Edmunds.com's Senseless Hybrid Vehicle Cost Study
The extra costs of hybrid cars do not pay for themselves in 5 years according to a new study by Edmunds.com. For a respectable car research company, I found the study to be, well, silly.
The biggest problem that I have with the report is that it assumes drivers drive mostly on the highway. Yet, according to government studies, city driving is the new norm. If you live in Los Angeles, for example, you might drive on a highway, but you don't drive the speed limit on the highway. Instead, traffic turns highway driving into city driving, and according to transportation experts, traffic is not only becoming the norm for more and more Americans, it is expected to get much worse year after year.
The future of America is traffic and stop-and-go driving conditions. It is under these conditions that hybrids, such as the Prius and Escape hybrid, excel. Edmunds, like the EPA, needs to utilize the real world driving habits of the majority.
Additionally, if the price of gas goes up, the Edmunds study would be greatly affected, and recent reports show that oil refinement capacity isn't only a problem for the U.S., but the world. Gas prices are certain to go higher in the years to come. And what happens if a big hurricane knocks out Gulf of Mexico refinement capacity (Experts are predicting a major hurricane season this year.)?
The U.S. is playing with fire. To think terrorists do not realize this vulnerability is extremely naive. Besides, Americans are already fighting and dying in the Middle East so that other Americans can gas guzzle and grossly pollute the environment. If the 'real costs' of foreign oil dependency were added to the cost of gas guzzlers, or gasoline, the upside of hybrids becomes much clearer.
Still, under the best circumstances, gas prices are going up, and if a hurricane or terrorist act disrupts refinement, prices will skyrocket. Will that be good for the economy and America?
So, go ahead, listen to Edmunds.com. Don't pay for the newest technology that significantly improves fuel efficiency and reduces pollution, while offering greater performance. It isn't worth it.
Instead, buy your gas-guzzler and help fund terrorism. It's cheaper - at least today - and who really cares about tomorrow?
The biggest problem that I have with the report is that it assumes drivers drive mostly on the highway. Yet, according to government studies, city driving is the new norm. If you live in Los Angeles, for example, you might drive on a highway, but you don't drive the speed limit on the highway. Instead, traffic turns highway driving into city driving, and according to transportation experts, traffic is not only becoming the norm for more and more Americans, it is expected to get much worse year after year.
The future of America is traffic and stop-and-go driving conditions. It is under these conditions that hybrids, such as the Prius and Escape hybrid, excel. Edmunds, like the EPA, needs to utilize the real world driving habits of the majority.
Additionally, if the price of gas goes up, the Edmunds study would be greatly affected, and recent reports show that oil refinement capacity isn't only a problem for the U.S., but the world. Gas prices are certain to go higher in the years to come. And what happens if a big hurricane knocks out Gulf of Mexico refinement capacity (Experts are predicting a major hurricane season this year.)?
The U.S. is playing with fire. To think terrorists do not realize this vulnerability is extremely naive. Besides, Americans are already fighting and dying in the Middle East so that other Americans can gas guzzle and grossly pollute the environment. If the 'real costs' of foreign oil dependency were added to the cost of gas guzzlers, or gasoline, the upside of hybrids becomes much clearer.
Still, under the best circumstances, gas prices are going up, and if a hurricane or terrorist act disrupts refinement, prices will skyrocket. Will that be good for the economy and America?
So, go ahead, listen to Edmunds.com. Don't pay for the newest technology that significantly improves fuel efficiency and reduces pollution, while offering greater performance. It isn't worth it.
Instead, buy your gas-guzzler and help fund terrorism. It's cheaper - at least today - and who really cares about tomorrow?
Labels: Escape hybrid, Ford, Ford Escape hybrid, Foreign Oil Dependency, fuel efficiency, Hybrid Vehicles, prius, toyota
posted by Dahcredyns at
5:28 AM
4 Comments:
I think edmunds raises a very valid point, especially in terms of cost.
For example, a 21,000$ prius gets 50 mpg highway, whereas the toyota echo gets 40 mpg highway.
The echo is only 11,000$... So it'd be much better for the environment and economy to buy TWO toyota echo's and replace the SUV fleet more quickly (give the extra one to a friend or your wife, etc).
Also worth noting, the Echo has much better acceleration.
The majority of Americans are not going to purchase a vehicle ONLY because of fuel economy. Every American is not going to buy something like the Echo.
Also, the Echo certainly doesn't get 40 mpg in urban driving. In terms of urban driving, or stop-and-go traffic, there really isn't much of a comparison to the Toyota Prius, especially if pollution is considered.
Edmunds assumes every American drives 75% of the time on the open highway. Maybe in South Dakota or Nebraska, but not in California, or New York - where a significant percentage of Americans live.
