Is the Accord hybrid dead in 2008?

When the Honda Accord Coupe Concept was revealed at NAIAS I was in attendance hoping to hear something about an updated Accord hybrid. Unfortunately, a hybrid version of the Accord was not mentioned as part of the debut. I later asked a Honda spokesperson if the new Accord Coupe, which is set for launch as a 2008 vehicle, would include a hybrid version. To that question, I was simply told there is not yet an answer.

Considering that Honda's debut focused on Honda's efforts in fuel efficiency, it was surprising not to hear something about an Accord hybrid, which only makes me think that the Accord hybrid could be phased out.

Hybrid vehicles still offer excellent reliability - Consumer Reports

Hybrid vehicles are very reliable according to Consumer Reports survey research. The Honda Accord hybrid and the Toyota Prius hybrid are the number one and two most reliable family cars, and the Honda Civic hybrid took third place for most reliable small car. The Toyota Highlander hybrid and the Lexus RX400h took the first and fifth spots for most reliable midsized SUVs.

The only hybrid to suffer a bit this year compared to last year was the Ford Escape hybrid, which dropped from above average to just average.

(Source: CNNMoney)

Hybrids only 9% more efficient than regular vehicles?

Are hybrid vehicles only 9% more fuel efficient than conventional vehicles? That's what J.D. Power claims, according to the Detroit News. While noting that interest in hybrids is growing, J.D. claims that hybrid buyers have unrealistic expectations in terms of performance.

While I agree that some buyers have unrealistic expectations, I have to question the 9% figure. Other studies have claimed the same, but those studies were done using track testing. For the majority of drivers, track testing is about as accurate for gauging real world fuel economy as are EPA estimates of hybrids.

Moreover, saying 'hybrids' are only 9% more efficient than conventional models is completely deceptive. For example, some hybrids were not produced to achieve the highest fuel efficiency possible. The Honda Accord hybrid, for example, is really a performance hybrid, though it achieves excellent fuel mileage for that performance. The same is largely true of both the Lexus RX400h and the Toyota Highlander hybrid, though these vehicles are - for their class - more fuel efficient than the Accord hybrid.

In terms of fuel efficiency, both the Ford Escape hybrid and the Toyota Prius hybrid, are the two hybrids most designed for fuel economy. While the Civic hybrid is a very fuel efficient vehicle as well, so to is the standard Civic. Additionally, the Civic hybrid doesn't offer as much electric assist as the hybrid Escape or Prius.

Consequently, comparing some hybrids is about as accurate as comparing apples to oranges. Thus, averaging their fuel economy is completely useless.

Even worse, if the Silverado hybrid was also included in the 'hybrid class' by J.D., then the results are completely skewed against hybrid fuel efficiency. The Silverado hybrid isn't even a mild hybrid in my book. In fact, its not even a hybrid in my book.

Consequently, the class of current hybrid vehicles are actually a very diverse group of vehicles. To average their fuel economy is misleading at best and, ultimately, deceptive. Studies by both Consumer Reports and Edmunds very much call into question the number, 9%.

Some hybrids are more fuel efficient than other hybrids. Some hybrids offer more power than other hybrids. Some hybrids perform better on highways compared to other hybrids, and some hybrids perform better in urban slow-and-go or stop-and-go traffic than other hybrids. Inevitably, hybrid fuel efficiency can ONLY be assessed vehicle by vehicle. Even then, two different drivers of the same hybrid can still achieve vastly different outcomes.

So, don't take this 9% very seriously. It might be true for some hybrids, but it certainly isn't true for all hybrids. If you want to read more about real world fuel economy from real world hybrid drivers, check out these hybrid testimonials.

News for hybrid cars this week

I've been sick this week, so I haven't been doing much writing. To top it off, I probably won't be doing much writing today, as I found out that someone threw a cinder block through my windshield last night - just another day in L.A.!

Anyway, over the weekend, I read an interesting article in the Detroit News, San Antonio joins hybrid-incentive trend. Aside from San Antonio joining the hybrid incentive trend, the article kind of paints the question, 'Do hybrid vehicles receive too many perks'?

The article references policies in Salt Lake City, for example, which - at times - are more favorable to small cars than some hybrid vehicles.

I think supporting small vehicles is great. Still, I don't believe that if every American drove a small car that America would be doing enough to fight oil addiction.

In fact, I'm not SURE we CAN'T do enough to fight oil addiction.

This week Toyota also released a press release noting that worldwide sales of the Toyota Prius hybrid have surpassed the 500,000 vehicle mark. While that is great P.R., what is the real impact of 500,000 cars? Not much.

Still, in America - even in the most unfavorable hybrid driving conditions, the Prius can achieve well over 40 mpg. How many compact cars achieve that kind of mileage? Then, when you add in stop-and-go traffic performance and emissions, it's pretty hard to top the performance of the Prius. And, when it comes to hybrid cars, this is just the beginning - better battery technology could easily double performance and fuel efficiency in just a few years.

Technologies, such as hybrids, represent the true power of the computer revolution and no country more than America has more to gain by embracing this revolution.

Of course some hybrids, such as the Lexus RX400h or the Honda Accord hybrid, are geared more for performance than fuel efficiency. Nonetheless, for the performance these hybrids provide, the fuel efficiency of these hybrids is nothing short of stellar. More important, buying such a car STILL invests in hybrid technology.

Let's face it, gas isn't going to get cheaper any time soon. Now that Prudhoe Bay is reducing capacity, places like California will almost certainly see $4.00 gas. In some areas of California, $5.00 gas won't be surprising before the end of this year.

Of course, if the situation in Israel-Iran-Lebanon-Syria continues to escalate, $5.00 gas will dominate all of America.

The world has changed and we're never going back to $25.00 barrels of oil. In fact, we're probably never going back to even $50.00 barrels of oil.

Ultimately, we cannot embrace hybrid technology fast enough.

Honda hybrid tax credits now official

The IRS has officially determined the tax credits for Honda hybrid cars. The 2006 Civic hybrid qualifies for a $2100.00 tax credit. The Accord hybrid actually qualifies for a better credit than originally estimated, if it offers updated control calibration. Thus, the new credit is $1300.00. For those without the calibration, the credit is $650.00. The Honda Insight qualifies for a $1,450 tax credit. More on tax credits for hybrid vehicles.

Newsweek's Green Gap: Hybrid Critics have become boring

I was just reading Newsweek's Green Gap which asks, "Hybrids might be hip, but are they saving consumers enough at the pump to compensate for their high sticker price?" Over and over auto writers have noted that the Honda Accord hybrid and the Toyota Highlander hybrid are not selling well because of their sticker price. So hybrid cars are dead, right? Well, not exactly, the Toyota Prius and the Toyota Camry hybrid are hot, the Honda Civic hybrid is also hot. Ultimately, hybrid sales keep going up, and the hybrid market is only just emerging, only just being understood. It seems today's media loves to talk about hybrids. Recently, I questioned whether there was a media bias against hybrids. When Toyota announced a recall that includes the Prius, but wasn't limited to hybrids, nor was it related to hybrid technology, yet most of the media focused only on the Prius, not the fact that the majority of the affected cars were NOT hybrids.

Honda Will Share Hybrid Technology

Honda announced that it would share its hybrid technology if other auto companies were interested, joining at least Toyota and GM/Chrysler/BMW. Already Nissan is going to lease Toyota hybrid technology for the upcoming Altima hybrid, and Ford leases some Toyota software. Perhaps, Honda is making a play for Hyundai, whom recently announced the delay of any hybrid cars until 2009? (More)

Fickle consumers underscore need for hybrid technology

Most Consumers Still Demand Performance and/or Size

Hybrid technology is just emerging and still evolving, but already there are mild hybrids, full hybrids, one-mode hybrids, two-mode hybrids, gasoline hybrids, diesel hybrids, hydrogen hybrids, plug-in hybrids, flex-fuel hybrids, etc.

Another class of hybrids, performance hybrids, have often been the source of much media ridicule because they are as much about performance as fuel efficiency. Such hybrids include the Lexus RX400h and the Honda Accord hybrid. Additionally, other hybrids, such as the Toyota Highlander hybrid, could have been made to be more fuel efficient, but Toyota figured Highlander drivers, and many SUV drivers, still favored a certain level of performance more than fuel efficiency. Much evidence seems to show that Toyota is right.

According to a CNN/Kelly Blue Book study, almost 25% of consumers are willing to give up performance and size for better fuel economy; however, 25% refuse to give up anything for better fuel economy. The other 50% will give up a little size, or a little performance, etc.

Along those same lines, an AutoWeek article notes, Loyalists won't quit big SUVs; hauling power, improved fuel economy help move vehicles . "Arguably, Americans insist on SUVs. It's unique to their lifestyle and utility."

Additionally, while Congress is going to finally address CAFE, it now appears that the new regulations will still protect Detroit's SUV domain. It is just too obvious in Congress that Detroit probably cannot survive if CAFE is pushed too high.

Unfortunately, performance and size are simply more important to most Americans than is fuel efficiency. Nonetheless, ever rising oil prices, ever more realizations of the connection between foreign oil, terrorism and American hate, will slowly force more and more Americans to take fuel efficiency seriously.

The technology behind hybrid cars enables automakers to continue to provide performance and size to Americans, while also significantly reducing foreign oil dependency. This isn't something that should be done, it is something that must be done. While Congress will probably be weak on CAFE, they should be overly aggressive in offering tax incentives to promote hybrid technology.

Join our Campaign to Make Congress Act On Hybrid Tax Incentives.

Ford's Slow Hybrid Sales Surge 50% in April

Last week I read at least 4 articles talking about the slow sales of hybrid vehicles. MotorTrend, for example, carried the article Hybrid Sales Running On Empty.

Then, today, I read that Ford increased its sales of hybrid vehicles by 50% in April - some slump(Reuters).

While it is true that incentives played a role in the sales increase of the Ford Escape hybrid, I bet rising gas prices also didn't hurt. Still, the whole "hybrids losing momentum" sentiment was really annoying.

Sales of the Toyota Prius weren't slow, nor were the sales of the Honda Civic hybrid. These two vehicles account for the far majority of hybrid vehicle sales, yet because the Honda Accord hybrid isn't selling well - a performance hybrid - hybrid sales are slumping?

Hybrid cars are an emerging technology and not every hybrid is going to sell well - there will be winners and losers. Additionally, costs and the price of gas are extremely important. Still, with no end in sight for high gasoline prices, I expect a lot more slow sales from hybrid cars.

Nonetheless, I don't get it. Why does it seem so many want to see hybrids fail?

Reduced Accord hybrid sales are not the end of hybrid cars

One might think the end of hybrid cars is near. Carlos Ghosn, whose Nissan Company has no hybrid technology, and Honda make some bearish comments regarding hybrids, suddenly, hybrids are no longer hot.

"We've had to reevaluate our position [regarding the Accord hybrid]," Honda Executive Vice President Dick Colliver recently stated. "It's having a hard time in the market." (MSNBC)

Well, it isn't necessarily surprising that the Accord hybrid might see a production decrease. Nonetheless, Honda's other two hybrids, the Civic hybrid and the Insight are seeing very good sales. Moreover, Honda has never been as bullish regarding hybrids as Toyota and they are still not.

More important, the Toyota Prius is still attracting waiting lists and is blowing all the competition away. The Prius is a unique vehicle powered by excellent technology.

Let's face it, sticker shock is the most important factor in buying a vehicle. Even if all hybrids saved $2000 compared to their conventional cars after 5 years, but customers had to pay more upfront, the majority of buyers would still go for the most immediate savings.

As hybrid technology becomes cheaper and gas prices go higher, America's perception of hybrids will continue to improve. Today, however, if you want to sell a 100,000 hybrid vehicles, produce a unique hybrid.

The hybrid vehicle revolution is dead?

The Wall Street Journal reported that sales of some hybrid cars are slowing, according to Car and Driver. That magazine cited such evidence as interest free loans for the Ford Escape hybrid, as well as new financing deals for the Toyota Highlander hybrid, and cuts in production on both the Highlander hybrid and the Honda Accord hybrid.

Of course, the Toyota Prius hybrid car is burning off the lot, and the Honda Civic hybrid is also seeing strong sales.

So, what's the problem? Cost effectiveness.

Ultimately, I believe there two main types of hybrid consumers: those driven by the environment and foreign oil dependency and those driven by saving money on gas.

The Prius and the Civic hybrid fit the demands of both of these consumer segments. The rest of the hybrids don't fit the majority of consumers in either one of these segments very well.

Still, the best of hybrid technology is yet to come and even large hybrid SUVs will eventually see lower prices and higher fuel economy.

Hybrid vehicles are far from dead.

Camry and Accord hybrids: Another view

Last week I wrote about the upcoming battle among hybrid cars between the Honda Accord hybrid and the Toyota Camry hybrid (more). This week, the New York Times has done the same. "RELIABLE, practical and popular, the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry are as mainstream as white bread and as exciting as mom's meatloaf. But hybrid technology has transformed versions of these family cars from conservative appliances into cutting-edge green machines."

(Read the New York Times Story)

Accord hybrid versus the Camry hybrid

Hybrid Competition Heats Up, A little

Slowly, albeit very slowly, competition amongst hybrid cars is building.

Already we have the Toyota Highlander hybrid versus the Ford Escape hybrid versus the Lexus RX 400h, as well the Toyota Prius versus the Honda Civic hybrid, and soon we'll have the Toyota Camry hybrid versus the Honda Accord hybrid.

Both the Accord and the Camry are already top selling cars in America. So, how will the hybrid battle between these two champions play out?

Unfortunately, it probably won't be much of a battle.

The Accord hybrid is a performance hybrid, offering some of the best performance of any Accord. For the power offered, the Accord hybrid offers good fuel efficiency. Ultimately, however, the hybrid Accord was built to perform on the highway, not to set fuel efficiency records.

The Camry hybrid, on the other hand, will offer significant gains in both fuel economy and pollution reductions compared to a standard Camry. While the hybrid Camry will still perform well, it wasn't designed for 0 to 60 supremacy, however the hybrid Camry should offer exceptional fuel efficiency.

Ironically, the real competition in the hybrid vehicle wars will probably be between the Camry hybrid and the Prius.

Consumer Reports and Hybrid Cars: What you need to know

What's the word on hybrids?

Consumer Report's Annual Auto Issue is one of the most important sources for unbiased ratings and reviews of automobiles. So, what can we learn from Consumer Reports when it comes to hybrid cars.?

First, we learned that the Toyota Highlander hybrid is the best SUV over $30,000 and that the Toyota Prius hybrid is the Best Green Vehicle.

Second, we learned that the Prius is the Most Satisfying vehicle according to owners. A whopping 95% of Prius owners would buy another Prius (more).

Third, we learned that hybrid vehicles have thus far proven to be extremely reliable. In fact, the Prius and the Honda Civic hybrid topped CR's rankings of Most reliable, with just 4% of owners reporting problems. In addition, the Highlander hybrid, Lexus RX400h hybrid and the Accord hybrid also did very well in reliability.

Of course, the long term reliability of hybrids is still a question, a question that can only be answered once enough hybrids have been on the road for more than a decade. Ultimately, the reliability of hybrids is extremely important as it is the factor in determining the overall value of hybrids, which brings us to our final point.

Fourth, are hybrid vehicles worth the cost?

According to Consumer Reports, only two hybrids can save you money after the first five years: the Prius and the Civic hybrid. Of course, once the capped tax credits for hybrids expire, these vehicles will then cost more than their conventional counterparts, well, maybe.

The article, Hybrids: Save gas, lose money, notes that "six hybrid gasoline/electric vehicles, will lose 2 percent to 3 percent more in value over five years of ownership than otherwise identical non-hybrid vehicles." While the Prius can save $406 after 5 years and the Civic hybrid saves $317, the rest of the hybrids lose money after five years: Ford Escape Hybrid ($1,883), Honda Accord Hybrid ($4,263), Lexus RX400h ($4,171) and Toyota Highlander Hybrid ($5,508).

Of course, as in life, few things are ever black and white.

To start, there is no "identical non-hybrid vehicle" to compare to the Prius. If the Prius were simply a hybrid Corolla, it would be called the Corolla hybrid. Quite simply, the Prius is a unique vehicle and when you consider performance, reliability and customer satisfaction, the Prius is a unique, awesome vehicle.

As for the rest of the hybrid vehicle segment, it is true that cost is an important concern. Still, for those that care, can you really put a cost on foreign oil dependency or a cleaner environment? Sometimes doing the right thing is neither the cheapest nor easiest thing to do.

Furthermore, the Consumer Reports study makes several important assumptions. For example, it assumes that your auto insurance will cost more. Overtime; however, this might not be true, especially when you consider that some insurance providers have already offered discounts to hybrid drivers.

CR also assumes extra financing costs for hybrids. Already, Ford has begun to offer incentives and better financing deals on its hybrid vehicles, so this 'cost' might not remain an extra cost.

The most important assumption affecting the costs of hybrids; however, is extra depreciation, which CR claims could range from $2,900 to 6,300 after 5 years. These are huge numbers that cannot, at this point in time, be backed by fact.

For example, if hybrid batteries generally last the life of these vehicles, which Toyota engineers claim is quite possible, then these numbers will be horribly wrong. Additionally, as more hybrids are built, hybrid battery costs will come down.

Moreover, it could turn out that replacing the battery packs of older hybrids could make hybrids twice as fuel efficient as before with new battery technology, such as lithium batteries. Not only would this reverse depreciation costs, but it would double fuel savings costs.

In 10 years, it could turn out that replacing the hybrid battery pack on an old hybrid actually results in a better hybrid than when new. Imagine the effect this would have on resale value.

