Hybrid hype tempered for good?

A year too late?

Yesterday I read some commentary in the DetroitNews which basically claimed hybrid hype is dead.

"Gone, hopefully, are the days when the hybrid hype machine said the dual-powertrain vehicles would dominate the market and be standard offerings for most vehicles in every fleet," writes Manny Lopez.

Instead, "Unfortunately, in the end, legislators and activists have been better at grandstanding and casting aspersions at those who don't play their game, but if the car companies are smart and follow the market's lead, they'll keep building what people buy, not what others tell them to build."

So, isn't that exactly what Detroit has been claiming its been doing? Has that really been so successful?

Today, cheap gas and massive incentives might push many back into guzzlers, but does that really mean that is what Detroit should focus upon for its future product offerings? Isn't that a recipe for failure?

Still, Lopez is right to an extent. Cheap gas won't sell hybrid cars, even if Obama and Congress force automakers to develop such vehicles. Yet, gas prices will again increase, probably quite significantly. When that happens, hybrids will easily sell, but that might not happen for several years.

Just a few minutes ago, Obama spoke on the economy and made clean energy a huge component of that speech and fuel efficiency a central topic. That means hybrid cars. Yet, can Obama successfully sell fuel efficiency when gas is cheap?

Some hope for fuel economy

The gas guzzler is done?

Well, that's probably not going to be true anytime soon, but the wild popularity of gas-guzzlers is dead. That's a step, and as I watch the automakers testify before Congress, I need some hope.

If the recession hitting the US lasts as long, including the recovery, as some economists are predicting, any chance of profitability for automakers is many, many years out. How are they going to be able to afford a serious push towards fuel economy if the technology costs more, especially if gas prices don't go significantly higher for the next few years? Aren't many consumers going to balk?

Or, have Americans smartened up?

That was the feeling I got after reading the comments to a MotorTrend article about the falling price of gas. Considering that MotorTrend is not a staunch advocate of fuel efficiency, it's a hopeful sign when many of MotorTrend's readers believe that cheap gas shouldn't be an excuse to a return to guzzling.

SUV drivers burning their gas guzzlers

Shoulda gotta hybrid

CNBC's HomeFront just ran a story about how insurers are seeing a big increase in insurance fraud regarding SUVs. Owners are abandoning and torching their SUVs in an attempt to offload their gas-guzzlers, since SUV value has gone through the floor. I'm sure some politicians will begin using this fact as proof that a gas tax holiday is needed to save SUVs before they go extinct.

If oil is going to $200, how does a gas tax holiday help?

By summer of 2010 oil prices could be $200?

So, let's say America is able to enjoy a gas tax holiday this summer and we all save $30.00 over the summer. Does that mean that big oil will have learned its lessons, and gas prices will slide back down towards $2.00? Will NOCs decide to give America some especially cheap oil, just for America?

If there is a good chance that oil prices are going to $200 (more), aren't gas prices probably going to go up in the future, not down? If so, shouldn't America be coming up with real solutions for the future? Shouldn't America be taking real action today to prepare for the future?

Instead of a gas tax holiday, why not new tax credits for fuel efficiency for the summer? Give consumers credits for buying smaller vehicles, hybrid cars, etc. Couldn't the auto industry use a little help anyway? Wouldn't that be a proactive way to help the economy, rather than promoting ideas that sound great, but cause more problems than we already have?

It's the 70's show: The gas thieves are back

Gas lines - That other great 70's moment

With oil futures setting records practically by the minute, the cost of gasoline just keeps going higher and higher. Gas prices appear primed to hit $4.00 or more everywhere this summer. And, that high cost has made gasoline a valuable commodity - valuable enough for thieves to drill into gas tanks to steal gas out of cars in Massachusetts (more).

Are you ready for $4.00 gas? How about $5.00?

Let's just hope bin Laden doesn't have any oil refinery vacation plans for this summer!

Is McCain insane?

Off his rocker?

So, Hillary will bail out the US auto industry if needed as President, and John McCain wants to reduce the price of gasoline this summer to help oil the economy.

Isn't this the worst kind of pandering? Cheap gas is threatening American security, the economy - dare I say the health of the world - and McCain wants to make gas cheaper? Am I missing something? And what about all the deteriorating highways and bridges across America that need that tax money?

When politicians pander to the people, rather than deal with reality, what hope is there for the future?

Why is gas so cheap in America?

Is $4.00 gas really expensive?

On Friday, regarding a question on fuel economy and CAFE, Bob Lutz stated, "Nobody knows how to get to 35 mpg with a portfolio of vehicles roughly equivalent to today's without loading in $6,000 to $8,000 of hybrid systems. We are not sure we can 'save' large vehicles."

Yet, if gas cost $6.00 or more per gallon, such as in Europe, $6000.00 worth of hybrid technology could easily be recovered in fuel savings. Then again, at $6.00 per gallon, how many would even want such large vehicles?

While Congress can blame automakers for not building 'relevant' vehicles and oil companies for making ridiculous profits, there is a more important question that must be asked of Congress.

Why is gas so cheap in America if it takes so much American diplomacy, military force - and blood - to secure America's foreign oil dependency? That's all free? And if gas hadn't been so cheap, overall, the last few decades, would America be so foreign oil dependent?

Gas prices up 64 cents compared to last year

Up 9 cents from 2 weeks ago

The average price of a regular gallon of gasoline is $3.19 per gallon according to a new survey. No worries though, Iraq is costing just $12 billion per month! Of course that's nothing compared to the cost of foreign oil itself. In 2008, the US is expected to spend $440 billion on imported oil.

Foreign oil dependency rules!

$4.00 gas: Death by ignorance?

We've had it coming?

First, let me just say that $4.00 gas is cheap. Second, for those that drive fuel efficient vehicles, $4.00 gas isn't nearly as painful as for those driving gas-guzzlers - no duh, right?

Still, for those with large families that drive gas-guzzlers, I feel for your pain - a little, but had you gotten a minivan, instead of a much larger - without any extra seating - SUV, your pain would be a little less. Of course, when gas is cheap, ignorance is bliss.

Ultimately, if Americans utilized practical intelligence as consumers, the US economy and the average American family would be able to absorb $4.00 gas without nearly as much pain. But, American culture doesn't value practicality, there's no image value.

Well, enjoy your bling-bling all the way to the gas pump. You look cool.

Gas prices set for another Spring surge

Could start rising as early as February in California

The AP is reporting that because of the switch from winter to summer gasoline blends, gasoline prices will surge this spring as they have the last couple of springs. That should lead to gas prices of about $3.50 nationwide, and around $4.00 per gallon in most urban areas. I hope it goes even higher, providing an even greater benefit to those that have already bought hybrid cars, while providing more incentives for more to go hybrid.

Oil futures hit $100.00

2008 and $4.00 gas?

Oil futures touched $100.00 per barrel today. So, get out there and buy your hybrids vehicles. I know you want to wait for a 100 mpg plug-in hybrid, but you're going to be waiting a few years for such vehicles, a few years of, potentially, very high gas prices. At $100 per barrel, hybrids are only going to become a more valuable hedge against energy prices.

$4.00 gas by this spring?

$3.50 this winter?

Now that oil is heading back towards $100 per barrel some energy analysts told CNBC's Bertha Coombs this morning that gasoline prices could easily hit $3.50 per gallon this winter and $4.00 per gallon by this Spring.

Imagine gas prices if Israel or America take any sort of military action against Iran. OUCH!

Hybrid vehicles might not be the greatest way to save money, but over time most hybrids do pay for themselves. Moreover, if you keep your car more than 5 years your car might actually become an investment, a hedge against rising gasoline prices.