I know many Prius drivers that drive in Los Angeles traffic and have averaged close to 70 mpg in traffic - with almost zero emissions - and they do this in an elegantly stylish vehicle.
The Echo and the Prius are simply not in the same league. The Echo is an economy vehicle, the Prius is a mid-sized sedan. You're comparing apples and oranges in terms of costs.
I also disagree that the Echo has "much better acceleration". Perhaps you're talking about the first generation Prius?
Ultimately, if one is looking for a cheap, fuel efficient ride, the Echo is a fine vehicle.
The reality of the American car consumer; however, is one of choice. While I wouldn't mind if larger vehicles were outlawed, it's not going to happen.
The developments of the hybrid powertrain from the first generation Prius to the second generation Prius prove that this emerging technology has much more upside than is currently available.
Just as notebook batteries, hybrid batteries will continually become smaller and more efficient - enabling lazy, apathetic Americans to have their cake and eat it too.
When this happens, hybrids could easily double their fuel efficiency and their power.
The same logic against hybrids was once used against personal computers. I think the last decade has proven that logic to be illogical.
When you make comments like these…
“…and they do this in an elegantly stylish vehicle.” This is clearly an opinion and one that many do not share. Should I expect other individuals or the government to tell me what kind of car is stylish and elegant?
“While I wouldn't mind if larger vehicles were outlawed…”. Ok, that is just stupid. Just because you are a single or a dink, it just so happens that I get to haul around half of a girls soccer team, a dog and all their backpacks. Great idea, banning larger vehicles, if Dick Cheney was an environmentalist, he would agree with you.
“…enabling lazy, apathetic Americans to have their cake and eat it too.” Neat! Anyone who does not drive an elegant and stylish Prius, or a small car that is suitable to you, is now a fat, uncaring , piece of sh*t.
… I remember why I tend to disregard almost everything environmental activists say.
Wow, anonymous. Two words for you: context and assumptions.
Sometimes keeping things in context works great - you should try it sometime.
The point of contention was a study and the basis for that study and everything in the post was written in direct reference to that study or comments to my post about said study.
Nonetheless, to your point, there are many crossovers, for example, that can haul as many people as large SUVs, so your functionality argument wears thin, very thin.
Also, I didn't advocate for the end of large vehicles, only that I wouldn't mind if it happened - as it almost did in California, except for a loophole that was meant to help farmers. In fact, I said it would never happen.
Yet, large vehicles will largely be outlawed in California if the state wins its tailpipe waiver.
So what?!
Travel outside the US and you find vehicles that can haul 8 people that are much smaller than a Tahoe SUV, for example.
What's wrong with that? No where else in the world are vehicles so large, but Americans have to have them.
Why?
Moreover, it seems to me, you're assuming I mean anything larger than a Prius, which is utter nonsense.
Then there is you whole style thing. C'mon! What does style have to do with legislation?
No where did I call for the government to mandate style, so your point, well, really isn't a point. Again, this style reference was a contextual response to the comparison between the Echo and the Prius made by another commenter, so give me a break.
Finally, you talk about your girl's soccer team? Please. Do you think about the world America is leaving for your kids?
Do you really think our addiction to foreign oil isn't going to have future consequences?
Have you ever read Bin Laden's War Mandate against the US? IT ALL BOILS DOWN TO FOREIGN OIL.
In the 90's it cost far more money to secure and tranport oil from the Middle East to America than the oil was worth. Yet Americans didn't pay for transport and security costs at the pump. Instead, we paid them as hidden taxes that are ultimately used to gaurantee via military force - excuse me, protect - or dependence on cheap oil.
That's not causing any problems in the Middle East, though, right?
This also provides an undless funnel of money into the military that is largely being used to dictate a considerable amount of America's foreign policy. Just becuase you're happy with US foreign policy doesn't mean everyone in the US is just as content.
Again, have you traveled outside the US lately?
America's foreign oil dependency has put America in a very dangerous situation, yet it will take decades for any technology to make a serious dent in our foreign oil dependency.
Without doubt, I believe things are going to get far worse, not better in the next few decades, and I'm willing to walk, ride a bike, take the subway, and a drive a small hybrid to stand up for what I believe.
Sorry standing up for my beliefs offends you.
It's up to us, the people, and yes it's obvious we've been lazy and apethic. We have low voter turnout, we're a bunch of fat-ass couch potatoes that think America is number 1 just because we're America!
Higher energy prices are coming. The collapse of the US auto industry is becoming harder and harder to avoid, and more wars in the Middle East seem inevitable.
Does it really have to be this way? No, it doesn't, but preventing catastrophe is going to take a lot of out-of-the-box thinking and maybe even a few sacrifices.
Considering your kids, aren't a few small sacrifices worth a better future?
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