Additionally, "Hybrid supporter and Prius owner James Bell, publisher of the automotive guide IntelliChoice, recently sold his two-year-old Prius for just $4,000 less than he originally paid for it -- a remarkably low rate of depreciation." (more)

So, hybrid depreciation is a complete wild card.

Furthermore, "We really like hybrids in terms of their overall performance" and environmental benefits, says Doug Love, a spokesman for Consumers Union.

In conclusion, the CR study does demonstrates that hybrid vehicles do pose some risk when it comes to long term value; however, the CR study largely assumes the worst case scenario. If hybrid batteries are very reliable and/or new battery technology could cost-effectively make old hybrids twice as fuel efficient, then hybrids could end up as long term bargains.

Hybrid cars and reliability

Can you trust hybrid technology?

I regularly receive e-mails that ask, "Are hybrid cars reliable?"

Well, according to Consumer Reports, they are. In fact, both the Toyota Prius and the Honda Civic hybrid were found to be the most reliable vehicles by CR, with just 4% of owners reporting problems.

Additionally, the CR study also picked the Toyota Highlander hybrid as one of its Top 10 vehicles of 2006, a ranking which also includes reliability. Two other hybrids, the Lexus RX400h and the Honda Accord hybrid also received high marks.

Sure it is possible that the smaller production lines of these hybrid vehicles eases the ability to ensure their reliability. Moreover, the long term reliability of hybrids is still somewhat of question, since hybrids simply haven't been around long enough. Yet, first generation Prii and Honda Insight hybrids have proven to be reliable after several years.

While the long term reliability of the hybrid battery pack will remain a question for another decade, based upon current evidence hybrids appear extremely reliable. If the hybrid battery pack lasts the life of the vehicle, as many Toyota hybrid engineers believe, the long term value of hybrids has been significantly underestimated.

Fit Honda adding another hybrid vehicle to lineup

Honda set to offer the first subcompact hybrid.

In 2007, according to unofficial reports, Honda will begin offering the Honda Fit Hybrid, a subcompact hybrid. With a starting price of just $11,790.00, the Fit hybrid should shake up the world of hybrid cars.

According to the report, the new Fit will achieve fuel efficiency in the range of the Toyota Prius hybrid or the Honda Insight hybrid.

Some analysts already speculate that this move is a sign that Honda now believes that hybrid vehicles will have a much more critical role in the future. In the past, Honda has indicated that it wasn't sure about the future of hybrids. In addition to the Insight and Fit hybrids, Honda also offers the Civic hybrid - now in its second generation - and the Accord hybrid.

Ironically, this will be Honda's fourth hybrid car. GM, on the other hand, has stated that it is mostly interested in putting hybrid technology only in its large vehicles. Thus, one cannot help but wonder if GM is not sealing its fate with its stubborn refusal to challenge Japan in small cars and the new battle for fuel efficiency supremacy.

Stop selling the Toyota Prius and Toyota Highlander hybrids?

Solomon Technologies, Inc. has filed a lawsuit against Toyota for patent infringement that seeks to stop Toyota from selling the Toyota Prius hybrid and the Toyota Highlander hybrid in the United States.

Thus far, for legal reasons, Toyota is not commenting on the case.

Still, it is kind of interesting that Solomon Technologies, Inc. didn't file a lawsuit against Toyota until September of 2005. They didn't realize their patent was being illegally used until then? Moreover, the Solomon site claims that its technology is used not only in Toyota hybrids, but also in the Ford Escape hybrid and the Honda Accord hybrid.

Is Honda or Ford paying Solomon?

Since Ford and Toyota negotiated on hybrid patents, it seems odd that Solomon's 'proprietary' patent could have been missed if Solomon and Ford have a relationship. If they don't have a relationship, why does the lawsuit only name Toyota?

On the face of it, this case seems derived to drive publicity to Solomon, but that is only my gut feeling. When I researched this company's stock and some other corporate information, I noticed that all questions were referred to the President of the company, which made me wonder if there are any other corporate officers in this company.

If an investor thought that Solomon had a case and that Solomon would eventually obtain a bucket of cash from Toyota, maybe a small stock purchase would be worthwhile? Is that Solomon's game? Again, I am just speculating.

Of course, on the contrary, Solomon could have a case, and what would happen to hybrid cars if Solomon wins?

Hybrid car testimonials: Read others and add your own

Do you own a hybrid vehicle?

Have you added your experiences to our hybrid cars testimonials? What kind of gas mileage are you achieving with your hybrid? What else would you tell others that are interested in buying a hybrid?

Click on one of the links below to add your hybrid experiences.

Ford Escape Hybrid Testimonials
Honda Accord Hybrid Testimonials
Honda Civic Hybrid Testimonials
Honda Insight Hybrid Testimonials
Lexus RX 400h Hybrid Testimonials
Toyota Prius Testimonials
Toyota Highlander Hybrid Testimonials

The Toyota Prius New Year's Rush; Deduction Bias?

Are you planning to buy a new Toyota Prius hybrid car in 2006?

If you have been waiting for the New Year because the hybrid tax deduction for the Prius is bigger than in 2005, then you are not alone. There have been numerous reports of Prius buyers telling dealers to wait until 2006.

So, will this make it hard to buy a Prius in 2006?

Sometimes the beginning of the year can be a slow time for car sales, and this might have an effect on hybrid cars as well. Nonetheless, demand for the Prius has been, and continues to be, far greater than supply. Since the tax deduction for the Prius is both bigger in 2006 and capped, some Prius buyers will not qualify for the hybrid car tax deduction.

All this makes me wonder whether some hybrid vehicle buyers will look at other hybrids such as the Civic hybrid or the Accord hybrid, instead of the Prius, after the Prius deductions meet their cap.

Additionally, since hybrid deductions are capped by manufacturer, the Toyota Highlander hybrid will also be affected by Prius demand. Consequently, the Ford Escape hybrid or the Mariner hybrid could become a better deal simply because they will continue to qualify for the tax deduction longer than the Highlander hybrid.

If you are in the market for a Toyota Prius and the new deduction is a primary concern, you better buy your new hybrid as soon as possible to ensure that you will qualify for the deduction. Unfortunately, many hybrid buyers will already have this in mind, which could make finding a Prius more difficult than ever.

If the hybrid tax deduction won't have a big effect on your return, it might not be a bad idea to shop for a hybrid in these last few days of the year.

It's kind of ironic that Toyota's hybrid success could be to Honda and Ford's gain. The caps for hybrid vehicles are both far too few and too biased. If the government wants to get hybrids on the road as quickly as possible, then the free market approach to caps would have been to cap the total number of hybrids eligible per year, not to cap them by manufacturer.

Now Toyota hybrids will probably meet their cap before GM even starts selling real hybrids. That's a shame.

What IS the point of hybrid vehicle critics?

Hybrid cars make up around one percent of total automobile sales, yet hybrid hype could almost make you believe that hybrids are dominating automobile sales.

So, is it the hype that makes critics sound off?

Do hybrid critics just hate change, or do they hate hybrids because most of them aren't built in America?

I just don't get most hybrid critics.

Some hybrid critics claim hybrids won't save money. In some cases this is true; however, even in these cases, hybrid vehicles still pollute far less than their conventional counterparts, but you can't put a cost on that. It means everything to some people, nothing to others.

Anyway, why are some so concerned with criticizing those that stand up and use their money to cause less pollution? Why is acting on one's beliefs a bad thing? What are critics acting on anyway?

Besides, many hybrids can save money. There is no doubt that hybrids like the Toyota Prius and the Ford Escape hybrid can save money and can achieve significantly better fuel economy than their conventional comparisons. Yes, you will have to drive differently, but if reducing your fuel consumption is important, hybrids offer the greatest and most convenient tools available for achieving this goal.

Of course, driving habits aren't the only concern. While the Honda Accord hybrid is regularly ridiculed by hybrid critics, the Accord hybrid is built for the open highway. If you are driving in urban traffic, this car will not achieve great fuel efficiency. If you regularly drive between Temecula and Fontana, California every day, then an Accord hybrid can be a great buy.

So, again, what is the point of hybrid critics?

Many educated hybrid critics claim that hybrids are just a distraction along the path to fuel cell vehicles. Interesting point except for the fact that even GM has recently admitted that fuel cell vehicles will be fuel cell hybrid vehicles, as has Toyota (more on this). Thus, purchasing a hybrid vehicle helps invest in the fuel cell future. These critics see no value in that?

Even without fuel cell hybrid vehicles, current hybrid technology offers the ability to easily achieve 100 mpg with today's technology, and experimental hybrid technology goes even further, at far less costs than fuel cells.

So what? Well, achieving 100 mpg across America's fleet would easily end foreign oil dependency.

So, these critics don't think that foreign oil dependency, in addition to pollution and global warming, are important issues? These critics don't find it interesting that the Chinese are now building hybrid vehicles as they scour the Earth for oil deals?

Besides, so what if some want to invest in the future, without necessarily profiting from it personally. Is that really a waste of time? Instead, selfish gas-guzzling greed is a better use of resources?

Does this all come down to guilt? Is that what is it about?

Perhaps hybrid vehicles don't ultimately save every consumer money, but only help reduce oil dependency, help reduce pollution and help invest in the future. How pathetic.

Is this the point these hybrid critics are making?

Toyota Prius Hybrid Testimonials

I HAVE A 2005 PRIUS. ON THE HIGHWAY DOING 75 MPH, WITH THE AIR OFF, I GET 54.SOMETHING. IN TOWN I GET 46-47 MPG. THE CAR HAS 17000 MILES ON IT AND USES MOBIL 1 SYNTHETIC OIL. CAN'T WAIT TO MAKE IT A PLUG IN HYBRID.

THE WIFE HAS A 2005 CIVIC HYBRID,7000 MILES GETS 39 IN THE CITY 41-43 ON THE ROAD.

PUTTING IN A PHOTOVOLTIC SYSTEM TO POWER THE HOUSE ALSO WANT TO USE IT WHEN I CONVERT THE PRIUS TO A PLUG IN HYBRID.

JERR
_________________________________

My 2004 Prius gets an average of 46.7 mpg!

B. H.
_________________________________

On Prius wife is getting 48mpg in city, no idea on open road, we
don't go any place.

On Lexus RX400h, my car, with 91 octane, 24.6 in city, using 87
octane 21.9 in city. Almost happy with Lexus, very pleased with Prius.

W. K.
Palm Desert, CA
_________________________________

We drive Toyota Prius's. Mine is a 2001, hers is 2003. During the summer and winter when the AC or Heat is running I average 40mpg, she does a little better, 43mpg. In the spring and fall when we don't use AC or heat much our averages are better 45-50mpg. We work 2 jobs each. One job for both of us is 25 miles away, the other is 75 miles away. The closer jobs are about 45 mph range. The further jobs are 65 mph range, with which we get lower mpgs.

Happy Holidays,

B. B. & J. J.
_________________________________

I have a 2004 (Jan) Prius 30,000mi. I admit I am a little lead footed. My worst mileage for a tank was last winter 38MPG. The best was last spring 54MPG. Mostly though its 40 to 45 in winter, 48 to 52 in spring, summer & fall.

Art in the Northeast
_________________________________

Hello,

The gas mileage for our 2004 TOYOTA full loaded prius from the display screen is about 44 miles/gal city mileage. This is an interesting question for us because I used to calculate gas mileage when I am at the pump. With the display of TOYOTA, I simply take down the number it gives us.
Regards,
_________________________________

I have a 2004 Prius, which was bought in November of 2003. I believe it to have been the first Prius on the road in our county. It has made mostly area trips, but did take us to the Outer Banks of NC during the summer of 2004, and to Iowa in the spring of 2005. During the trip home from NC we did reach 60mph for a short time. Otherwise, we average about 46-48 mph in the colder weather and when using AC. During the rest of the year - spring and fall- we average about 49-50 mph. I absolutely love this car. It is fun to drive, has plenty of pep, and is very comfortable. We have had no problems with it, except for the original tires, which were probably cheap. I replaced them after about 25,000 miles. We have had folks follow us home to ask about the car! Now, however, there are several others in our area. We live in NE

P.A.
_________________________________

I drive locally, 4-6 50 mile roundtrips a week and 3-5 times a year longer
trips, putting on about 18,000 miles a year. My 2004 Prius averages 44 to
47 mpg.
_________________________________

My husband and I bought a Prius in June, 2005. Most of the driving has been in the city. The car is averaging 45 mpg. I just bought a 2005 Accord Hybrid. I have only driven in the city so far and am averaging 24 mpg.
_________________________________

Are you the owner of a Toyota Prius hybrid? Tell us about your experiences with the Prius hybrid. What kind of gas mileage do you get in your hybrid Prius and in what kind of driving?

Add your Toyota Prius hybrid testimonial.

More on the Prius.

Honda Accord Hybrid Testimonials

My Accord hybrid gets 17-18 mpg when my driving consists only of inner city San Francisco's stop and go traffic with lots of hills.

Local highway trips yield 26-28mpg generally.

I usually get 37-39 mpg on trips from San Francisco to Orange County (which is past LA.) The drive is all highway, but often has some mix of stop and go in the bay area and then the long steep grade up and down the Grapevine.

Hope that helps.
_________________

I just bought a 2005 Accord Hybrid. I have only driven in the city so far and am averaging 24 mpg.

_________________

Are you the owner of a Honda Accord hybrid? Tell us about your experiences with the Accord hybrid. What kind of gas mileage do you get in your hybrid Accord and in what kind of driving?

Add your Honda Accord hybrid testimonial.

More on the Accord hybrid.

Another reason to check out the Accord hybrid?

Car and Driver has again named the Honda Accord as the Best Family Sedan. Since the Accord hybrid is both one second faster and more fuel efficient than the conventional Accord, many have called it the best Accord ever. Unlike many hybrid cars, the Honda Accord hybrid is a highway hybrid, so it doesn't achieve its best fuel efficiency in city driving. Nonetheless, if you are a highway driver, maybe you should check out the Accord hybrid.

Hybrid car tax estimates for the 2006 Clean Vehicle Tax Credit

While the tax credits for hybrid cars have not been officially calculated by the IRS, ACEE has estimated what those credits should be by vehicle.

Ford Escape Hybrid = 2wd=$2600.00; 4wd=$1950.00
Honda Accord Hybrid = $650.00
Honda Civic Hybrid = Auto=$2100.00; Man=$1700.00
Honda Insight Hybrid = Auto=$1450.00
Lexus RX400h Hybrid = $2,200.00
Mercury Mariner Hybrid = $1950.00
Toyota Highlander Hybrid = 2wd=$2,600.00; 4wd=$2,200.00
Toyota Prius Hybrid = $3150.00

Honda hybrids from Thailand

Honda is considering a move to build hybrid vehicles in Thailand as a way to cut down on production costs according to a recent story.

"We are looking for a further development of tax benefits (in Thailand) at this stage," Asian Honda's spokeswoman told AFP on Tuesday.

In addition to tax benefits, "Honda cars made in Thailand could enjoy a high ratio of local content enabling the carmaker to ship its hybrid vehicles overseas at a competitive cost, the spokeswoman said."

Honda's second generation Civic hybrid is now hitting showrooms across the country. It's new hybrid drive should help the hybrid Civic better compete with the Toyota Prius. In addition, Honda offers the Accord hybrid.

Toyota has also announced that it will develop and build hybrids in China as well.

AutoWeek and Hybrids: Makes me wanna laugh

I know that AutoWeek is a horsepower magazine and that many of their fans are the American-made, period, type of crowd. Still, sometimes the magazine is just plain silly.

I've noted in the past that any time a hybrid graces the cover of their website, it also includes some sort of negative caveat. Currently, things are slightly different this time on the home page of their website which includes a story about the Honda Accord hybrid.

"At $1.50 a gallon for gas, few Americans seemed to care about fuel economy, but how quickly apathy turns into concern when prices reach $3 per gallon. Suddenly, the word "hybrid" is on every lip. So the funny thing is, actual owners of hybrids - those who responded to our AutoFile survey on the Honda Accord Hybrid - seem to defy any real monetary motivation in their purchase decisions."

No, actually it isn't that funny. The funny thing is the way that AutoWeek plays dumb.

There are different kinds of hybrids vehicles. For example, Toyota hybrids, such as the Prius and Highlander hybrid, and Ford's hybrids, such as the Escape hybrid, are quite different than either Honda or Lexus hybrids.

Honda's hybrid technology increases fuel efficiency on the highway, where as Ford and Toyota achieve their best performance in the city. Ford and Toyota hybrids have the ability to function on just electric power during congestion and stop-and-go traffic, the same conditions that make conventional vehicles - even Honda hybrids - perform their worse. This is set to change with the upcoming second generation Civic hybrid, which will act more like Toyota and Ford hybrids. Still, there is a vast difference between Toyota and Honda hybrids.

The Accord hybrid, like the Lexus RX400h hybrid, is a performance hybrid. Sure the Lexus hybrid still offers excellent fuel efficiency in congestion compared to the conventional version, but it was not built for fuel efficiency, it was built for performance.

Both the RX400h hybrid and the Accord hybrid are about a second faster from 0 to 60 than their conventional counterparts, yet they achieve this performance while also achieving better fuel efficiency than their conventional counterparts. Of course, the RX400h excels at urban driving, while the Accord hybrid excels at highway driving. Nonetheless, you don't buy either one of these vehicles because you are on a budget trying to save money on gas.

Thus, contrary to AutoWeek, classifying the owners of the Accord hybrid with owners of the Prius hybrid, for example, is just plain silly. They are not hybrid owners from the same tree. So, why does AutoWeek do it? Is it because Forum members of AutoWeek are offended that some hybrid owners question their gas guzzling, so this article makes hybrid owners seem confused and silly?

I don't have the answer, but I know that AutoWeek knows fully well that comparing the Accord hybrid to the Prius hybrid is about as effective as comparing apples to oranges - they are fundamentally different. So, I can only guess that this appeals to their core audience - the hybrids just don't really makes sense audience.

