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-->>Hybrid
Buyer's Club
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October 27, 2004
Critics and naysayers
of hybrid cars often point
to the extra costs of hybrids as a reason that hybrids
won't bust into the mainstream of the American auto
market any time soon.
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These pundits rationalize
that Americans are not willing to pay an extra $3000.00
to reduce foreign oil dependency, help fight terrorism,
and help clean the environment. Yet, the success of the Toyota
Prius is already calling this thinking into
question.
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While buyers will make the
$3000.00 back, it will take about 5 years to recover the
$3000.00 in tax savings and fuel costs, and the Big 3
just doesn't believe Americans will accept that recovery
time.
It is true that many won't wait, but the success of the
Prius, coupled with the adoption of Toyota hybrid
technology worldwide, will scale the cost of Toyota
hybrids to soon match standard cars, in addition to
providing all the incentives of purchasing a hybrid
listed above.
And Honda isn't terribly far behind, and the launch of
the Honda
Accord hybrid car should be another big boost for
the world's third largest automaker.
In addition, the Rocky
Mountain Institute believes that 'feebates' could
additionally help propel fuel-efficient cars into the
mainstream.
Recently, Nathan Glasgow told Matt Bivens of Playboy all
about the program. "Under this
government-administered system, if you buy an efficient
car, you get a rebate. If you buy a gas guzzler, you pay
a fee. Both would be on a sliding scale according to
each car's fuel efficiency. The fees pay for the
rebates. For example, the sticker price of a new Hummer
would include a fee, and the money raised would help
defray the cost of a new Escape
hybrid. We estimate that by 2025 fee-bate policies
could result in every fourth vehicle on America's roads
being several times as efficient as today's cars."
Glasgow believes that by such a time, the average car
could easily achieve 100 mpg, and that such programs
could get America entirely off oil over the next few
decades.
Not a bad idea? Sounds good to me.
In a way, it sounds very much like new programs for
corporations to deal with Greenhouse-Gas limits - now
receiving much attention as Russia finalizes approval of
the Kyoto Protocal.
Recently the Wall Street Journal reported, "Some
major corporations, anticipating that they may soon be
facing government regulations on so-called greenhouse gas
emissions at home as well as abroad, are already taking
steps to reduce the financial risks of tighter controls
and searching for ways to make money on them."
In Europe, markets are already being set up to trade
pollution. Essentially, a company which meets guidelines
will be able to sell their surplus - the amount they are
under mandatory guidelines - to companies that have
failed to meet their guidelines.
Of course, amongst others, the auto industry is against
the movement.
WSJ reports, "Next week, officials from the
utility, auto and oil industries are expected to file a
brief supporting the the Bush administration's decision
that the administration has no authority to limit
emissions of carbon dioxide and other global-warming
gases unless Congress gives it that authority."
Obviously, it doesn't appear Detroit would advocate
fee-bates, but maybe your Congress person will.
To stay informed on this issue, click hybrid
cars.
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