gallons (assuming 30 mpg) or $1500.
The difference is $600 per year.
The car price difference is $5000 - $6000, it would take about 9 years to break even (not including the lost opportunity to earn interest on the initial price difference)

Answer 10

First of all the up front cost that allot of people cannot make those payments nor qualify for a car loan.
Second did you know after two years the batteries are no longer under warranty and to replace them are about $2,000 each.And there are 4 of them. It is nice for those that can afford thos payments but i rented one and The gas mileage on the road was not that impressive enough to pay the difference.

Answer 11

1. I find them to be horribely ugly.
2. Not powerful enough or fast enough (unless you're Al Gore's son, how did he get that thing moving that fast?)
3. SMUG (See South Park.)
4. I don't believe in Man-Made Global Warming (CO2 is only 0.0032% of our atmosphere)
5. It's a lot easier to pick up chicks in a Mustang or a BMW.
6. I can pay my bill just fine.
7. I heard Ethonal may actually be bad for the environment (haven't seen any proof though, anybody gor any?)