Ultimately, there are different kinds of hybrids and consumers buy for them for many different reasons. Perhaps, one common thread of hybrid buyers is that hybrid consumers believe that buying hybrids sends a message to the auto industry that fuel efficiency is important, especially in light of the problems that foreign oil dependency so obviously has caused and continues to cause to America.

Let's be real, even Bill Ford believes that foreign oil dependency is important for America.

Hybrid vehicles, such as the Engima, and other experimental hybrids demonstrate that hybrid technology can lead to unbelievable gains in fuel efficiency and performance - something to which AutoWeek should be able to relate.

Until then, sometimes when I read AutoWeek, I guess all I can do is laugh.

GM dealers in mad hybrid push with Sierra / Silverado

According to AutoWeek GM dealers are trying hard to push the green factor of the Sierra / Silverado hybrid truck. While GM has been one of the industry's staunchest hybrid critics, its dealers are trying hard to utilize the frenzied interest in hybrid cars. And who can blame them when they are in the midst of a horrific sales slump?

Unfortunately, the Silverado hybrid barely qualifies as a hybrid. In fact, 'mild' hybrid is almost too strong of a word for this vehicle.

I would almost argue that the first generation Honda Civic hybrid and the Honda Accord hybrid are 'mild' hybrids because these Honda hybrids cannot function on primarily electric power, as do Ford and Toyota hybrids in certain driving conditions (fortunately, the 2006 Civic hybrid will offer more hybrid performance). This ability makes the Toyota Highlander hybrid and the Ford Escape hybrid extremely efficient in city driving.

The Silverado hybrid, on the other hand, lags far behind Honda hybrid performance.

As AutoWeek notes, "The trucks' big selling point is not the hybrid powertrain, but their capability as mobile power generators."

Ultimately, the GM Silverado hybrid is a baby hybrid and isn't scheduled to join the hybrid big leagues until 2008. That's too bad, because a full hybrid truck would sure be a great product right now.

Hybrid vehicle shopping, again

Every couple months I go out and do some hybrid vehicle shopping to check out demand, availability on the lot, and to take an extra test drive or two. Thus, I hit the dealers in my neighborhood over the weekend for the first time since early August, and the results were not good.

My first stop is always Toyota, home of the Toyota Prius. While I did go there to check out the lot's selection of available new and used Prii, I was more interested in scheduling a time to test drive the Highlander hybrid.

Back in August, the selection of Prii was fantastic on this lot. There were 5 new Prii hybrids found in various packages and colors and there were even 2 used Prii, but there were not any Highlander hybrids. So, I added my name to the waiting list.

This time around; however, there weren't any hybrids on the lot and my saleswoman told me that every hybrid they receive immediately sells. This didn't really surprise me as I know that high gas prices have really driven hybrid demand since I last visited this dealer. Nonetheless, I wanted to know what it would take to get into a Highlander hybrid.

"In two to four weeks," my saleswoman told me, "2 new Highlander hybrids are scheduled to arrive, but we d0n't know the color, options, etc."

So I asked if there was a waiting list and I was told there was not - it was first come first serve.

Now I have several phone numbers and I use different names and numbers so that when I visit the same dealer on multiple occasions, their contact management system finds me as a new customer, rather than a repeat prospect that isn't buying.

So, if there isn't a waiting list, what had I signed two months ago? My guess is that there is no 'official' waiting list at many dealerships, and that different salespeople have their own lists and make calls as hybrids become available.

The last two Highlander hybrids, I was told, were delivered the morning of the previous Saturday and were gone by lunch. Thus, it probably doesn't take too many phone calls - if they are even calling. Maybe there is enough foot traffic that they don't even have to make calls, saving those numbers for when demand cools. Now, it's a salesman's free-for-all when a hybrid hits the lot.

Somewhat disappointed, I left my contact info and headed to Honda to check out the new Civic hybrid. Yet again, however, I was disappointed. I was told there wouldn't be any new Civic hybrids until December - the first two had been pre-sold. The only hybrids on the lot were the Accord hybrids - a vehicle I've already test-driven more than once (So no deals to be had on the first generation Civic hybrid - yet).

At this point, I was ready to call it day, but as two Ford dealers still stood between me and my home, I thought I'd give it a shot. While each did have at least one Escape hybrid on the lot, only fully loaded versions of the hybrid Escape were available, and I asked whether base models are ever available. Sometimes, I was told, but I find that hard to believe, since I haven't seen one in all my visits.

My day still could have been salvaged had I had the opportunity to compare and contrast the Mercury Mariner hybrid to the Escape hybrid, but I'm sure you already know that didn't happen.

If you are in the market for a hybrid, I'd suggest calling before visiting any dealers, especially if you are seeking a particular color, or option's package, as such requests will probably take months to fulfill. If you are looking for a deal on a hybrid....you might want to check back in a year or two.

When it comes to shopping for hybrid cars, unless money is no object, expect to be disappointed. Car-salespeople typically aren't the best salespeople to deal with any way, but when demand overwhelms supply, your salesperson is in complete control.

Two hybrids tops for resale value cars

Kelly Blue Book rated two hybrid cars in the Overall Top 10 of Resale Value Cars. The Honda Accord Hybrid and the Toyota Prius took honors in the sedan and hatchback categories in addition to being rated Overall Top 10 Best Resale Value Cars. (CNNStory)

Re: Hybrids: Don't buy the hype

My boys love the movie Napoleon Dynamite, and it was Napoleon that I thought of when I read the article Hybrids: Don't buy the hype.

"Idiots."

"There may be reasons to buy a hybrid vehicle right now, but they aren't financial reasons," says Peter Valdes-Dapena .

Really, Peter?

"A hybrid Honda Accord costs about $3,800 more than the comparable non-hybrid version. Over five years, you'll make up that cost in gasoline money if the price of gas goes up immediately to $9.20 a gallon."

Nice one, Peter, the Accord hybrid? First, the Accord hybrid isn't a top selling hybrid. Second, it's a performance hybrid, not a hybrid built for fuel efficiency. Third, there is a huge difference between Honda hybrids and Toyota hybrids. In city driving, Toyota hybrids offer far more fuel efficiency because of their ability to function on electric power only.

"For the Ford Escape hybrid, the difference is less stark. To make up the difference between the Escape hybrid and a Ford Escape SLD, gas prices would have to rise to $5.60 immediately after you purchase the vehicle or you would have to drive 37,000 miles a year. Still an unlikely scenario." At least based on Edmunds.com data, Peter notes.

How about some investigative journalism, Peter?

The Edmund's study was largely based on EPA data, and is therefore unreliable and over-generalized. For example, in city driving, the EPA is off by as much as 50 percent in its fuel economy ratings according to Consumer Reports (more on this). Additionally, Edmunds, like the EPA, assumes that most drivers drive mostly on the highway.

Not me, Peter, and not millions and millions of other Americans that live in cities and suburbs.

Then you mention diesel as a more viable option. Peter, did you know that according to CR, the Jeep Liberty Diesel, estimated to achieve 22 MPG in the city, actually only achieves 11 MPG. Is that the kind of real money savings you are talking about Peter?

Then you state that "driving more gently" can save up to the 30 percent.

C'mon, Peter, driving more gently can also make the Ford Escape hybrid more fuel efficient as well as the Toyota Highlander hybrid and the Toyota Prius - of course that wasn't how Edmunds tested their hybrids, was it Peter?

And why didn't you cover the Toyota Prius in your article, since it is by far the best selling hybrid vehicle? Instead, you chose the least 'hybrid' of the hybrids to make your argument. Nice objectivity.

Since the Department of Transportation and numerous University studies claim that city driving, or congestion, is not only the new American norm, but a major American problem, shouldn't that be the standard for testing fuel efficiency?

According to Consumer Reports, not only are 3 hybrids the most fuel efficient vehicles available, but in city driving - the new American norm - the Prius is without rival. For example, the Prius is more than 150% more fuel efficient than the Ford Focus in congestion.

Hmm, Peter. So 45 MPG versus 17 MPG isn't good enough? And if I drive "gently" in the city, my Prius can achieve even 50 or 60 MPG. Still, not worth it, huh, Peter?

More important, hybrid vehicles are an emerging technology and the best is yet to come. Plug-in hybrids and experimental hybrids have been demonstrated to achieve as much as 250 MPG.

Not worth the investment Peter? Instead, we should drive more "gently"?

Buying a hybrid can save money, more important; however, it can help fund a technological revolution that can significantly help the environment and end foreign oil dependency - without finding some miracle to make million dollar fuel cell vehicles more cost effective.

Of course I guess we could just drive more "gently" to fix these problems, huh, Peter?

Hybrid Cars and Fuel Efficiency: The most important point

Hybrid cars are leading an automotive revolution. Yet, critics are everywhere. Hybrids cost too much, they don't achieve EPA estimates, diesel and biodiesel are better, fuel cells are the future and on and on.

On Friday Consumers Reports sent out a press release regarding the inaccuracy and inefficiency of the EPA's fuel economy ratings. Of course, even Consumer Reports had to take a stab at hybrid cars, noting that the Honda Civic hybrid missed its EPA estimated city fuel economy - utilizing CR's testing methodology - by a whopping 46 percent.

Of course CR did have to admit that hybrids still fill the top 3 most fuel efficient vehicles slot - not bad considering only a handful of hybrids are available.

In city driving, according to CR, 9 out of 10 vehicles - not just hybrids - miss their EPA estimates by as much as 50 percent. 9 out of 10 of the worse offenders were NOT hybrids. The Jeep Liberty Diesel estimated at 22 mpg city, actually achieves only 11 mpg. Chrysler's top selling 300C estimated at 17 mpg, actually achieves 10 mpg. A couple of Dodges only achieve 8 mpg in the city.

That's right just 8 mpg, yet we're worried that the Civic hybrid only achieves 24 mpg? Of course on the highway, the Civic hybrid does much better, as do all vehicles.

Still, this is an important point, especially when it comes to hybrids. Hybrids are not all the same. The Honda Accord hybrid and the Civic hybrid are built upon the same hybrid technology, but not the same hybrid technology as the Toyota Prius hybrid. Toyota hybrids, such as the Prius or Highlander hybrid, can actually function on electric power only at low speeds. This means that in city driving, where congestion creates stop-and-go traffic, Toyota hybrids can use much less gasoline, as can the Ford Escape hybrid.

Honda hybrids do not benefit from this gain. The second generation Civic hybrid, due out in October; however, will offer this capability, but its electronic component will still not equal that of Toyota hybrids.

Thus, all hybrids are not created equal and viewing hybrids as one class is as inaccurate and misleading as utilizing EPA fuel economy data. While the Civic hybrid only achieves 26 mpg in the city according to CR, the Prius achieves 45 mpg. The Ford Focus, for a conventional comparison, only achieves 17 mpg.

At today's gas prices, driving 15,000 miles per year, the Civic hybrid would save you $1500.00 in gas versus the Focus, the Prius would save $4500.00 per year in gas savings versus the Focus. Of course, not everyone drives in these conditions all the time, but for those that live in large cities, the cost-benefit of hybrids like the Prius is pretty dramatic.

Additionally, if you HAVE to drive an SUV and you drive mostly in the city, driving a Highlander hybrid or Escape hybrid will probably save close to $700 - $1000 per year. For many hybrid drivers, gasoline savings in the real world ARE enough to cover the cost of hybrid components, plus you are helping to clean the environment - can you really put a cost on that?

Ultimately, hybrids are not all the same. Currently, the Prius is best in class - at least until the second generation Civic hybrid. Still, it isn't the fuel economy of hybrids that should be in focus, rather is should be the incredible fuel inefficiency of conventional vehicles.

Honda Civic Hybrid Expectations

Honda. Honda is the most fuel efficient and green automaker in the world. PERIOD.

Yes, Toyota has the best selling Prius hybrid car, but Toyota also offers a number of very fuel inefficient automobiles. Nonetheless, Toyota is the second greenest automaker and is taking the automotive world by storm with its Hybrid Synergy Drive, which Toyota has added to the Highlander hybrid, the Lexus RX400h, and is about to add to the Camry hybrid.

So what has happened to Honda hybrid cars?

While Honda was a hybrid car leader, Honda Corporation did not accurately assess the importance of the hybrid car market.

For example, the Honda Insight Hybrid is and always will be a niche vehicle. The Honda Accord hybrid is a performance hybrid, not a hybrid designed for fuel efficiency. The Honda Civic, on the other hand, has always been a fuel efficient automobile. Still, in terms of hybrid efficiency, the Civic hybrid just isn't up to the same level as the Prius hybrid.

Well, all that could change with the new Civic hybrid.

According to MotorTrend the new Civic hybrid "features a 1.3 litre inline-four engine that employees Honda's intelligent Variable Valve Time and Life Electronic Control (VTEC) system to provide three stages of valve timing (low-rpm, highrpm and cylinder-idle mode) combined with a significantly more compact and efficient Honda Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) system."

So what you might ask? Well, according to Honda, the 2006 Civic hybrid should offer "significant improvements in both performance and fuel economy over a similarly equipped 2005 Civic hybrid." Thus, the Civic hybrid could become a serious competitor of the Prius hybrid.

As for me, I can't wait to test drive the Civic hybrid. Hopefully, it will spring Honda back into the role of a hybrid vehicle leader, while creating real competition for the role of hybrid leader.

Do high gas prices affect hybrid car sales?

Earlier today I argued that market incentives are not enough to drive consumers to purchase fuel efficient vehicles and technologies. As I've sat back and thought about that, I'm reminded of Toyota Prius demand.

Long before this spike in gas prices, the Toyota Prius had been very difficult to find. Even when one was found, there were very few choices. Demand was simply far beyond supply.

Perhaps gas prices are driving this demand even higher, but the increased demand will, ultimately, have little affect on overall sales. However many Prius hybrids Toyota can produce, they will sell - even if gas prices drop.

Recently, I have gone to Toyota dealers in the Los Angeles area numerous times and have had a very hard time finding a Highlander hybrid. I've been told that each dealer gets only a few hybrid Highlanders per month, but they are sold almost as soon as they hit the dealership.

I've had a little better luck finding the Ford Escape hybrid, but Ford maintains they will easily sell all the hybrids they can make - only about 25,000 this year.

There has been a good supply of Honda Accord hybrids and Honda Civic hybrids, but these vehicles aren't as 'hybrid' as either Ford or Toyota hybrids. While I think both vehicles are excellent vehicles, they do carry some issues. On the one hand, the Accord Hybrid is a performance hybrid, not a hybrid derived solely for fuel efficiency.

On the other hand, the Civic hybrid is a fuel efficient vehicle, but so is the standard Civic. Yes, the Civic hybrid is more fuel efficient, but it just doesn't carry the glamour of the Prius hybrid. (Something I hope Honda's next generation of hybrids will address - which are coming soon!)

The point is, market forces can't have much impact on hybrid car technology this year. Yet, Hugo Chavez could have a huge impact on the American economy this year. Perhaps he won't or maybe he'll suffer an unexpected heart attack. Who knows? Still, market forces cannot meet consumer expectations fast enough, or many more hybrid cars would now be available.

While rich Americans can walk away from very high oil prices, even gas lines, the average American; however, could be affected for years by these issues.

Are those 'free' market conditions really worth the costs? And are 'free markets' really free?

California's hybrid vehicle carpool lane policy

Last Friday I called California's carpool lane status for hybrid cars "hype" (more). Today the LATimes added to that hype when it announced that California will only be giving hybrid status to 3 vehicles, the Honda Civic hybrid, the Honda Insight, and the Toyota Prius hybrid. Of course this caused angst for Ford.

"The U.S. Congress determined the formula for hybrid vehicles in [carpool] lanes with single occupants, and in that law, the Ford Escape hybrid is equal to the Toyota Prius," said Mike Moran, a spokesman for Ford Motor Co. in Washington, D.C.

Boohoo, Mike.

First, giving carpool lane status to hybrid vehicles as a fuel efficiency incentive was simply a lazy plan by Congress, and more fuel for hybrid haters. Why not just raise fuel efficiency standards? Using the carpool lane to help fight foreign oil dependency can only be called one thing, a joke. It's like using a band-aid to cure a severed artery.

Second, California is only planning on giving the carpool lane exemption to 75,000 total vehicles. Within a year all of the hybrid exemptions will be gone, so the whole move really has limited impact.

For argument's sake, California is trying to clean the air and that is why other hybrids, such as the Ford Escape hybrid, Toyota Highlander hybrid, or the Lexus RX400h were not included. While these hybrids offer improved fuel efficiency and much less pollution than their conventional counterparts, they are not as fuel efficient as the leaders. With only a limited number of exceptions available, the greatest impact had to be the priority.

Vehicles, such as the Prius hybrid and Civic hybrid offer the kind of fuel efficiency that can end foreign oil dependency. Yes, hybrid SUVs are better than conventional SUVs, but they aren't 'there' yet. Ultimately, while hybrid technology can significantly improve fuel efficiency, it can also significantly improve performance, such as with the Accord hybrid and the Lexus RX400h. That is not the trend to be supported.

In the future hybrid SUVs could become as efficient as today's Prius. A few software tweeks here and a new hybrid battery development there and today's hybrid SUVs might achieve 45 mpg in their next generation.

Nonetheless, the point is that the hybrid carpool lane exemption is nothing but hype, as are the clean vehicle tax credits. Once again Congress is protecting the status quo, while offering a few 'token' programs - programs that taxpayers, not automakers - are funding.

The real focus should be on the fact that oil topped $67.00 per barrel for a number of reasons, including oil refinery problems (more). Moreover, according to a new poll, two-thirds of those surveyed said that rising gas costs were going to create a "financial burden" within the next few months.

