Hybrids: the Catalyst for Positive Change

The batteries are warranted for 10 years/150,000 miles, and as Maytrix says, they are recyclable. Toyota is ready to begin recycling but are still waiting for the batteries to start failing. A taxi cab owner in Vancouver is running a small fleet of Priuses and put over 200,000 miles on a Prius without having a battery failure. The batteries are also modular with each cell being replaceable for about $20.

I really don't get the anti-hybrid sentiment (except for the anti-hybrid-in-the-HOV-lane sentiment, which I understand perfectly). Everybody buys gas and breathes air. You'd think they'd appreciate that some people are willing to spend extra money to save fuel (more for them at less cost) and pollute less.

It is interesting to follow the media and see that, as late as Dec. 2004, articles were spouting the conventional wisdom that "at today's gas prices" it would take a hybrid ten years to pay for itself. Now the figure that's bandied about is five years.

I kept my previous car for fourteen years, and the one before that for twelve. A five-year payback is fine with me!

More importantly, though, gas mileage and low emissions are values to me like heated seats and built-in DVD player are to other people. When will heated seats pay for themselves? The Prius is a fun car to drive and meets my needs very well (except when I need my SUV to haul dogs) and that's all I need to know.

Jan

Maytrix, because value is a selling point used to promote hybrids, they cost more than comparably equipt small cars. No one buys an Excursion expecting to get a good value, its an ego feeder.

BTW, JKnight, I am not opposed to hybrids, I simply think they are an unnecesary distraction from the real issues. I am not opposed to hybrid drivers because I think their hearts are in the right place. Nor am I opposed to hybrids in the HOV lanes. But I AM opposed to hybrids with ONE passenger in the HOVs.

I am opposed the HOV exemption. I am opposed to any law that says: "Buy this and you will get special treatment from law enforcement officials." Anytime preferrential treatment can be bought, discrimination is present.

Keep your eye on the ball NoSUV. Hybrids are more prevalent in DC because of the exemption, its no coincidence. Taxpayer funded? The only taxpayers who are funding an HOV exemption are hybrid drivers who fund hybrid auto manufacturers, that's you! Follow the money: >you buy hybrid, >hybrid auto manufacturer lobbist pushes for exemption, >politician passes exemption, >you buy more hybrid. Its a big circle that begins and ends wtih your money! "The wheels on your hybrid go round and round..." and everyone gets a share of your money. Wait, you didn't actually think someone was looking out for you, did you?!

Hybrids are a distraction, a scam, a boondoggle, another product to sell you until they get the unit price of fuel up high enough to guarantee profits of the next fuel. When that happens they will be selling us bio diesels, or ethanol, or some other kind powered cars. I guarantee you that in ten or twenty years no one will own hybrids. You are driving the 8-track of 2020!

Ah NoSUV,

Exemptions DO cost money. When the HOV becomes congested, there is a cost in time/gas/emissions to be paid by everyone on the HOV. When that cost is incurred by HOV compliant vehicles at the expense of SOV vehicles (hybrid or otherwise), then that creates the imbalance (real and perceived) to which most are looking as being "wrong".

Hybrid gas/elec vehicles run primarily on batteries in stop & go traffic. If a hybrid vehicle is SOV, it should be in the stop & go traffic of the mainlines where emissions are reduced (for it at least) and the SOV doesn't impinge on the freeflow of traffic in the HOV thereby making the HOV concept more attractive and the incentive to alter commuting habits is retained.

That seems reasonable to many people, probably a majority. If a vehicle is HOV with the requisite numbers, then it should be able to travel in free flowing HOV lanes (regardless of the original concept for the reversible lanes), don't you think?

By creating one incentive (hybrid exemption) at the expense of another (HOV expedient lanes), this creates an imbalance to a commuting system that works rather well--as long as we can keep the big financial interests out of it to the largest extent possible.





NoSb

SOV because you can, HOV because you care!

NoSOV,

IF it were really about keeping prices down and decreasing overall demand on OIL supplies, then there is a mix that burns in EVERY gasoline powered vehicle on the roads. THAT partial solution can provide an IMMEDIATE decrease in crude oil demand by 15% with little effort on the distributors part. Oh, that mix also decreases the toxicity of emissions too.

Why hasn't anyone moved in that direction here? Other municipalities have mandated its use which indicates it is in the distribution stream. We haven't here because the color GREEN is blinding people to more comprehensive solutions that DON'T compromise one portion of the system by providing benefits to those in another portion.

I'm sure the color GREEN is what people think will buy us out of a mess. Some of those people are hybrid owners who drive SOV. These people DON'T help the overall system as their contribution is negligible and compromises others around them. IF it were just about ONE person's vehicle, sure buy a hybrid. but it's not... There's a whole other group of people out there who need to be encouraged to change driving and commuting habits. Most of those needing to change commuting habits are sitting in the mainline in SOVs. There's still plenty in the HOV who need to be encouraged to change driving habits since that alone can contribute to improving the overall situation so much more easily at little to no expense.

The SOV hybrid only allows the owner of that vehicle to feel good about themselves, but does little to improve the overall situation. Although the owner does help fund a marketing campaign that spreads disinformation to people to make unwise economic choices--many of those who choose poorly work in Richmond in the state house.

NoSb

SOV because you can, HOV because you care!