Top 3 Reasons to buy a hybrid car
To save money
O.K. this isn't the best reason to buy a hybrid, but it isn't as impossible as many critics would have you believe. If you live in a city, hybrid cars offer the best ability to save money on gasoline; however, not all hybrids are equal in city driving.
Honda hybrids are not the best for city conditions. Unlike Ford and Toyota hybrids, Honda hybrids do not function on electric power only at low speeds.
In city driving, the Toyota Prius can easily achieve 45 mpg or more. Something like the Ford Focus, achieves just 17 mpg. In fact, in the city, the far majority of ALL conventional vehicles are going to achieve less than 20 mpg. Even worse, many trucks and SUVs will achieve less than 10 mpg in the city. Here again, the Toyota Highlander hybrid or the Ford Escape hybrid offer their best gasoline savings. The Lexus RX400h does its best here as well, but who buys a Lexus to save money?
To reduce pollution
Pollution, like fuel economy, is a tricky subject. For example, why does smog develop in cities? Is it just because of the large number of cars, or are driving conditions an important factor?
Congestion, stop-and-go, and idling bring out the worst in our vehicles, except for hybrids. A Prius or Escape hybrid will function on mostly electric power in these conditions, and in these conditions, conventional vehicles simply offer no competition. Overall, hybrids produce far less pollution than conventional vehicles, and in the conditions that produce the most pollution, hybrids perform their best.
To help end foreign oil dependency
Why do people buy Hummers, Cadillacs, and BMWs? Why do people put rims on their cars? Don't they want to make a statement?
For many hybrid buyers, buying a hybrid is a message that says, 'I am willing to fund fuel efficient technology.' This message is especially aimed at automakers whom have contributed to America's yearly increase in foreign oil consumption - automakers that have for decades successfully lobbied Congress not to raise fuel efficiency standards nor to make the EPA accurate.
How do you put a cost on foreign oil consumption? How much does it cost to maintain a military presence in the Middle East to protect America's oil addiction? How much money does it cost to influence the politics of the Middle East? How much money does it cost to try to stop the flow of money that moves from oil into the hands of terrorists?
How much? How many lives?
If the real costs of foreign oil dependency were added into the price of gasoline, the question of hybrid costs would immediately be over. Since oil wealth largely runs America, should we be surprised those costs are separated?
Only in America can Hummer ads fill the advertising slots of articles criticizing the costs of hybrid cars. Only in America is materialistic ignorance more acceptable than intelligence.
O.K. this isn't the best reason to buy a hybrid, but it isn't as impossible as many critics would have you believe. If you live in a city, hybrid cars offer the best ability to save money on gasoline; however, not all hybrids are equal in city driving.
Honda hybrids are not the best for city conditions. Unlike Ford and Toyota hybrids, Honda hybrids do not function on electric power only at low speeds.
In city driving, the Toyota Prius can easily achieve 45 mpg or more. Something like the Ford Focus, achieves just 17 mpg. In fact, in the city, the far majority of ALL conventional vehicles are going to achieve less than 20 mpg. Even worse, many trucks and SUVs will achieve less than 10 mpg in the city. Here again, the Toyota Highlander hybrid or the Ford Escape hybrid offer their best gasoline savings. The Lexus RX400h does its best here as well, but who buys a Lexus to save money?
To reduce pollution
Pollution, like fuel economy, is a tricky subject. For example, why does smog develop in cities? Is it just because of the large number of cars, or are driving conditions an important factor?
Congestion, stop-and-go, and idling bring out the worst in our vehicles, except for hybrids. A Prius or Escape hybrid will function on mostly electric power in these conditions, and in these conditions, conventional vehicles simply offer no competition. Overall, hybrids produce far less pollution than conventional vehicles, and in the conditions that produce the most pollution, hybrids perform their best.
To help end foreign oil dependency
Why do people buy Hummers, Cadillacs, and BMWs? Why do people put rims on their cars? Don't they want to make a statement?
For many hybrid buyers, buying a hybrid is a message that says, 'I am willing to fund fuel efficient technology.' This message is especially aimed at automakers whom have contributed to America's yearly increase in foreign oil consumption - automakers that have for decades successfully lobbied Congress not to raise fuel efficiency standards nor to make the EPA accurate.
How do you put a cost on foreign oil consumption? How much does it cost to maintain a military presence in the Middle East to protect America's oil addiction? How much money does it cost to influence the politics of the Middle East? How much money does it cost to try to stop the flow of money that moves from oil into the hands of terrorists?
How much? How many lives?
If the real costs of foreign oil dependency were added into the price of gasoline, the question of hybrid costs would immediately be over. Since oil wealth largely runs America, should we be surprised those costs are separated?
Only in America can Hummer ads fill the advertising slots of articles criticizing the costs of hybrid cars. Only in America is materialistic ignorance more acceptable than intelligence.
Labels: Congress, electric cars, Escape hybrid, Ford, Ford Escape hybrid, Foreign Oil Dependency, fuel efficiency, Highlander hybrid, Honda, hybrid trucks, Hybrid Vehicles, Lexus hybrid, prius, toyota
posted by Dahcredyns at
7:36 AM
3 Comments:
Excellent article - You can't stress enough the hidden costs to America that the auto companies, big oil, and Washington's policies are causing us. With the possible exception of Ford, the car companies should lose their license to manufacture & sell. The general public has been led to believe the world has unlimited oil and we have the right to the majority of it.
ACEEE did a study that claims that if America increased fuel efficiency to 45 mpg by 2015, that the country would save more than half a trillion dollars by 2020 - and that was with gas priced at less than $2.00 per gallon.
If we can save that much, obviously, it must cost that much.
I wish I could afford a hybrid. I just bought a 2006 Ford Focus ZX3 and got 26 MPG in City driving in the Milwaukee winter. SO it's not as bad as people think. Hybrids neeed to come down in price to make a difference.
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