Let's just hope terrorists don't watch the news. It's pretty obvious that choking America's oil supply would cause significant problems to the American economy, and doing that wouldn't be very hard.

Good thing Congress is taking the issue so seriously. They're the biggest joke of all - is it really any wonder so many Americans have given up on voting?

Hybrid vehicles: It's the technology, stupid

I was watching Team America last night, which provided a few laughs, but was mostly unimpressive. While making fun of Hollywood, the movie also poked fun at hybrid cars.

The other day I read an article about hybrids and the carpool lane. A man shopping for a Honda Accord was told of the Accord hybrid and the fact that it might qualify for the carpool lane, to which he said he didn't like the way hybrids were styled.

Excuse me? Isn't the Accord hybrid styled the same as the conventional Accord? Isn't the Ford Escape hybrid styled the same as the conventional Escape?

Is it just the winds of change that breed so much hate and ignorance?

Hybrid vehicles are not about styling, but about technology. The potential of hybrid technology could change the world, freeing it from pollution and foreign oil dependency - not to mention reducing the threat of oil wars and terrorism.

Is that really so bad?

Honda is high on natural gas

Before I rip on Honda, let me start out by acknowledging that Honda is the greenest auto company in the world, and they deserve kudos. Additionally, they produce excellent vehicles, and the Honda Civic GX is the cleanest vehicle on the road and it doesn't depend on foreign oil. Nonetheless, natural gas vehicles are not going to take over the American automarket, and anybody who thinks they will is just plain silly.

Thus, John Mendel, senior vice president of automobile operations of American Honda Motor Co., seems to have inhaled a few too many natural gas fumes. "We'll do hybrids as it makes sense, but I do not think they are the best solution. Right now hybrids don't make sense economically," Mandel was recently quoted as saying as he expressed his vision that natural gas vehicles are more important than hybrid vehicles.

I don't even know where to start on this one. First, natural gas simply isn't going to replace gasoline as the new energy infrastructure. The savings simply are not that great, and while Honda can sell home fueling systems, most consumers simply are not going to buy into the concept.

Second, while natural gas vehicles do offer independence from foreign oil, and burn cleaner than gasoline vehicles, new technologies - particularly hybrid vehicles - could easily outweigh every positive aspect of natural gas vehicles. One significant upgrade in hybrid batteries ends natural gas's cost effectiveness. Two upgrades and, well, you get the point.

Third, the hydrogen economy is the future. While it will probably take a few decades to achieve it, the hydrogen economy will be built upon fuel cells and those fuel cells will work in coordination with batteries. The hybrid powertrain can evolve into fuel cell-electric vehicles and help move the world entirely from fossil fuels. Natural gas is a fossil fuel.

Fourth, Mandel states, "you can use the car pool lane (in California)." Yes you can in the short term, but don't expect this privilege to last, if sales start numbering in the 1000's.

Additionally, if natural gas capabilities were to be added to trucks and SUVs, or even cars, which demand greater horsepower, the lure of natural gas begins to tarnish rather quickly. In terms of the future natural gas is already dead. In reality, the most interesting natural gas vehicle would be a natural gas-electric hybrid vehicle.

So, what is Honda's deal? I don't know. While Honda has been much more bullish on hybrids than the Big 3, they are still far behind Toyota. The Civic hybrid is a great vehicle, nothing flashy, but a quality vehicle. Still, in terms of hybrid technology, it really isn't Best of Breed. The Accord hybrid is the best Accord ever,but it also is a mediocre hybrid at best.

In terms of pure hybrid technology, Toyota and Ford stand above Honda. The Prius is simply the best hybrid vehicle. The Lexus RX400h, the Highlander hybrid, and the Escape hybrid demonstrate that very fuel efficient hybrid SUVs are possible - as more efficient batteries are developed. This, while frustrating for environmentalists, is simply an important aspect of the American automobile market.

Natural gas is a new fuel for a dying technology. While it offers great potential for fleets, it does not offer the same for the average consumer.

Hybrid technology, on the other hand, is a step towards the future, a future that can offer unlimited horsepower without foreign oil, without pollution. More important, hybrids can work within the current energy infrastructure and the technology can naturally, transparently accommodate fickle consumers afraid of change, as the industry adapts and evolves into the hydrogen highway.

Yes, hybrid technology is a bit expensive, but not as expensive as the first calculators, cellphones, and computers.

NY Times hybrid vehicle bias or ignorance?

I just finished reading the article, Hybrid Cars Burning Gas in the Drive for Power, published in yesterday's NY Times. What is it with journalists? Do they do any research, or do they just set out to make a point, whether it is founded in fact or not? It isn't very surprising when political journalists use bias, in fact, I expect it, but yellow journalism seems to be the norm in today's mainstream publications.

Anyway, the point of the article is to demonstrate how new hybrid vehicles are less about fuel efficiency and more about horsepower. To an extent this point is correct, which is why I was interested in the story. Nonetheless, the article ended up as a complete waste of time, as it focused almost entirely on comparing the Honda Accord hybrid to the conventional Accord. Please!?

Honda hybrids are just not in the same league as Toyota or Ford hybrids. The most important and innovative feature of Toyota and Ford hybrids is the ability to power their hybrids with electric power only. This means that an SUV, such as the Ford Escape hybrid, can sit in LA traffic using almost no gas and causing almost no pollution. Conventional vehicles, and even Honda hybrids, are least efficient and most polluting in these conditions.

While the Civic hybrid is a very fuel efficient vehicle, in city driving, it simply doesn't compare to the Prius hybrid.

The NYTimes is correct that new hybrids, such as the Toyota Highlander hybrid, the Lexus RX400h hybrid, and the upcoming Camry hybrid seem to be focused on horsepower as much as efficiency. Nevertheless, these vehicles do offer significant gains in both fuel efficiency and pollution compared to their conventional cousins, especially for urban drivers, or anyone whom drives in any type of congestion.

Yet, the Times doesn't even touch upon this distinction or point. This is important because while the Highlander hybrid or the Lexus RX400h hybrid could have been made more efficient if V4's, rather than V6 engines, were used, these vehicles still could become much more efficient - even with V6s - in their second, third and fourth generations. Ultimately, the electric motors of these vehicles, if coupled with more efficient batteries - which WILL be developed - could significantly increase their fuel efficiency with each new generation of hybrid battery, without losing any power.

When discussing HEVs, or hybrid electric vehicles, it is the electric components which are key, and Honda has invested the least in the electric portion of their current hybrid electric vehicles.

At this point in time, the only objective way to focus on the point of horsepower versus efficiency is to use either the Highlander hybrid or the Lexus RX400h. By using the Accord hybrid, the NY Times is either demonstrating a bias against hybrids, or just plain hybrid ignorance. Either case is inexcusable for such an esteemed publication.

If you are still confused about which hybrid is right for you, check out Soultek's Hybrid Buyer's Guide.

Consumer concerns of hybrid vehicles

In the past few weeks there have been a few interesting studies regarding hybrid vehicles. Last week, I mentioned the R. L. Polk & Co. study which found that 97 percent of consumers have heard of hybrid vehicles and 78 percent would consider buying one; however, cost would still limit the majority from taking such action.

Another study - if you can call it that - by Kelly Blue Book cited by Money notes that "a majority of consumers are skeptical of hybrid technology even though they feel that hybrid vehicles, which use electric motors in addition to gasoline engines, are likely the future for the American automobile."

So what is the cause of hybrid skepticism according to Kelley? "The two most important causes of consumer skepticism, according to the survey, were the potential costs of servicing a hybrid vehicle and maintenance over its lifetime."

Nonetheless, while Jack Nerad, the editorial director and executive market analyst for Kelley Blue Book, thinks that consumers still need convincing of the viability of hybrid cars, the supply of hybrids still trails demand.

More important, the 425 individuals comprising the Kelley survey, while somewhat skeptical of hybrid technology today, are still very optimistic for the future of hybrids. In fact most believe they will replace conventional vehicles.

Besides, change always brings fear, but there is little evidence - if any - to demonstrate that hybrid technology is anything but reliable. Recent studies of the Toyota Prius, for example, show that almost every Prius owner would buy another Prius.

Still, the early adopters of any technology always take some risk when helping to usher new technology into the mainstream. The success of the Toyota Prius; however, bodes well for all Toyota hybrids, as Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive is pretty much the same in the Prius, Highlander hybrid, Lexus RX400h hybrid, and the not-to-far off Camry hybrid.

The Honda Civic hybrid also has a solid track record.

The Accord hybrid and the Ford Escape hybrid are very new to the market, but have been reliable thus far.

While the long term life of the hybrid battery is a justified concern for consumers, most hybrid batteries are guaranteed for 8 to 10 years. Yes, replacing the hybrid battery in 10 years could be expensive, but if hybrids continue to increase in popularity, hybrid battery production will also significantly increase. This will not only add to supply, but create better batteries, which could increase the value of older hybrids - making them more efficient - instead of decreasing their value.

Early adoption and risk go hand in hand, but risk can also offer unexpected rewards. For example, should terrorism ever lead to decreased reliability of foreign oil, the fuel savings of hybrids could instantly diminish all skepticism.

Hybrid trucks and other hybrid tidbits

As the fifth tropical storm Emily builds in the Gulf, and BP's new deep oil rig Crazyhorse (Thunderhorse Field) sits listing in the Gulf of Mexico, one cannot begin to underestimate the potential of much higher gasoline prices. And if gasoline prices rise, the technology behind hybrid cars becomes significantly more appealing.

According to a new R. L. Polk & Co. study, 97 percent of consumers have heard of hybrid vehicles and 78 percent would consider buying one; however, cost would still limit the majority from taking such action. (More from Car and Driver)

Obviously higher gas prices can help offset the cost barrier.

Yesterday, Ford released its second hybrid, the Mercury Mariner hybrid, and Toyota continues to suggest that a hybrid truck is soon coming. While Toyota has mentioned this possibility in the past, it indicated yesterday that Toyota seeks to offer the first hybrid truck. Still, Toyota has released few details about a Tundra hybrid.

Nonetheless, even if gas prices make hybrids more desirable, will it matter? Demand is still greater than supply, and the new Mariner hybrid really won't help, since only a few 1000 units are even planned.

Toyota, and the very successful Prius hybrid, combined with the Lexus RX400h, the Highlander hybrid, and the Camry hybrid will still only hit about 500,000 total hybrids next year.

Honda's upgraded hybrids, the Civic and the Accord, will help, but American-made hybrids are the missing ingredient. Foreign oil dependency, terrorism, global oil demand, and global warming - America needs leadership and responsibility from American corporations.

It's furiously ironic that GM often speaks of hybrid costs, while touting fuel cells, which are exorbitantly more costly than hybrid vehicles. Yet, GM is considering a fuel cell agreement with Toyota - a company which is building its fuel cell future on the backbone of the hybrid powertrain?

'American-made' automobiles simply mean nothing if they also mean increased 'terrorist-supporting foreign oil dependency.' It's time for Ford and GM to stop talking about a stronger America and to start building a stronger America today, not tomorrow.

The importance of hybrid technology

Yesterday, President Bush told reporters covering the G8 that the U.S. seeks to utilize technology to help fight not only global warming, but foreign oil dependency as well.

Environmentalists were not impressed. Nonetheless, many environmentalists act like both radical Republicans and Democrats - it's either their extreme view or the highway.

While I would like America, and the world, to suddenly embrace conservation - it just isn't going to happen. The history of the world has been advanced by technological innovation. End of story.

Bush and Detroit have habitually pointed to the 'hydrogen economy' as the ultimate answer. Today's terrorist activities and the current escalating oil crisis demonstrate that the world cannot wait 2 or 3 more decades before achieving a solution.

Hybrid cars, especially the Toyota Prius, prove that the U.S. doesn't have to wait for the hydrogen economy. If everyone drove a Prius, it would drastically change America's foreign oil dependency, as well as pollution emissions.

Nonetheless, just as with conservation, the Prius is not the answer, but hybrid technology does provide a solid solution. It has become quite clear that Americans not only want choice, but they want power and size. The Prius, unfortunately, does not address those preferences.

Still, as Prius hybrid technology has been added to vehicles such as the Lexus RX400h, the Toyota Highlander hybrid, and the Ford Escape hybrid, the potential of hybrid technology begins to emerge.

It's still not enough many critics will argue, and they are right. Fortunately, that is the beauty of hybrid technology. The advances made in hybrid technology from the first generation Prius to the second generation Prius, for example, were simply fantastic. Like the technology behind notebook computers, hybrid vehicles could easily double, triple, even quadruple - not only their fuel efficiency, but their performance - in just the next several years.

This doesn't require a completely new energy infrastructure, nor does it require somehow making $1,000,000 fuel cell vehicles more cost effective.

And it isn't just Toyota. Honda will be releasing an updated hybrid powertrain in both its Civic hybrid and Accord hybrid that could truly challenge the Prius. As other manufacturers begin offering their proprietary hybrid technology, gains could be exponentially made.

The time for talking about the technology of the future is no longer acceptable. American consumers must demand that automakers either act today, or perish tomorrow, and hybrid technology is the first step.

Honda hybrid confusion?

Yesterday, I posted an article, Honda taking its hybrids to another level, in which I stated that Honda hybrids will be increasing their fuel efficiency by 20%. Instead, it appears Honda's new hybrid powertrain will increase the efficiency of their hybrids by just 5%, while increasing engine output 20%.

In addition to changing the gasoline engine part of the hybrid powertrain, Honda's new hybrids will also be able to run on electric power only at low speeds. This feature enables Toyota hybrids, such as the Prius and the Highlander hybrid, to achieve considerable fuel efficiency in traffic and congestion.

If Honda; however, is only going to achieve a 5% gain in efficiency with its new hybrid powertrain, then it appears that the electric components of Honda's hybrid cars will still not be as advanced as Toyota's.

In fact, I now think that in congestion, or stop-and-go traffic, Toyota hybrids will probably still be superior. Unfortunately, I'm a little inclined to believe that Honda's new hybrid developments are more hype than bite, but it is still to early to know for certain.

Still, Honda's new engine should lead to cheaper, faster Honda hybrid vehicles.

Honda taking its hybrids to another level

Honda has announced that it will be making its entire fleet of vehicles more fuel efficient, but none more so than its hybrid vehicles. Honda's improved i-VTEC engine technology will enable all Honda vehicles to increase their fuel efficiency by a few percent. However, this technology, combined with Honda's new hybrid powertrain, will enable gains in fuel efficiency of 20% for both the Civic hybrid and the Accord hybrid.

In fact, Honda's new hybrid powertrain, much like Toyota's hybrid powertrain, will enable the Civic and Accord hybrids to run on electric power only at low speeds. This ability has made the Prius hybrid, for example, extremely efficient in urban, or stop-and-go traffic. Other than Toyota hybrids, only the Ford Escape hybrid offers such capability.

While Honda has been in the shadow of Toyota hybrids, this development has the potential to enable Honda to challenge Toyota as hybrid king. Coupled with Nissan, Hyundai, GM, and Chrysler hybrids on the horizon, the hybrid competition is really set to heat up.

And as the energy crisis heats up, starting with today's Gulf tropical storms, hybrid interest is set to intensify.

Highlander hybrid qualifies for hybrid tax credit

The Toyota Highlander hybrid was added to the list of hybrid vehicles that qualify for the hybrid car tax credit. Additionally, the Lexus RX400h, Honda Civic hybrid, Honda Accord hybrid, Honda Insight hybrid, Ford Escape hybrid, and Toyota Prius hybrid also qualify.

Hopefully, the House and Senate can continue the tax credit for hybrid cars.

Oil glimpses $60.00, is Congress watching

The trading day started off O.K., but when oil hit $60.00 today, the Dow dropped triple digits. In the next few years, America is going to walk a fine line. If a hurricane knocks out Gulf of Mexico production, gasoline prices could spike significantly, especially if it appears this winter will be cold. Then there is always the specter of terrorism.

Unfortunately, it doesn't appear that either the government, nor American business, will offer any solutions for Americans.

So what can you do? Hybrid cars are one of the greatest free market choices consumers can make. The purchase tells automakers that consumers want clean, efficient automotive technology.

While I think the Toyota Prius and Honda Civic hybrid are the best overall choices, there are more choices than ever. The Ford Escape hybrid and Toyota Highlander hybrid can fulfill your SUV needs, while the Lexus RX400h while fit the luxury-motivated consumer, and if you need a highway vehicle, the Honda Accord hybrid is a nice choice.

Things will get worse before they get better in the world of oil - if they ever get better. Since the government doesn't appear capable of intelligent legislation, it's going to be up you, the consumer.

You can make a difference.

The state of hybrid vehicle demand

The article Hybrid vehicle demand soars states, "Waiting lists are so long that many customers are paying extra just to move ahead in line. Others are paying full sticker price for a used hybrid -- a practice rarely seen outside the trade of Ferraris and other super sports cars." (DetNews)

In June, Toyota is set to release the Highlander hybrid, but don't expect to buy one anytime soon, unless you are already on the waiting list. By conservative estimates, the next 6 months of vehicles have already been pre-ordered. Toyota's other hybrid SUV, the Lexus RX400h is currently backlogged at 9,000 vehicles.

Can Toyota raise its hybrid production? I don't know, but will it matter? Demand for the Prius hybrid car, even after multiple production increases, still far outweighs supply, and on eBay used ones can sell for more than new ones. According to Fool.com, "In April, Toyota sold more of its hybrid vehicle than Ford's (NYSE: F - News) Mercury division sold of all Mercury-branded vehicles -- combined."

Even the Escape hybrid, which often carries dealer add-on fees as high as $7000.00, is flying off dealer lots. And the Accord hybrid and Civic hybrid set monthly sales records in April.

Americans like technology. Hybrids can go faster than conventionals, while saving gas and significantly reducing pollution. Hybrid vehicles are simply better technology than conventional automobiles.

