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Hybrid Vehicles Hybrids - News, Reviews and Views in the Press
567 messages, Last post on Oct 30, 2009 at 9:21 PM
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Gitcher Hybrids Heya, Get 'Em While 'Their Hot' Incentive bonus Buying a hybrid car makes more economic sense today By Andrea Coombes, MarketWatch Last Update: 7:13 PM ET Apr 29, 2007 SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- If you've been toying with the idea of buying a hybrid car, the cost equation is tilting in your favor. Until recently buying a hybrid meant you were willing to shell out for a pricier car because you believe in helping the environment or because you like to own the latest high-tech gadget. Auto-research firms found it could take up to 15 years, depending on the model, of gas-pump savings to offset hybrids' higher sticker price. But now it's taking less time to break even, thanks to carmakers' new deals on hybrids. Right now, the average incentive for all hybrid models is about $1,638, according to Edmunds.com. "Up until maybe a year or so ago, we were paying over sticker prices for hybrids," said Philip Reed, consumer-advice editor with Edmunds.com. But now, "there are hybrids on car lots and they're being discounted. That's unusual. And it's also at a time when gas prices are ... high so people are going to want these cars," Reed said. Repair costs Another cost consideration is maintenance and repair. There's good news for hybrids on that front, Reed said. "People are really worried about the batteries and it's proven to be much less of a problem than anybody ever thought," Reed said. "Plus, nearly all the manufacturers have very long and strong warranties to protect you," he said, as long as eight years and 100,000 miles or even 10 years and 110,000 miles for the hybrid components. Plus, brake repair costs may be less than on a standard car. Because of hybrids' braking systems, "you don't have to do brake jobs as often," he said. "That's a savings that a lot of people don't consider."
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Replying to: larsb (Apr 30, 2007 7:05 am) At first there were valid concerns about longevity, durability, cost of ownership and performance. Performance was answered quickly. Those wanting 'zoom' have several options, hybrid or not. Those wanting the best fuel economy without sacrificing vehicle content have several options. As the vehicles being to enter their 7th year on the road data is being accumulated showing that problems are few and far between while the cost of operation is amazingly low ( maintenance, fuel, insurance, brakes, etc ). So...the vehicle pricing is much more affordable than before; the vehicles ( all of them ) have little or no issues of durability; the cost of keeping them on the road is far lower than other vehicles;... ...Oh and gas is at $3/gal for the third year in a row now. 'What if we really only had to spend $30 to go 500 miles?' |
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How low can ya go, 'Yota? Toyota Motor expects to cut costs for hybrid cars enough to be able to make as much money on them as it does on conventional gasoline cars by around 2010, a top executive said Thursday. Japan's top automaker has been keen to see the fuel-saving power train enter the mainstream since launching the Prius, the world's first hybrid car, in 1997, but sales have come at the expense of profitability, given their high production costs. But Masatami Takimoto, executive vice president in charge of power train development, said cost-cutting efforts on the system's motor, battery and inverter were bearing fruit and that the cost structure would improve drastically by the time Toyota reaches its sales goal of a million hybrids annually in 2010 or soon after. "By then, we expect margins to be equal to gasoline cars," he told Reuters in an interview at Toyota's headquarters in Toyota City, central Japan. If it succeeds, Toyota would be removing the main hurdle preventing rivals from pushing the expensive power train, which twins a conventional engine with an electric motor, and likely widening its sales lead as more consumers seek better mileage amid rising fuel costs. |
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Toyota has spent $100 millon promoting the "hybrid" name? REALLY? Sources please That was money well spent. Thank you Toyota for bringing hybrids to the masses. Keep it up...
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Replying to: larsb (May 24, 2007 9:52 am) No matter what type of vehicle you choose, smaller is better, a lesson Arnold Schwarzenegger hasn't yet learned: California's partially green Governator has five Hummers in his driveway |
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Replying to: larsb (May 24, 2007 9:52 am) Hardly. They are still the play toys of the High paid techno geeks in the USA. The complexity will catch up and bite Toyota in the back side. They are far from mainstream vehicles. May 17, 2007 Traction control problems continue to plague the electronically-sophisticated Toyota Prius, at times stranding owners of the little hybrid at the bottom of a hill or driveway. Toyota has addressed a similar problem in other of its models including the new 2007 Tundra pickup truck and the Scion xB and xD.
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Replying to: gagrice (May 25, 2007 7:04 pm) 
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quote- If you’ve been waiting for an all-new Prius, get ready to wait an extra six months. According to news reports, Toyota has delayed the launch of the third-generation hybrid to the spring of 2009. This comes after the announcement in May that early versions of the new Prius will not be equipped with lithium-ion batteries. Toyota and battery supplier Panasonic EV claim issues pertaining to initial cost and thermal safety (read: fire hazard) have yet to be addressed.-end
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Replying to: moparbad (Jun 15, 2007 8:09 am) A safe, well-engineered 90+ MPG Prius is worth waiting for. |
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Replying to: larsb (Jun 15, 2007 9:48 am) A safe, well-engineered 90+ MPG Prius is worth waiting for." I don't know, there are limitations to LiIon technology. The NiMH are capable of running a long time, but LiIon seem to be very sensitive to charge/discharge cycles, although they do have a higher charge for the size.
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