What would an auto company need to do to get YOU to consider buying a hybrid/other alternative fuel vehicle?

Answer 1

Make the damn cars! (And make them affordable, especially in the beginning market stages-I know, opposite of usual.) I read an article in Business Week in 2003 that had a photo of the GM patented Hydrogen Fuel Cell but to my knowlege, they still haven't put out a car to bring it to market. Well, I'm NOT impressed. If they have made a car that uses it, it's a well kept secret...

Answer 2

are you lumping diesel into the 'alternative fuel' catagory or not? if you are, as an alternative to gasoline, then id love to buy a diesel powered f-550 or something, but i dont need all that low end torque.
for me to be interested in a hybrid or alternative fueled vehicle, not assuming diesel, it would have to have the same if not more torque than my current gmc jimmy, better mileage than the 330 i get to a tank now, and the ability to not have to be stupid recharged as the electric weenies out there, and a cost range that can compete with the non afv or hybrid of the same catagory, i.e., ford escape was like 8 grand less than the ford escape E.

Answer 3

I am not convinced that the fuel is actually better for the environment and therefore not willing to put extra money into the hybrid automobiles. They are considerably more expensive, therefore I am not going to see any cost savings in fuel. So I would have to have proof or at least a really good convincing argument for a high impact on the environment.

Now if we could invest in renewable fuels, like Brazil has with the use of sugar cane-I would pay premium. I am very interested in these alternatives, however it is not available in the US yet.

Answer 4

Make and sell them on the same basis as their noisy clunky high maintenance heaps they currently foist on us
Or step aside and let the future car makers into the market.

electric cars could have higher power & torque, cheaper to run, lower maintenance, smooth, smell free, fun to drive...
You can even make them as slow and ugly as current slow ugly vehicles (SUVs) if you want, see Toyota RAV4ev

but car companies spend fortunes buying the media (full page ads & journalist jollies) to stop people thinking clearly about electric or hybrid (eg why do people think a car with an additional high torque electric motor is less powerfull than one without?)

Answer 5

Make sure it's not too expensive. For me it doesn't even have to be equally expensive/cheap because I would really want to buy a hybrid, but so far our family can't afford it. :(
We have a flexi fuel car though but in my opinion it uses way to much fuel for making me feel completely comfortable with it.
P.S. I guess the prices differs a lot for different countries. I live in Sweden.

Answer 6

Make it practically emission free - including manufacture.
and make it affordable, we wouldn't usually buy a new car.

To the guy who was crapping on about volcanoes - its eruptions not irruptions. And that is a fallacy. (If you know what that big word means I'd be surprised, but I get a certain grim satisfaction from slagging off the git who is representative of the society which is responsible for the deaths from starvation, dehydration, severe storms etc attributed to climate change). ... they figured out how our atmosphere trapped heat two centuries ago and they have been tracking climate change from anthropocentric sources since the 1970's. That includes people who know how to spell eruption.

Answer 7

I've never driven a hybrid before, but I think one way to sell me on one is to give me a test drive and prove that it has good accelaration. I live in a hilly area and drive on the freeway a lot as well. My wife's Rendezvous has no gitty-up at all and I always feel like I'm going to get run over when I drive her and the kiddo's around. Other than that, I'm all about the Environment... Compliance is my bread and butter!!!

Answer 8

They only need to do one thing: lower the upfront purchase price of their product. I would love to buy a hybrid or other efficient vehicle, but can't afford them at their current prices.

Answer 9

im not gunna i got a 1968 dodge coronet with a 440 magnum 4 speed gets 11 to gallon but, i support hybrids but not letting me use oil isnt fair and plus hybrid cars got no balls

Answer 10

Lower the expense to a reasonable amount so I can obtain one without selling an arm, a leg, all my hair, and my little brother (though that might actually raise the fees).

Seriously though, I'm all for being green but I'm not rich here.