Is there really any wonder why demand is rising?

No Cheap Way Around Buying a Hybrid Car

I've gone shopping for hybrid cars numerous times, but right now I'm shopping for my wife. And it isn't fun.

My wife is very interested in SUVs and I've had her test drive the Ford Escape hybrid, which she liked very much. Still, in my neck of the woods, the Escape hybrid comes with a $5000 dealer add on, plus additional dealer-added amenities. While my wife isn't afraid to spend money, the dealer add-on fee annoyed her.

I told her that we might do better online, but her interest was already gone. Besides we had agreed that we wanted to keep the vehicle cost under $30,000; otherwise, I wouldn't have had any other choice but to buy the Lexus RX400h - which my wife had already told me was her choice.

"What's next?"

"Either the Civic hybrid or the Prius."

"No. What about the Accord?"

Great. My wife hates it when I talk about technology, so I'm not sure how to approach this.

"The Accord hybrid is a great vehicle, but it's a highway hybrid. We drive in the city, in stop-and-go traffic. The Prius is the best vehicle for those conditions, followed by the Civic." (Read More)

Autobytel's hybrid car comparison

I was just reading Autobytel's hybrid car comparison - which is not very good. "Both of these new cars from Ford and Honda offer benefits beyond the considerable charms of the Prius. There’s more room. And more power, along with a more traditional style, all of it in the same price neighborhood."

What a misleading statement.

Let's start with more room. Go sit in the front seat of the Toyota Prius and put the seat all the way back. Then sit in the back seat. In my test, the Prius offered as much or more leg-room than both the Escape hybrid, or the Accord hybrid. Moreover, the hatchback style of the Prius offers more cargo room than the Accord hybrid, then there is the beautifully designed double glovebox. The Escape hybrid doesn't offer more passenger room than either the hybrid Accord or the Prius, but it does offer more cargo space.

In terms of power the Accord hybrid dominates, but this vehicle is a highway hybrid. In city driving, the Accord hybrid offers few incentives beyond a standard Accord, and is far less efficient than either the Escape hybrid or Prius. In fact the Prius blows both the Accord and Escape hybrids away in real world fuel efficiency.

In my hybrid car buyers guide, I note that your driving habits and needs are critical when choosing a hybrid.

In terms of price, Autobytel is also misleading. Today, I can pick up a loaded Prius with a beautiful navigation system and keyless entry for under $27,000. An Accord hybrid would cost almost $32,000. O.K. that is close, but in terms of hybrid technology, the Prius offers much more for the buck - for MOST drivers. An Escape hybrid would cost more than $37,000 because of dealer add-ons in my neighborhood.

The market for hybrid vehicles is more diverse and complicated than Autobytel's simplistic and unrealistic view. More on hybrid cars.

Weekend hybrid car shopping notes

I did some hybrid car shopping this weekend in Southern California, and I was a little surprised. The hybrid market is getting even hotter. While that doesn't surprise me when it comes to the Toyota Prius, it does a little with the Ford Escape hybrid. At times, some dealers have told me that they've had difficulty selling the hybrid Escape, but not right now, they're smoking. Since dealer add-on fees add more than $5000.00 to the MSRP, that's a bit surprising. At Honda I was able to find a good selection of both Civic hybrids and, particularly, Accord hybrids.

Traffic getting worse - Another reason hybrids rule!

"Gridlock is getting worse. Congestion delayed travelers 79 million more hours and wasted 69 million more gallons of fuel in 2003 than in 2002, the Texas Transportation Institute's 2005 Urban Mobility Report found." (AP Via Yahoo)

Traffic and Terrorism

Conventional gasoline engine vehicles achieve their worse fuel efficiency and cause the most pollution in traffic, and traffic is only going to get worse across the U.S. - requiring more foreign oil and further contributing to terrorism.

Most hybrid cars, on the other hand, achieve their best fuel efficiency and pollute the least in these conditions. In such conditions, hybrids might not just meet EPA estimates, but surpass them. In traffic hybrids save a significant amount of fuel, rather than wasting 69 million gallons.

On the other hand, conventional vehicles, even econoboxes, do not come close to their EPA estimates in traffic, and for SUVs, it only gets worse. The scandal of the EPA isn't hybrid fuel efficiency, it's the inefficiency of gas-guzzlers that is hidden by EPA numbers.

Of course not all hybrids are as efficient in congestion. Honda's Accord hybrid, as well as the Civic hybrid, do not rely as much on their electric motors, forcing the Honda vehicles to use more gasoline.

In stop-and-go traffic, Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive rules - especially with SUVs, the Ford Escape hybrid, Toyota Highlander hybrid, and Lexus RX400h each perform their best in the worst driving conditions of conventional vehicles. Hybrid technology is simply far more advanced than just a gasoline or diesel engine technology.

I know change is scary, but it's the only certain thing in life.

Hybrid car buyer's guide: Which hybrid vehicle is best for you?

So you've decided that you want to do something to reduce foreign oil-dependency, or to help the environment. Maybe you're just a technology buff and you believe that hybrid cars are a bridge to fuel cells. The point is, you have your reasons for buying a hybrid, but not all hybrids address those issues equally.

So, why do you want a hybrid?

If you want to use as little gas as possible, then the Toyota Prius or Honda Civic hybrid are best. These hybrid vehicles look very different and feel very different. Additionally, leases are available for Civic hybrids, but not for the Prius. Both hybrids are in the same price range, but the Prius is a bit of a better performer.

Perhaps a car just isn't an option. You need an SUV. Fortunately for you, the hybrid SUV segment offers the most choices. You won't save nearly as much gas as with the Prius or Civic hybrid, but the Ford Escape hybrid is the most fuel efficient hybrid SUV. This June, the Toyota Highlander hybrid will come to market, offering slightly less fuel efficiency than the Escape, but more seating and more power.

For a large family, the Highlander hybrid is probably the best choice because it will seat up to seven.

The Lexus RX400h hybrid SUV is the least efficient of the SUV bunch, but by far the most powerful, as well as the most luxurious. This luxury hybrid is faster than its conventional cousin, significantly more fuel efficient, and emits far less pollution. Of course this performance has costs and the hybrid Lexus is priced over $10,000 more than a standard RX330.

The Honda Accord hybrid is a different breed of hybrid, but it is best of breed when it comes to Accords. Just as the RX400h, the Accord hybrid is faster, more powerful, and significantly more fuel efficient than its conventional cousin. In urban, stop-and-go traffic, the hybrid Accord is the least efficient of all the hybrids. This hybrid is a highway vehicle.

Each one of these hybrids is a good investment in the future. On average, with tax credits and 6 years of driving you'll recover your hybrid costs, and you'll have helped make the world a better place.

Can you really put a price on that?

R.L. Polk & Co's hybrid car report

Sales totals for hybrid cars in 2004 have already been reported, so the Polk report doesn't really offer much new information, other than Polk's hybrid forecast. By 2015, the report states, hybrids could make up 30 - 35 percent of the entire U.S. market. This is a pretty bold prediction compared to J.D. Power, for example, which sees very little future for hybrid vehicles.

Beyond that, Toyota Prius sales totaled 53,761 units and accounted for over 60% of all hybrid sales. The Civic hybrid accounted for most of the rest, as neither the Accord hybrid nor the Ford Escape hybrid were on sale very long in 2004.(AP)

EPA, hybrid efficiency, and the "gas scare"

Yesterday I read a Honda Accord hybrid thread that discussed EPA gas mileage numbers and real world numbers.

EPA numbers are a poor estimate - the point has been beaten into the ground.

The real point is that hybrid technology is diverse, and it is only going to get more diverse. The Accord hybrid is a performance hybrid optimized for highway driving. Think of it as a turbo-charged V6 Accord, except its turbo chargers increase fuel efficiency and significantly reduce pollution, in addition to providing quicker acceleration.

Nonetheless, if your goal is pure fuel efficiency, this hybrid vehicle is not for you. If you live an urban lifestyle, with lots of stop-and-go traffic, the Accord hybrid is not going to be especially fuel efficient.

The Ford Escape hybrid and Toyota Prius hybrid, on the other hand, are most fuel efficient in these conditions because they are able to function using mostly electric power generated just by driving the Prius or Escape hybrid - free, regenerative energy.

Toyota's next hybrids are going to diversify hybrid technology even further. Currently, the Escape hybrid SUV utilizes a 4 cylinder engine in its hybrid powertrain. Both the Lexus RX400h and the Highlander hybrid will utilize 6 cylinder engines. Thus, as with the Accord, both new Toyota hybrids will also be performance hybrids.

Still, both new Toyota hybrids, unlike the Accord hybrid, offer significant fuel saving tools. In urban driving both the RX400h and the Highlander hybrid can function on mostly electric power, just as the Prius. On the highway, both new hybrid SUVs can still achieve significant improvements in fuel efficiency, but assistance from the driver is required. Here the Accord hybrid probably has an advantage.

Does it all really matter? Is gas really that expensive?

That was the point in the article, "Gas price scare is just that" by John McCormick of the DetroitNews. AAA recently reported that the average consumer is spending just under $1300 per year on gasoline. Mr. McCormick states, "That's a round of drinks at the bar, a cheap bottle of wine in a restaurant or your co-pay at the doctor's office. Sounds like a deal to me."

Maybe in Detroit people only pay $1300 per year, or $25 per week, as Mr. McCormick states, but averages are always confusing. My friend has a long Southern California commute, like many Californians, and it used to cost him $35.00 per day to go to work and back. Recently, however, he bought a small Toyota and cut his gas bill in half. Still, half is almost $90.00 per week, not including weekends.

That is pretty scary to my friend and many others.

Hybrid cars can help people like my friend, and as gas prices and commute times increase, as predicted by many experts, they'll help much more.

More important, the thing missed by hybrid-haters - especially the Big 3 - hybrids create a covenant between buyer and seller that stands for making the world a better place. That's a pretty strong customer relationship. While a hybrid purchase might only be a step, it is a significant step for many consumers.

Detroit missed this opportunity.

Instead of spending 100's of millions to market gas guzzlers, Detroit could have said, "Make America stronger, buy American-made fuel efficient technology. Help fight the War on Terror and foreign oil-dependency."

The sell isn't that hard is it?

Hybrid performance over efficiency, what's the point?

The success of the Toyota Prius took America by storm. While some flocked to the Prius to help reduce foreign oil dependency amidst growing Persian Gulf problems, a great number of consumers picked the Prius hybrid car for environmental reasons.

Thus, not only has the Prius become almost synonymous with hybrid cars, it has made hybrids synonymous with environmentalism.

This year; however, that perception will begin to drastically change. It started with the Honda Accord hybrid. Yes, the best Accord will offer greatly improved fuel efficiency and reduced emissions over the standard Accord, but the Prius goes much further when judged by these standards. The Accord hybrid, on the other hand, will blow the Prius away from 0 to 60.

Toyota's next two hybrids, the Lexus RX400h SUV and the Highlander hybrid, will also emphasize performance over environmentalism. Again these vehicles do improve fuel efficiency and significantly reduce emissions, but not as much as potentially possible.

This new line of hybrid vehicles is about speed and power, offering significant horsepower for hybrids. Hopefully, hybrid vehicles will result in a competition between automakers for the fastest, most powerful, least polluting, gas-sipping hot rods.

Otherwise, what's the point?

High Noon: Escape hybrid and Highlander hybrid match up

The Ford Escape hybrid stands as the only hybrid SUV. In mere days; however, the Lexus RX 400h hybrid officially goes on sale, but it is a luxury hybrid SUV. The real competition won't begin until June, when the Toyota Highlander hybrid hits the street. Funny thing is, in some ways the Highlander hybrid is more like the Honda Accord hybrid than the Escape. For more on an early match up, click here.

Interested in a hybrid? Better buy before gas rises much higher.

Many automotive analysts have been bullish regarding hybrid cars because they feel that gas would have to hit $3.50 to justify the extra cost of hybrids. Other studies have shown that $3.00 is the critical benchmark for the majority of Americans. Nonetheless, 50% of consumers already say fuel efficiency is driving their next vehicle purchase.

SUV sales are already down some 20 percent this year, and we have not hit the $3.00 mark yet - in most places. If we hit those threshold numbers, SUV sales are predicted to plummet far lower.

Many of those leaving the larger SUV market are heading to crossovers, which is certain to drive Toyota Highlander hybrid demand even higher. Ultimately, however, if the U.S. does hit $3.00 or $3.50 per gallon prices, the majority of Americans might be interested in hybrids, but there probably won't be any available.

This year Honda is only planning to sell about 25,000 each of the Accord hybrid and the Civic hybrid, and Ford is planning roughly the same for the Escape hybrid.

Thus, if you are interested in purchasing a hybrid, buy now. As the Toyota Prius is showing, resale value is often higher than the original sticker price. In a couple of months, used hybrids might be the only hybrids available for some time.

New Poll: Hybrid car interest growing

Interest in hybrid vehicles, such as the Toyota Prius, Honda Accord hybrid, and Ford Escape hybrid is growing according to an AutoVIBES poll from Harris Interactive and Kelley Blue Book Market Research.
In February, interest in hybrid cars had grown 4%, but in March, interest jumped to 8%, marking "a significant increase," according to Scott Upham, Harris Interactive's senior vice president of automotive research.

At the same, interest in diesel vehicles declined. According to analysts affiliated with the report, smart marketing, particularly by Toyota, has made hybrid cars more "sexy" than diesels.

Additionally, the report noted that higher gas prices have also diminished interest in diesels. Moreover, if gas prices continue to rise, and climb over $3.00, consumers have expressed strong intentions to move to the most efficient vehicles available.

Already, sales of larger SUVs and trucks are declining, and higher gas prices might even push many consumers out of smaller SUVs, spurring hybrid interest even further.

According to new reports, such as from the IMF, the world's oil problems are only going to increase, as demand is set to continue to outpace supply

In addition, if any event, natural or otherwise, should temporarily disrupt oil supply, prices could sky-rocket to unbelievable heights.

Leasing a Civic or Accord hybrid

Interested in a hybrid car, but you are not sure you fully trust hybrid technology? Perhaps you could try leasing a hybrid? While you probably won't be able to lease a Toyota Prius any time soon, you can lease a new Honda Accord hybrid or Civic hybrid.

To see some leasing rates from Honda on their hybrids, click here.

Canada's emissions legislation and California

Any step forward is a good step. That's about the only thing that can be said of Canada's new emissions regulations.

A 6% gain is really nothing more than PR for both the Canadian government and the auto industry.

California has created legislation that requires auto makers to cut emissions by 30%. While California gives the industry until 2016 to reach the new levels, Canada's change is required by 2010. Still, even doubling Canada's required reductions in double the time, is still just 12%, not even half of California's legislated requirements.

Will Canada's legislation undermine California?

I don't get Canada's legislation. Granted, I have not followed the story that closely, and while it has been reported that Wall Street was a bit rattled by the news, I see only bark, not any bite, in this deal.

If California's legislation is ultimately upheld against the automaker's lawsuit, Canada's requirements will be pretty much obsolete. If California wins, New York is almost certain to follow. Even just California; however, will require a fundamental shift in auto production that would ultimately affect all of North America.

Hybrid cars already achieve California's requirements for 2016. Vehicles, such as the Toyota Prius and the Honda Accord hybrid prove that we can clean the air cost-effectively.

Even SUVs and luxury vehicles can be part of the mix. The Escape hybrid, Highlander hybrid, and Lexus RX400h prove that the technology exists to fit American driving habits, while significantly polluting less.

Too many scientific studies are raising too many questions about the climate, pollution, and global warming. Technologies such as hybrid cars might cost more today, but their investment in protecting the future will easily pay off down the road.

What level of catastrophe will it take to force auto-makers, and many consumers, into real action? I'm not sure, but I don't really think a 6% improvement is anything.

Demand nothing less than hybrid car fuel efficiency!

Hybrid comparison

I'm heading out for some hybrid car market research today. My focus is Toyota, but if time permits...who knows what I might end up doing. The last time I test drove a Prius, I had to test drive a Ford Escape hybrid, just to check out the differences. Maybe this time I'll follow up a Prius test drive with a Honda Accord hybrid test drive, or maybe the Civic hybrid.

Prius Test Drive
Escape Test Drive
Head to Head: The Ford Escape hybrid versus the Toyota Prius hybrid

Everywhere I go a Prius hybrid is there

A year ago I was surprised at how easy it was to see a Prius on the streets in Southern California. During my lunch break I could take a walk around Old town Pasadena and I'd see a Prius within half an hour. Today, I'll see a few within a couple of minutes. I also see a number of Civic hybrids, a few Escape hybrids, and, only lately, a number of Accord hybrids. While I'm still shocked, my shock is turning into excitement. I don't care for the term Prius Patriots, and I certainly realize that Pasadena, California is not representative of the United States, but seeing such a drastic change in such a short time is truly impressive and inspiring.

Taxes? Remember the hybrid car tax credit

As we approach April 15 remember to talk to your tax preparer about your hybrid car tax credit if you purchased a hybrid car in 2004. If you haven't purchased a hybrid, you can still take advantage of the tax credit if you purchase a new hybrid in 2005. Currently, the Prius, Accord hybrid, Civic hybrid, and Insight qualify, but this tax credit will be significantly reduced in 2006.

That is, unless current legislation, which would increase the credit, is passed this year (More on this new hybrid car legislation).

Honda Moving forward with hybrids?

There is no doubt that Toyota has received immense PR because of hybrid cars. The Prius has changed the way America thinks about automobiles, but it is only the beginning, at least for Toyota.

With Ford Escape hybrid production limited by a shortage of batteries, only Honda remains to fuel hybrid competition. Yet, Honda only expects to sell 25,000 each of the Accord and Civic hybrids next year.

I've argued Toyota's hybrids are more integral to Toyota's fuel cell vision, than are Honda hybrids. Therefore, Toyota is willing to sell as many hybrids as they can. Honda isn't, not today at least.

Recently, Dan Bonawitz, American Honda vice president of corporate planning and logistics stated, "We want to get a better sense for the depth of the (hybrid) market and the preference of the marketplace, then move forward in any number of directions."

Bonawitz also doubted the legitimacy of hybrid SUVs in the U.S. market, which I find a bit out-of-touch. I believe demand for the Toyota Highlander hybrid is going to dwarf that of the Prius.

I'd say the best case scenario for fuel cell cars, priced for the average consumer, is 10 years away, and that is the best, best, best, etc. case scenario. In reality 15 to 20 years is probably the most realistic estimate.

Nonetheless, the Honda Accord hybrid is an awesome vehicle, and I still expect big things from Honda.

Honda hybrid sales versus Toyota hybrid sales

At one time, there wasn’t much difference between the Toyota Prius and the Honda Insight. Most consumers really didn’t care about either one as hybrid cars were not yet on America’s radar screen.

The 2004 Toyota Prius; however, changed everything. The Prius was the first hybrid to perform as well as a conventional vehicle, while significantly reducing pollution and fuel efficiency. And, the Prius does it with style. For a $20,000 family sedan, the Prius is without rival.

Of course, Honda didn’t quit its hybrid foray with the Insight, adding both the Civic hybrid and the Accord hybrid. Now Honda stands as the only automaker with 3 hybrid cars on the market.

Last year, Toyota sold around 54,000 Prius hybrids, and it could have sold more had the supply been available. This year Toyota plans to sell more than 100,000 Prius hybrids. Yet, Honda sold only about 26,000 Civic hybrids, and is hoping for the same number this year with the Accord hybrid.

Toyota has also already sold more than 11,000 Lexus RX400h hybrids, even though the vehicle is still weeks from market, and that's not the end of the buzz. Demand for this summer’s to be released Toyota Highlander hybrid has been nothing short of phenomenal.

So, why the big difference between Honda and Toyota hybrid sales? In one word it’s, technology. The technology behind Toyota hybrids is a good bit more sophisticated than Honda hybrids. Toyota hybrids are a more direct step towards fuel cell vehicles than are Honda hybrids, and this gives Toyota much more incentive to promote hybrids – which have been expensive to produce.

Honda hybrid cars, at this point in time, are more of an interim technology to Honda fuel cell cars, not the future of Honda.

For Toyota, every hybrid sale is another step, another investment, in Toyota’s vision of the automotive future. Today’s gasoline electric Prius, might be tomorrow’s diesel-electric Prius, hydrogen-electric Prius, or fuel cell-electric Prius.

For Toyota, the future is already here.

Where are hybrid cars going?

The New York Auto Show's hybrid car showcase is about one thing, according to the DetroitNews, horsepower. Since 2000 the average horsepower for a hybrid car was 73 hp, today it stands at 176.4 hp.

On the high end, the Honda Accord hybrid achieves 255 hp, while the Lexus RX400h hybrid achieves 270 hp. Horsepower, analysts say, is the way to the American heart.

Yet, hybrid car production costs about 20 percent more than a conventional auto and requires, roughly, 6 years of gasoline purchases to break even. For this reason many research firms, including JD Power, see hybrids topping out at 500,000 cars per year by the year 2011. Additionally, clean gasoline and diesel engines are seen as hybrid competitors.

Just yesterday, while announcing that Toyota hopes to sell 62,000 hybrid SUVs (Toyota Highlander hybrid and Lexus RX400h) this year, Toyota President Fujio Cho announced that Toyota intends to sell 1 million hybrids per year in the very near future.

The last time Mr. Cho made a bold prediction about the sale's numbers of hybrid cars, competitors laughed and ridiculed Mr. Cho. Those same competitors are not laughing any more.

Moreover, new gasoline, diesel, hydrogen, or even fuel cell technology could be utilized by a hybrid vehicle much more efficiently than any of these power sources alone. Additionally, hybrid technology will still evolve.

Batteries are the key to hybrid technology, and they are big and bulky right now. If those batteries become more efficient, such as laptop batteries have done, conventional vehicles will simply not be able to compete.

Honda Accord hybrid and tax rebates

A couple of months ago I wrote an article indicating that the Honda Accord hybrid did not qualify for the IRS tax rebate for a clean car. At that time, the Accord hybrid simply had not been fully tested to qualify for the rebate.

Since then I have received several e-mails inquiring as to whether this was still the case.

As of February, the Accord hybrid does qualify for this rebate, joining both the Civic hybrid and Insight.

As gas prices go higher, hybrid cars offer more choices

As gas prices continue to rise, hybrid cars become more cost-effective, I wrote yesterday, but the plus side doesn't end there. Over the past couple of months, as gas prices have slowly risen, automotive analysts have noticed something, large SUV sales are down.

Yet, gas prices, not even into their summer highs, are demonstrating that they are going higher, much higher. California is certain to hit $3 gas.

That's why hybrid car technology is so important. It works with cars, trucks and SUVs. As the costs of gasoline, as well as the costs of acquiring gasoline, continue to rise, hybrids can, minimally, help offset those costs. More important, it offsets those costs while maintaining choice - the Toyota Prius is your family sedan, the Honda Accord hybrid the sporty sedan, the Ford Escape hybrid and Toyota Highlander hybrid as SUVs, and the Lexus RX400h hybrid is your luxury SUV.

And hybrid choices are only going to increase, as each new generation becomes more fuel efficient and cleaner as we naturally progress towards fuel cells.

Oh yeah, and hybrids also outperform their conventional cousins as well.

American-made: UAW versus the Marines

The UAW only supports Marines that drive American-made cars and that don't support George Bush (DetroitNews)(For the record I did not vote for Bush.)

How pathetic. Perhaps the UAW shouldn't allow police officers that drive Honda Accord hybrids to help fight oil-driven terrorism, or that voted for George Bush, to protect their business as well? Maybe democrat-only voting police officers and firemen should be allowed to serve the UAW?

When in Iraq, risking their lives, Marines are neither Republican, nor Democrat, they are Marines, period.

If Democrats wonder why they lost the election, the attitude of some democrat-promoting organizations like the UAW might be a good place to start. The UAW, oh so heroic and patriotic, has assisted GM and Ford in producing less reliable, foreign-oil dependent, terrorism supporting, environment destroying, automobiles. Where has the UAW been on those issue? Did I miss that strike?

Congrats UAW, you did; however, secure a good pension plan! How could America survive without you?

Oh, I know, it was all the fault of the government (i.e. Republicans), if only they would create laws to force you to do the right thing, then you would - I get it.

Where are the American-made hybrid trucks?

Japan dominates hybrids, especially hybrid cars such as the Toyota Prius and the Honda Accord hybrid. Ford has the Escape hybrid - developed upon Toyota hybrid technology - the only hybrid SUV on the market, but that is temporary.

In just about a month, the Lexus RX400h hybrid will hit the streets, followed this summer by the Toyota Highlander hybrid, the first real competitor of the Escape hybrid.

While Ford and GM have dominated the SUV market, the Lexus and Highlander hybrid SUVs are going to provide real buzz for Toyota SUVs.

The most important American segment, unaffected by hybrids, is trucks. Yet, what could be more American than a hybrid truck?

Fuel efficient, environmentally friendly, top performing hybrid trucks - what are American auto-makers waiting for? Unfortunately, the first full hybrid trucks will probably not come to market for at least 2 to 3 more years, and I bet the first will be a Toyota.

Is this American technological leadership? The environment and foreign oil dependency just don't matter until fuel cell cars - even if their development takes 2 or 3, maybe even more, decades?

That doesn't seem very American to me.

Honda incentives on Civic and Accord hybrids

As mid-sized cars lose appeal in America, Civic and Accord sales have dropped, and Honda has been offering dealer incentives and low rates to move its oversupply of these once top selling cars. Both the Civic hybrid and the Accord hybrid have not been part of these incentives, but since early March, Honda is now offering the reduced rate - 2.9 percent - on the Civic and Accord hybrids as well.

Final Consumer Reports notes on hybrids

While the Honda Accord hybrid stole the buzz of the Consumer Report's Top 10 List because of its family car designation, it wasn't the only hybrid car on the list.

The Toyota Prius hybrid won the The Best Green Car.

This was the first time that two hybrid cars were part of the Top 10 list. Based on "Consumer Reports' road tests, consumer-reported reliability and crash testing from both the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety," the Top 10 are "standouts" according to CR.

The Lexus RX330, the conventional cousin of the soon-to-be-released Lexus RX400h hybrid, took the Best Mid-Sized SUV spot.

Kind of interesting that Toyota and Honda, the hybrid car leaders, are also the Top 10 leaders.

$50 barrels of oil and hybrid car demand

It started when the Toyota Prius won MotorTrend's Car of the Year, then the Ford Escape hybrid won the North American International Auto Show's Truck of the Year, and now the Honda Accord hybrid has been picked as the Best Family Sedan of the year according to Consumer Reports.

Hybrid cars are reliable and rated well in customer satisfaction surveys; for example, more than 94% of Prius owners would buy another Prius.

Momentum is building. The revolution is coming.

The Lexus RX400h hybrid, due out in about a month, has already sold almost half of this year's total production before even hitting showrooms, and interest in the Toyota Highlander hybrid is nothing short of phenomenal.

Demand for hybrids is growing, and so too are the costs of oil.

Many analysts have stated that gasoline prices would have to rise to $3.50 per gallon, a price which seemed totally unrealistic just a couple of months ago, to make hybrids cost effective. In today's geopolitical oil scene; however, California might hit those numbers this year, with the rest of the country not terribly far behind.

While those prices might be temporary, it is definitely going to make more Americans take hybrids much more seriously. Unfortunately, there will be far too few hybrids, and other clean vehicles, available.

At least you'll be able to get a good deal on a huge SUV, you just won't be able to afford to drive it.

Hybrid car reliability according to Consumer Reports

"These hybrid systems have been very reliable," states David Champion, senior director of Consumer Reports' auto test center, noting the 94% of Toyota Prius owners who would buy another Prius, according to their influential consumer survey.

Moreover, Mr. Champion called hybrids "mainstream technology" with the introduction of the Honda Accord hybrid, winner of Consumer Reports Best Family Sedan, which beat out 32 other models for the prestigious award.

While some auto analysts have criticized the hybrid car powertrain, joking that why do you need two motors to do the job of one, Consumer Reports disagreed. "It's the electric motor that really adds the power, or adds the torque to the engine, says Champion. "That allows it to really launch itself off the line."

In Consumer Report testing, not only did the Accord hybrid achieve superior fuel efficiency, it went 0 - 60 more than a half second faster than its conventional cousin.

Consumer Report's hybrid car props

Consumer Reports has given props to the hybrid car movement. Since the announcement of the Honda Accord Hybrid as CR's Best Family Sedan, Accord hybrid commercials have been much more common on T.V., and watching a segment on MSNBC, a journalist noted that CR test drivers were "blown away" by the performance of the Accord hybrid. In my test drive of the Accord hybrid, I was also blown away. While I think the Toyota Prius is a bit more environmentally friendly, I was truly impressed by the performance of the hybrid Accord.

Additionally, the MSNBC report noted the Ford Escape hybrid and the Prius as well, have very high customer satisfaction ratings. For example, 94% of Prius owners would buy another Prius.

Hybrid cars: Its efficiency, not conservation

Many energy experts say energy conservation is foolish - especially those with financial ties to the energy industry. It will never reduce energy use they argue. While that is a separate argument, hybrid cars are often thrown into the conservation ring, much like some conventional subcompact, hybrids help conserve energy some argue. The fact is hybrids utilize less energy because they are superior technology. The hybrid powertrain functions more efficiently than just a gasoline or diesel engine. Unlike compacts, modern hybrids, such as the Honda Accord hybrid, the Lexus RX400h hybrid, or the Toyota Highlander hybrid are not only more efficient, but faster and more powerful than their conventional counterparts. That isn't conservation, it's just better technology.

Honda Accord hybrid picked by Consumer Reports

The Honda Accord hybrid was picked by Consumer Reports as the Best Family Sedan. The magazine will release all of its picks next week.

The Accord hybrid is the third hybrid released by Honda, and has been called the best Accord ever by most auto analysts.

Honda's hybrid future

As of late, Honda hasn't really made many public statements regarding its vision for hybrids. While Honda has been a leader in hybrid car development with its Insight, Civic hybrid, and Accord hybrid, it has been much less vocal on the subject than most major automakers

Of course, the success of Honda has declined a bit in recent years, as both the Civic and the Accord have lost marketshare. So, where is Honda going with its hybrid endeavors?

Laurent Aebi, a product specialist at Honda, largely focusing on fuel cell vehicles, told an audience at the Geneva Auto Show, "Diesel is popular in Europe, clearly, but it's a short-term trend, I give it another 10 years maximum. After that it will be the hybrid car."

Still, Aebi thinks that hybrids will also be a short-term trend. "But both the diesel car and the hybrid car are a transition as we head to fuel cell cars or pure electric cars."

The idea of the hybrid as a transition is common in the auto industry, except for Toyota, which believes that fuel cell cars will be hybrids.

Ultimately, the point is, to make hybrid cars cost effective compared to conventional cars, higher levels of production will be required. At this point in time only Toyota appears either interested, or prepared, to achieve such production levels.

Honda hybrid buzz?

I love the Honda Accord hybrid. It's just a great automobile, and I've received numerous e-mails from very proud and happy Civic hybrid owners.

Yet, there is little Honda hybrid buzz, and I wonder what Honda's vision of the future is.

The Toyota Prius, Toyota claims, has had a significant effect on Toyota's fuel-cell car development. In fact, the success of Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive, driven by Prius development and production, has pushed Toyota to believe that its fuel-cell vehicles will be fuel-cell-electric hybrid vehicles.

Therefore, every hybrid purchase is a significant investment in Toyota's fuel-cell technology, as well as its future as an automotive company.

Honda's hybrid vision has taken a different path. Honda's hybrids are less a step towards fuel cells, except, arguably, the Insight. The Accord and Civic hybrids, it appears, are not as integral a step towards fuel cell development as is the Prius, Lexus RX400h or Highlander hybrids.

Toyota's Ace card is the fact that it has intertwined it hybrid development with its fuel cell development. This makes Toyota's hybrids more of a long term investment, while still solving short-term needs such as reduced pollution and global warming, or reduced foreign-oil dependency.

While I think Honda is still well-positioned for a surge in hybrid interest, the lack of buzz around Honda hybrids compared to Toyota hybrids seems to demonstrate that Toyota is far ahead of the rest of the automotive world and is setting itself up for massive, future marketshare.

GM SUV sales plummet in January

GM, bear of the hybrid car market, execs such as Robert Lutz, have questioned the business story of hybrid cars, even claiming that the Toyota Prius, the Ford Escape hybrid, and the Honda Accord hybrids are nothing but marketing hype.

Yet, preorders for the very expensive Lexus RX400h hybrid have even surpassed the Prius, and hype around the Toyota Highlander is even greater.

GM hype? TrailBlazer sales down 46 percent, Envoy plummets 51.8 percent, and the Rainier drops 26.9 percent, but GM will not be undersold, and will slash prices even further on some of its once, best-selling vehicles (More from DetroitNews).

Bye, Bye.

For an auto company with low profit margins in its automobile segment, that also finances its business with its financial arm, GM doesn't sound like a very good business story to me.

Maybe GM should listen to the EV1 protest.

So what about Honda hybrids then?

If full gas-electric hybrids are the first generation, in a manner of speaking, of fuel-cell-electric hybrids, what about hybrids such as the Honda Accord hybrid, or the Civic hybrid?

Definitely, the Accord and Civic hybrids are built upon on a less sophisticated powertrain than are Toyota hybrids. The Honda Insight is actually probably much closer to a fuel-cell-electric hybrid than are the Civic or Accord hybrids.

Overall, however, I think Honda is well positioned in the hybrid race.

Dealer Fees for hybrid cars and SUVs

If you've gone shopping for a hybrid car or SUV, you might have suffered a little sticker shock. Typically, the sticker cost of a hybrid is between $3000 - $5000 more than its conventional version. Yet many hybrids are marked up much more than this with extra dealer fees.

What's up with an extra $5000.00 for a Toyota Prius, or $3000.00 for a Ford Escape Hybrid?

Has anyone paid more, or less?

If you've test driven a Prius, Escape hybrid, Honda Accord hybrid, or Civic hybrid, how much were your dealer's fees?

Add a comment below, or e-mail me at soultek@soultek.com.

Sanyo increasing hybrid car battery production

Sanyo plans to raise production of its NiMH batteries used in hybrid vehicles. By the end of 2005, Sanyo will be producing enough batteries for 10,000 cars per month.

At this time, Sanyo supplies most on its batteries to Honda, for the Accord hybrid, the Civic hybrid, and the Ford Escape hybrid.

In a press release, a Sanyo spokesman said, "There are only two major players and we are still relatively small. But we plan to ramp up production and eventually grab the half the market."

Sanyo is forecasting huge growth in this sector and it sees it as a multibillion dollar industry in just the next couple of years.

Hybrid tax break update

Yesterday, I wrote about HR 626, a bill proposed by Rep. Dave Camp, a Michigan Republican, that would offer tax credits of between $600 and $4,000 per hybrid vehicle, depending on the model and the energy-saving technology used.

Thus far both President Bush and Democrats have announced support for this incentive and Bush has provided for them in his 2006 budget proposal.

I would assume that vehicles such as the Toyota Prius, the Highlander hybrid, the Lexus RX400h hybrid, and the Ford Escape hybrid would qualify for the upper end of the credit because of their full hybrid status. Other hybrids, such as the Honda Accord hybrid, as well as the Civic hybrid, might qualify for less because Honda's hybrid technology isn't quite as fuel-efficient.

On the other hand, hybrids such as the Sierra hybrid would probably qualify for the lower end of the tax credit because it is only a mild hybrid.

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Severe Lexus RX400h hybrid shortage?

So, you drove the Toyota Prius and you absolutely loved it. If you could have picked your options on a new one and drove it out of the dealership you would have bought it in an instant, but you were told at least 6 months.

Since the Lexus RX400h hybrid and the Toyota Highlander hybrid were to be released soon, you decided to wait. Unfortunately, you might be waiting even longer for one of these hybrids.

Because production of the Hybrid Synergy Drive is almost completely internal, Toyota is having a hard time keeping up with demand. To help with Prius demand, Toyota is looking to China to help out with production, but there are no such plans for the RX400h.

Toyota claims that under its current production capabilities, it can produce only 38,000 hybrid RX400s per year, but only 24,000 of those hybrids are destined for the U.S., and almost half of those vehicles already have downpayments on them.

That means that if Toyota doesn't raise production, supply will be far less than demand. Therefore, interested buyers might not be able to purchase the Lexus hybrid until late 2005 or even 2006.

Of course, overwhelming demand is great news for Toyota, but not for interested consumers.

Toyota's production shortage should help spur sales of the Ford Escape hybrid and the Honda Accord hybrid - which might be the only options for many serious hybrid consumers. Since the Escape hybrid uses Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive, that will also be good news for Toyota.

Overall; however, this will be very disappointing news for Toyota hybrid fans and customers. Hybrid vehicles are an emotion-driven sale for many potential customers, and playing with one's emotions is not a good customer relations practice.

Either Toyota will have to figure out a way to significantly increase production, or Toyota will risk losing tens of thousands of potential customers. If someone has to wait a year or two, pay an extra $3000.00 for a hybrid version, plus and extra $3000.00 to $5000.00 to Toyota dealers for some bogus handling costs, customers will begin to resent Toyota and look for other options.

Toyota has the ability to change the entire automotive industry, but the longer it frustrates customers, the less appeal Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive will have, and the less appeal Toyota will have.

While that might not be fair considering Toyota's leadership in clean technologies, such as hybrid vehicles, to allow demand to wither away awaiting supply demonstrates that Toyota might not believe in hybrids as much as it claims.

Whether Toyota can catch up to demand for its Prius this year will say a lot about where Toyota is going with hybrids in the next few years.

Join the Soultek Hybrid Car Club to stay informed of this issue.

$4000 Tax Credit for that New Hybrid?

Love that new Honda Accord hybrid or Ford Escape hybrid, but afraid of the extra cost?

Auto analysts note that hybrids typically cost about an extra $3000 - $4000 above the cost of their conventional cousins. Of course, the new generation of hybrids, such as the Accord hybrid, Lexus RX400h hybrid, and Toyota Highlander hybrid do provide better performance and significantly better fuel-efficiency for that cost.

Also, buyers can claim a tax credit of up to $2000 to help offset that difference. Unfortunately, that credit will be reduced to $500.00 next year, unless H.R. 626 is approved by Congress.

H.R. 626 would provide between $600 and $4,000 per vehicle in tax incentives for consumers who purchase advanced technology vehicles, depending on the vehicle.

Join the Hybrid Car Club to stay informed of this issue.

What's up with Ford's Mercury hybrid push?

First, I applaud Ford for being the first American automaker with not only the world's first hybrid SUV, but the first American automaker with two hybrid vehicles.

Second, I embrace Ford's commitment to hybrid cars. Ford is planning on releasing the Focus and the Milan as hybrids in the next couple of years, unlike GM which has kept its hybrid focus - if you can call it that - only upon large SUVs and trucks.

Nonetheless, why the rush?

Ford has claimed that Escape hybrid production will be limited in 2005 because of a hybrid battery component shortage. If that is true, why not just produce more Escapes, rather than two limited-supply vehicles?

Or is supply that limited?

In the past Ford has stated that it had secured enough hybrid battery packs for 20,000 hybrids. The last sales numbers that I've seen show that Ford is selling a little more than 1,000 hybrid Escapes per month.

Is the Mercury Mariner hybrid destined to pick up that surplus while building buzz around Ford's hybrid efforts? If so, why?

Toyota would be my guess.

Already Toyota has received downpayments on almost 11,000 units of its first hybrid SUV, the Lexus RX400h. Additionally, there are about another 50,000 interested buyers, and if Toyota can produce enough Lexus hybrid SUVs, the Lexus model alone will outsell the Escape hybrid.

But it doesn't end there.

Just after the Lexus hybrid hits the showroom, the Toyota Highlander hybrid will follow, and interest in that vehicle is as phenomenal as is interest in the Lexus, maybe even greater.

So, Toyota will only be limited by its production capabilities. Without doubt, Toyota can easily move 100,000 hybrid SUVs this year. Combined with the 100,000 Prius hybrids that Toyota has committed to releasing this year, Toyota could easily sell over 200,000 hybrids.

So Ford has to feel very pressured.

Currently, the Honda Accord hybrid is outselling the Ford Escape hybrid, and between the Accord hybrid, the Civic hybrid, and Toyota's Prius, Ford will have a hard time competing - at least in the short term - with these hybrid cars.

The hybrid SUV and truck market is really American automakers best opportunity to grab hybrid marketshare. With GM already eating its foot on hybrid predictions, Ford is a bit in the driver's seat. Unfortunately, Toyota's momentum and the fact that Ford hybrids include licensed Hybrid Synergy Drive technology from Toyota has to be a little unsettling for Ford executives.

Of course not as unsettling as it must be for GM, which is probably two years from entering the hybrid market. Such a head start for Toyota might make its brand almost synonymous with hybrids, much like the Kleenex of tissue.

American automakers should be afraid, be very afraid.

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Just more hybrid car hype

Sure, GM and Nissan, hybrid cars are nothing but hype.

Of course, the first sales month of the first quarter in 2005 seems to say something a little different.

GM and Ford continue to lose marketshare and Toyota continues to gain it.

Why?

A story in the New York Times claims it's Toyota's new products, particularly the Scion and the Prius.

Apparently the hype around the Toyota Prius continues to make money, even though hybrid cars are essentially a waste of time and money if you ask J.D. Power, GM or Nissan.

It's amazing; however, how that hype has propelled Toyota into the role of undisputed leader in the automotive world (GM is bigger, but not as profitable). Somebody better remind Toyota how they are wasting their time and money on this hybrid thing.

While production costs have slowed Toyota profit, most of that innovation and investment is helping Toyota ramp up to world domination in the near future. And if the Prius is any sign of things to come, the American automotive world is going to get slapped into reality when the Lexus RX400h hybrid and the Toyota Highlander hybrid hit the market.

Both the Lexus and Highlander hybrids will, like the Honda Accord hybrid, actually perform significantly better than their conventional cousins.

But, then again, I'm sure this hybrid "hype" won't have any affect on Toyota's U.S. marketshare this year.

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J.D. Power hybrid vehicle market study

If you follow hybrid cars, then you know one of the most cited hybrid analysts comes from J.D. Power, and his study is used in almost every hybrid vehicle market forecast.

Anthony Pratt, senior manager of global powertrain forecasting at J.D. Power-LMC, has stated for many months that hybrids will top out at 3 percent of the U.S. market by 2010, or roughly 535,000 vehicles.

Mr. Pratt typically starts out by noting how few hybrids have been sold, just 88,000 in 2004. Of course, Mr. Pratt doesn't mention that demand in 2004 has significantly out-weighed supply, nor does Mr. Pratt acknowledge the momentum gained by the technology behind the current Toyota Prius, Hybrid Synergy Drive.

Sales for next year, Mr. Pratt predicts will hit 200,000, or almost 1 percent of the market.

Toyota will easily move 100,000 Prius next year, and there are already more than 11,000 pre-orders for its Lexus RX400h hybrid SUV, the world's first luxury SUV.

The Lexus RX400h will be the hottest luxury vehicle on the market because you can be rich and still care! But seriously, early reports on this vehicle are glowing, and it is sure to win many awards. Forget the cost of the Lexus SUV hybrid. A few extra grand for the Best Lexus SUV won't mean much to Lexus customers.

Then there is the Toyota Highlander hybrid. The Highlander hybrid has one of the sleekest, aerodynamic SUV designs and it will be powerful - even faster than the conventional Highlander - yet 30 percent more fuel efficient and significantly cleaner, producing far less pollutants.

Interest in this vehicle is phenomenal. Many potential consumers, and there are well over a 100,000 interested customers, believe they can now have their cake and eat it too. Not only can they have an SUV, but they can have piece of mind as well. Guiltless SUV style and performance, at a reasonable cost, is what the Highlander hybrid will offer these consumers.

Just those 3 hybrids alone could move more than 200,000 vehicles.

Whether Toyota can produce 200,000 hybrids next year is the real question. Additionally, since the Highlander hybrid might not hit the streets until mid-year, its prospects might also be limited.

And, I haven't even yet mentioned the Ford Escape hybrid, the Honda Accord hybrid, and the Civic hybrid - at least another 40,000 - 50,000 units.

And in 2010, Mr. Pratt thinks there will be 30 - that's right 30 - hybrid vehicles on the market. But this is insignificant, Mr. Pratt seems to believe, because efficient gas engines and diesel engines will challenge hybrids.

To that argument, Toyota has already stated that any advance in diesel or gas engines can also be utilized in hybrids. So, if an advanced gasoline engine can increase fuel economy by 20 percent, then a hybrid vehicle with a new gasoline engine can increase fuel economy by 50 percent.

Ultimately, Pratt's trump card is cost. Pratt claims that at $3000 - 4000 above the cost of their conventional cousins is too high for hybrids to be competitive.

Yet, buyers have been know to pay for better performance, particularly faster and quicker cars, which is exactly what the new generation of hybrids offer.

Perhaps the most important reason to believe that hybrids will achieve more than 3% of U.S. sales is Toyota, the most dominating and profitable car maker in the world.

Ford has stated that it envisions hybrids as an integral part of the future. Chrysler has been relatively quiet, and Honda is well positioned in hybrids offering the Insight, the Civic hybrid, and the Accord hybrid.

Those car companies, especially GM and Nissan, with the most to lose if hybrids become popular, are the biggest naysayers. Of course, these car companies have no choice but to be bearish on hybrids at this point in time.

Toyota, on the other hand, has the most to gain from hybrids and the most power to push them. With it's Hybrid Synergy Drive already used by Ford in the Escape hybrid (and other models soon), its Synergy Drive will also be used by Nissan and Subaru, and every one of those licensing deals makes Toyota's hybrid drive more cost-effective for Toyota, while putting more pressure on competitors.

Typically, in the long run, the best technology wins. Hybrid technology is the best auto technology available, but it is an emerging technology and it will advance. Just one major development in NiMH batteries could instantly make conventional automobiles almost obsolete.

Additionally, a vehicle like the Prius might just one day transition from gas-electric hybrid, to fuel cell-electric hybrid.

More important, the world has become a dangerous place over the last few decades because of one resource, oil. Americans might not know this, or believe it, but terrorists certainly do. Additionally, demand is rising and will continue to rise. To continue to be reliant on a resource with so many costs in terms of the environment and military protection is simply foolish.

Don't believe me? Even the ex-CIA director, James Woolsey, promotes hybrids because of the dangers of oil dependency.

Mr. Pratt and J.D. Power, on the other hand, aren't concerned about oil dangers, just continued advertising dollars from inefficient automakers.

In conclusion; however, I think American consumers are truly beginning to question oil dependency, especially foreign-oil dependency. If not for oil, there is no way the U.S. would ever have become involved in Iraq, where, ultimately, 100s of billions of dollars are being spent to secure foreign oil.

If that hidden cost of gasoline were added to the cost of gas-guzzlers, hybrids would sure look a lot cheaper.

Hybrid cars and car pool lanes

Legislation by lawmakers from California that would allow states to make their own rules for hybrids in car pool lanes was co-sponsored by two California legislators on Tuesday.

“This is a bill whose time has very much come,” said Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., who co-sponsored the legislation with Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Calif.

If enacted, the legislation would enable a California law letting hybrids in the carpool lanes — even without passengers — to take effect. Other states including Arizona, Connecticut and Georgia are contemplating similar laws and are following the California legislation closely.

In an article by MSNBC it was noted "Hybrid cars “are allowing us to enhance the environment, reduce air pollution in California, and yet we’re not allowed to do this,” Issa said. “This bill will allow that to happen, not just in California but for all 50 states.”"

As hybrids become more popular, the legislation does pose some problems. For example, a Virginia law allowing hybrids into car pool lanes resulted in such huge sales that carpoolers have begun complaining of bumper-to-bumper traffic.

The California law would require that any hybrid achieve 45 mpg to qualify for car pool status. At this time only the Honda Civic hybrid, Honda Insight and Toyota Prius qualify.

The Honda Accord hybrid and the Ford Escape hybrid would not qualify under the current legislation. Thus, Ford is fighting the legislation, arguing for just a 10 percent gain in efficiency to qualify for car pool lane entrance.

With the problems in Virginia, that seems like a bad move. Still, it is disappointing that the Escape doesn't qualify. Rather than a minimum mpg, a different standard might need to be utilized.

While I am not a fan of SUVs, simply because the design is just, well, inefficient, many Americans demand SUVs. Fine, as long as they are fuel-efficient. Hybrid SUVs, such as the Escape hybrid, and the soon-to-be-released Lexus RX400h hybrid and Toyota Highlander hybrid each achieve fuel-efficiency gains of around 30 percent.

Those kinds of gains are also very important.

Once again; however, offering car pool status to hybrid SUVs - with their popularity - almost certainly would flood the car pool lanes of California. So it's hard to say how much impact this legislation can have in the long run.

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What is the hybrid car attraction?

Those whom don't believe in hybrid cars seem to believe there is some conspiracy against Americans that is going to force them to buy hybrids.

Don't believe me? Go to Autoweek and check out some forums and you'll hear about how the automotive media is in love with hybrids and how green-activists are trying to force Americans to buy certain cars.

I read a ton of automotive news every day, and very rarely is any of it about hybrids. Pick up almost any issue of any major automotive magazine, and you might find an article or two on hybrids. Often you won't find anything about hybrids.

The only reason there is buzz regarding hybrids is because of hybrid supporters, not the media.

Many of us look around at the world and see gross pollution and we want to do something about it. Many of us look at the problems in the Middle East and we want to do something about it. Many of us look at the corporate greed that decided that it was O.K. to build SUVs on a truck platform, even when rollover was determined to be a serious threat, and we want to do something about it.

Some of us are tired of a world driven by inefficient greed that has only one purpose, not creating the best product possible, but achieving the quickest profit for shareholders.

Freedom of choice, contrary to these conspirators, is about choice. Without hybrids what choice is there?

You can buy a small compact if you are so worried, some might say.

Why?

Why can't I have an efficient sedan, or truck, or SUV? The technology certainly exists.

The original Toyota Prius was a bit of a slug, but the new Prius proves good performance is possible. The release of the Honda Accord hybrid; however, demonstrates that hybrids are not only efficient, but better performers.

The Accord hybrid isn't the only hybrid achieving better performance than it's conventional cousin. The Toyota Highlander hybrid and the Lexus RX400h hybrid, like the Accord hybrid, will also out perform their conventional cousins, while getting almost 30 percent better fuel efficiency.

So where is the conspiracy?

Yes, there is a cost for hybrid technology, but there is no doubt that hybrids are simply better vehicles than non-hybrids. As time goes on, the gap between hybrids and conventional vehicles will widen, to the benefit of hybrids.

Technology, such as computers, has demonstrated one clear fact - it advances. In the short term it is more expensive and complicated, but the gains made in the long run easily recover those initial costs.

Ten years ago, a laptop with the ability to function on a battery for four hours with top notch performance was nothing but a dream. Even if you doubled the price of your computer investment, it was still a dream.

Now that technology is cheaper than a high end desktop of 10 years ago, but with performance that would have been a dream just 10 years ago.

That's why it's called an investment. Oil shortages, oil wars, pollution, global warming, etc. are all reasons to invest in new technology. Many have said wait until fuel cells arrive. Right now it costs almost 1,000,000 to create one fuel-cell powered car. How long can we wait, forever?

It costs a few extra grand to make a hybrid, and hybrid technology is still emerging. GM's two-mode hybrid technology promises the possibility of 60 percent more efficient hybrid Tahoes, Yukons, and Sierras.

That's not worth a few extra grand?

As the old adage goes the only certain thing in life is change.

Assuming a decades old truck platform could drive the automotive future was not only stupid, but dangerous for American auto manufacturers, and more importantly, dangerous for Americans.

Hybrid cars are not some green wet dream, they are simply better cars than conventional cars.

Get over it. Change is inevitable.

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Toyota Highlander Hybrid Update and Hybrid Performance

Yesterday, I reported on a CNBC segment regarding hybrids. In that segment, the Toyota Highlander hybrid was the main focus, and the reporter noted that the Highlander hybrid would be released in March.

Originally, the Highlander hybrid was to be released at that time, but Toyota pushed that date back to June/July because of overwhelming demand. Well, the online version of yesterday's CNBC segment is now available, click here to see.

According to CNBC, the Toyota Highlander hybrid will hit the market in March. I am still in disbelief regarding this report; however, I am hopeful that it is actually correct.

The gist of the article noted that the new trend in hybrids is performance. The Honda Accord hybrid, the Lexus RX 400h hybrid, and the Highlander hybrid, the article points out, are the next generation of hybrids that are not just focused on fuel efficiency and pollution reductions, but on performance.

For example, each of the above hybrids are faster and more powerful than their conventional counterparts, going almost a second faster from 0 to 60.

The Highlander hybrid will be about 30 percent more fuel-efficient than the conventional Highlander. Toyota, the report states, could have made the Highlander hybrid even more efficient; however, Toyota didn't just want the most efficient Highlander, it wanted the best performing Highlander.

Click here for the complete CNBC article.

Toyota Highlander hybrid hitting market earlier than expected?

According to a report by CNBC TV this morning, the Highlander hybrid will be hitting the market in April.

The staff at CNBC noted that the Highlander hybrid, much like the Honda Accord hybrid, is also almost a second faster than the conventional Highlander hybrid and achieved about 30 mpg on their test drive.

I'll be trying to verify this date. At the end of last year, Toyota had pushed the release date of the Highlander hybrid to June/July.

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"Hybrids are an interesting curiosity" says GM's Lutz

I've gone off on GM executive Robert Lutz before, but I'm going to do it again.

"Hybrids are an interesting curiosity and we will do some," says Lutz, "But do they make sense at $1.50 a gallon? No, they do not."

This statement exemplifies everything wrong with American corporatism - everything is about short term profit, even at the expense of American lives.

Is 30 percent better fuel-efficiency on a small car really important?

Ask the fathers and mothers of soldiers killed in Iraq that question, Mr. Lutz.

Hybrid cars like the Toyota Prius and the Honda Accord hybrid are important because they demonstrate that America doesn't need to be dependent upon foreign oil.

Apparently, however, that's not important to you Mr. Lutz?

Fortunately, vehicles like the Toyota Prius and the Accord hybrid, pushed American auto companies into action. Thus, Ford released the Escape hybrid, and significantly more fuel-efficient hybrids are on the way.

The Toyota Highlander hybrid and the Lexus RX 400h hybrid will soon offer American consumers three different hybrid SUVs, with more soon to follow. While I am not a huge SUV fan, I am huge hybrid SUV fan when compared to a standard SUV.

The point is, without hybrid cars, there never would have been hybrid SUVs.

Yet, there will not be a hybrid SUV from GM until 2007 or 2008.

While Mr. Lutz can continue to putz around his company's complete lack of environmental concern, or lack of worry for American soldiers, more and more Americans have had enough.

Yes, Mr. Lutz, to many of us hybrid cars are worth the extra cost, even if gas is only $1.50 per gallon. Terrorism, pollution, global warming and Iraq, Mr. Lutz, make cheap gas insignificant if that cheap gas leads to billions of tax-payer dollars being spent on wars and military machinery to "protect" our oil interests.

If cheap gas and conventional automobiles mean that 1000s of young Americans need to die to ensure GM's poor business practices will continue to be profitable, then yes, I absolutely demand a hybrid car, Mr. Lutz.

And it's not just me. Millions of Americans are more than willing to spend an extra few thousand dollars to help save one American life, let alone thousands, sir.

At some point, Mr. Lutz, doing the right thing is more important than money, even for a huge multinational corporation like GM. Ignore that fact at your own peril.

1,000,000 hybrids within 5 years, powertrain analysts predict

According to the article, Panel of powertrain experts sees strong growth for hybrids, "The success of the Toyota Prius, Honda Civic Hybrid and Ford Escape Hybrid has forced manufacturers to build more gasoline-electric hybrids."

"We had no idea where the market would go when we were doing this. We are working to increase capacity. We have a plan in place. We will look at many potential partners," stated Mary Ann Wright, Ford's director of sustainable mobility technologies and hybrid programs.

According to the article, a recent study by the Automotive Technology Research Group in Thousand Oaks, Calif. found that as many as 50 hybrid vehicles could be on the market in five years, resulting in annual North American sales of 800,000 to 1 million units.

In addition to the Honda Accord hybrid, which was released in mid-December, three additional models will hit the street this year, the Mercury Mariner hybrid, the Lexus RX 400h, and the Toyota Highlander hybrid.

Hybrid cars are here today, fuel-cell cars might not ever arrive

I believe that one day most people will drive fuel-cell automobiles, but that day could easily be a few decades away. Yet, pollution and smog - much of it from automobiles - has been scientifically proven to be, minimally, a serious health threat.

Action needs to be taken immediately, not only to clean the environment, but to minimize our foreign-oil dependency.

Two decades is simply far too long to wait for significantly more efficient automotive technology via fuel cells.

Hybrid vehicles, such as the Toyota Prius, Honda Accord hybrid, or Ford Escape hybrid have the ability to empower the average citizen and consumer to help make the world a better place - by having a direct impact on issues which polls show are becoming increasingly more important to the average American citizen.

If you are interested in learning more about some of the key issues regarding fuel cells and the hydrogen economy, PopSci.com is running a great article on the subject.

(Click here for the PopSci Article)

German study sees U.S. hybrid market at 10% by 2012

An important German automotive industry newspaper, Automobilwoche, is reporting that German auto-analysts are forecasting the US market for hybrid vehicles to exceed 10% of the total light vehicle market by 2012.

Moreover,German auto analysts from B&D Forecast GmbH, also believe that sales of hybrid light vehicles will increase from just 83,000 units in 2004 to three million units by 2015, almost 17.7% of the current total US light vehicle market.

Earlier today J.D. Power and Associates forecast that by 2008, 30 hybrid vehicle models will be available for sale. However, Power forecasts that hybrid sales probably won't surpass much more than 3 percent of the U.S. auto market - ever.

Despite the discrepancies in American and German auto analysts, like their American counterparts, European auto-manufacturers fear being left behind.

Last year Toyota sold almost 54,000 Prius cars, and the hybrid leader will be launching the hybrid Highlander and the Lexus RX400h hybrid later this year. Honda, Toyota's Japanese contender, sold 25,700 hybrid Insights, Civics and Accords in 2004.

The Ford Escape hybrid, the only real American contender, has moved about 1000 units per month since its Fall launch, a small percentage of overall hybrid sales.

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Hybrid vehicle sales for 2004 rise almost 100 percent

According the Mercury News, automakers recently reported hybrid car and truck sales for 2004, and sales of seven gas-electric vehicles rose almost 100 percent to 85,699 hybrid vehicles sold, compared to 43,435 in 2003.

The Toyota Prius accounted for 63 percent of total hybrid vehicle sales, at 53,991 units sold.

The Honda Accord hybrid, which was only on sale for a few weeks in 2004, sold almost 1,100 units in just part of December.

Similar to Accord hybrid sales, the Ford Escape hybrid is averaging about 1000 sales per month since October, when the Escape hybrid was released.

Other hybrid vehicles on sale in 2004 included the Honda Insight, Honda Civic hybrid, as well as the Chevy Silverado hybrid, and the GMC Sierra hybrid pickups.

Automotive analyst, Anthony Pratt of J.D. Power and associates noted, "The fact that all vehicle manufacturers have a hybrid strategy is significant."

According to Matt Nauman of the Mercury News, "Power, the Westlake Village researcher, projects that U.S. hybrid sales will reach 222,000 this year and 500,000 by 2009. If that prediction comes true, hybrids would account for nearly 3 percent of the U.S. car and truck market in 2009. In 2004, hybrid sales represented about 0.5 percent of the 16.9 million vehicles sold."

With the Lexus RX 400h hybrid, the world's first luxury hybrid SUV, and the Toyota Highlander hybrid coming to market in 2005, those numbers seem light.

Power predicts significant hybrid growth for 2005, but then the auto researcher seems to think demand will slow through 2009, even as the hybrid field expands to 30 models by 2008 - that's less than 20,000 units per year for each hybrid model.

That seems like quite a sudden drop in hybrid momentum, just as the hybrid field finally gets competitive, as well as an awful waste of time for automobile manufacturers.

Hybrid cars and Federal Income Tax Reductions

Hybrid cars such as the Toyota Prius, Honda Civic Hybrid, and possibly the Ford Escape Hybrid qualify for a one-time federal income tax deduction of up to $2,000.

Consumers that purchase one of these hybrids in 2005 can utilize the Clean Fuel tax deduction on line 32 of your 1040 tax form.

Unfortunately, this deduction will be reduced to $500 in 2006, and this tax credit is scheduled to be phased out completely in 2007 under current legislation.

At this time, I have not obtained proof that the Honda Accord Hybrid qualifies for this credit.

Additionally, I do not know whether the Lexus RX400h Hybrid or the Toyota Highlander Hybrid, due out later in 2005, will qualify for this tax credit. If; however, the Ford Escape Hybrid qualifies, then I would assume the Highlander might also qualify.

I would be surprised and delighted, but not shocked, if the RX400h hybrid qualifies.

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My spin on today's hybrid hype

Today's article, Crossovers and hybrids may never live up to their hype, by John McCormick makes me go, hmmmm?

"Turning to hybrids, I continue to wonder at the gullibility of the general public and automotive journalists who should know better. Any honest automotive engineer will tell you that the concept of a vehicle with two engines doing the job of one is nonsensical."

Now, I'm not questioning Mr. McCormicks journalistic integrity, I'm sure his knowledge of automotive engineering is much greater than mine, but I have just one little problem with that statement, Toyota.

The President of Toyota, a growing giant in the auto industry and destined to be the world's largest automaker, has gone on record stating that hybrid powertrains are the powertrain of the future for Toyota.

While much of auto an show is marketing spin, and not all announcements should be taken literally, am I missing something here? Is Toyota doing the "nonsensical" thing because they are trying to trick America?

Why would Toyota waste its time on "nonsensical" automotive engineering?

And if one engine is better than two, why does using two make the Honda Accord Hybrid faster, more powerful, and more efficient than a similar, conventional Accord?

Still, Mr. McCormick does offer hybrids one caveat, kind of. "The only condition in which a gasoline-electric hybrid will return better mileage than one of today's most advanced gasoline engines, let alone a diesel, is in city driving, when regenerative braking plays a significant role."

O.K., to start, "today's most advanced gasoline engines" aren't found in today's cars and they cost significantly more money. Additionally, the standard gasoline engine in a hybrid could be replaced by an advanced gasoline engine and achieve 25 percent more efficiency than the advanced gasoline engine by itself.

The same is true for diesel. Already, Ford, GM and ChryslerDaimler have diesel-electric hybrid vehicle concept cars because of this fact. As a side note, the same is true of hydrogen powered engines. Hydrogen-electric hybrids are just as plausible as gasoline, or diesel-electric hybrids.

Of course one must ask whether the cost is worth the price, and which, if any, combinations work best. Right now, in the U.S., gasoline-electric hybrids make the most sense.

Today's full hybrids, such as the Toyota Prius or Ford Escape hybrid, in city driving, achieve significantly better mileage than today's conventional cars or diesels, with far less pollution, but it's hard to put a price or value on reduced pollution.

Because of price, some analysts have pushed for new diesels as a way to achieve the same efficiency as with hybrids. Even McCormick states, "With a normal diet of city and highway driving, a hybrid will actually consume more fuel than a diesel powertrain".

First, passenger diesels are not even legal in the Northeast or in California, so until the law is changed, why does this issue even come up? Diesels are not even an option for a huge percent of American drivers, legally.

Second, a hybrid diesel could still be 25 percent more efficient than just a diesel. More important, hybrid technology is new, and getting better all the time.

So, concludes McCormick, "As for hybrids, they will likely continue to carve out an expanding niche in the U.S. market. While I find their evident shortcomings annoying, I can understand the sub-conscious appeal of driving a vehicle perceived to be environmentally-friendly. This became clear while I was driving a Chevy Silverado hybrid recently.

Even though the truck costs $2,500 more than the standard version and still managed only 14 miles per gallon overall in my hands, somehow I felt more righteous than all those non-hybrid full-size pickup drivers on the road.

It's hard to put a price on that."

To me, there is a little tongue-in-cheek in that statement. More important, the Silverado is a mild hybrid. It is not in the same league as a Prius or Escape hybrid. Mild hybrids are not nearly as fuel efficient as full hybrids, nor nearly as environmentally friendly.

But, hey, what is 25 percent better fuel efficiency anyway? Of course, according to experts, if Americans nationwide reduced their fuel consumption by that much, America could end foreign oil-dependency.

If that were the case, there might have been a few less American deaths in the Middle East these last few years.

Of course, it's hard to put a price on that.

More hybrid cars.

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The Hybrid Car Hustle

What's up with Detroit? Last week, at the North American International Auto Show, probably the most important auto event in the world, the word on the floor was hybrid vehicles.

Even Truck of the Year, an especially important American customer segment, went to a hybrid, the Ford Escape Hybrid.

GM and DaimlerChrysler introduced a diesel-electric hybrid concept vehicle, and re-announced full hybrid versions of the Tahoe and Yukon, followed by a full Sierra / Silverado hybrid.

Not to be out done, Ford announced that the Mercury Mariner hybrid would reach the market this year, a year earlier than expected. Then Ford upped the ante by announcing not only a hybrid Freestyle, but also a Mazda Tribute hybrid, a Mercury Milano hybrid, and a Focus hybrid, with all models expected to reach market within three years.

Then Toyota, gaining on GM as the world's largest automaker, unwilling to lose face in light of Ford's hybrid hustle, went all in.

This year not only will Prius demand be met, but Toyota will announce where it will start building hybrids, such as the Prius, in the United States.

Moreover, Toyota announced to the world that the hybrid powertrain is the future for Toyota. Yes, gasoline engines might be improved, or diesel, hydrogen, or fuel-cells, but the hybrid powertrain, Toyota believes, can make each of those power sources better.

Toyota's next hybrid, the Lexus RX400h Hybrid, already has received more than 11,000 pre-orders. Additionally, interest in the Highlander hybrid is off the wall by industry standards.

Already Toyota is expecting to sell at least 100,000 Prius hybrids in 2005, yet the buzz building around the Highlander hybrid seems to indicate that the Highlander hybrid, an SUV, could be even more popular than the Prius.

Recently, Ford announced that it will easily sell 20,000 Escape hybrids in 2005, and if more hybrid batteries are located, they will produce even more.

Since the Escape hybrid uses leased Toyota hybrid technology, the price of the Highlander hybrid, with its price advantage, is going to be interesting. More importantly, what if Toyota can price the Highlander significantly less the Escape hybrid?

Why not try to steal some thunder from the North American Truck of the Year, the Ford Escape Hybrid? The opportunity facing Toyota couldn't be greater.

The Toyota Prius proved that a small, affordable, very fuel-efficient vehicle, could feel like the most innovative car ever created. But America loves SUVs, and an affordable, hybrid performer, could take that segment by storm.

Toyota's experience with hybrids bodes well for the Highlander hybrid, and I believe the Highlander hybrid has crazy American potential. American consumers aren't nearly the neanderthals the world believes. Show us we can help and we will. Well, hybrids help.

Ford and GM are not out of it yet though. While GM has dramatically and rapidly changed its position on hybrids, Ford appears to be building momentum. In addition to their more bullish position on hybrids, their commitment to hybrid cars, as well as hybrid SUVs, gives them a notch up on GM.

Honda is a wild card in the hybrid race, with the Accord hybrid and Civic hybrid already on the market, Honda could easily transition to a hybrid only automotive world - at least much easier than Ford, GM, or DaimlerChrysler.

Toyota is the one with the most to gain or lose from the hybrid hustle.

The leader has to set the pace. While Toyota has a big lead they can either move methodically, but cautiously into hybrids, playing it safe, but also allowing the competition time to reposition; or Toyota change the playing field forever.

The conundrum for Toyota will be supply and demand. The demand for affordable hybrids is without question. Based on customer interest and sales figures, by 2006, it is not hard to imagine Toyota selling 400,000 hybrid vehicles in the just the U.S. - even while more highly priced - but are they capable of meeting that level of production?

By that time, GM might not have yet sold one full hybrid in the U.S.

Furthermore, at 400,000 a year the afford-ablility factor between hybrids and conventional vehicles is reduced, especially in addition to Ford and Nissan license sales. Moreover, conventional cars will start meeting higher pollution standards in the next couple of years and those changes will inevitably lead to higher costing conventional vehicles.

Toyota's next few hybrid plays are sure to be interesting.

So hybrids aren't good business Mr. Lutz?

Several times on this blog I've posted quotes from GM Executive Robert Lutz, who argues that hybrids are only "emotional" or that they don't make "business sense".

Now Mr. Lutz, General Motor's "new-car czar" according to BusinessWeek, is making risky moves to save Saturn.

Lutz, who recently claimed that hybrid cars such as the Toyota Prius and Honda Accord Hybrid don't make business sense, is creating a Saturn Sky Roadster to save Saturn.

This is the kind of move that makes sense in the world of Lutz.

Now, Saturn does have a history of buyer loyalty, so I can understand trying to save Saturn, in fact I agree with saving it. Business sense requires taking care of loyal customers, but let's play with some numbers just for fun.

Saturn is already losing $1 billion per year, and another $800 million is to be spent to update Saturn production.

Recently, Lutz argued that a $100 million investment in hybrid cars didn't make business sense. So, investing almost a billion more in something that loses a billion per year is an example of good business sense?

Even worse, the new Sky Roadster will sell for more than $20,000.

The Toyota Prius lists for $19,000. The Prius is incredibly fuel efficient and offers great performance and comfort for four - there is more leg room in the back of the Prius than the Ford Escape hybrid.

The Roadster might be a very good vehicle, but it will certainly not match the technological advances of something like the Prius. In my opinion, one car exudes the future, the other the past.

Not long ago, a struggling Nissan was taken over by Renault, and our Mr. Lutz stated that Renault could have just as easily thrown the $5 billion into the Pacific Ocean and end up with the same result.

Just six years later, Nissan has the highest profit margins in the auto industry.

Regardless of what happens to Saturn, I feel good about Lutz's negative statements regarding hybrids. Based on his Nissan predictions, hybrid cars are sure to dominate the market even faster than the most optimistic hybrid adopters.

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