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Hybrid
cars, trucks, and SUVs: All vehicles hybrid
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Thursday, January 06, 2007Did
GM kill the electric car?
Who killed the electric car?
That is the question, at least according to the movie of
the same name. Yet, in reality, did anyone really kill the
electric car? Is it fair to blame a company like GM, the
company most associated with killing the electric car, for
the death of electric cars? Are electric cars even dead?
In just a few days, GM will debut a Chevy electric concept
vehicle at the North American International Auto Show. In
the last several months both Bob Lutz and Rick Wagoner
have claimed the automotive future to be electric.
So, how could GM have killed the electric car if the
automotive future is electric?
Perhaps, GM simply killed one version of an electric
vehicle, one bad adaptation of an electric vehicle in the
evolution of electric vehicles.
Lest we forget, even Toyota had a hard time finding enough
batteries to produce 100,000 Toyota
Prius hybrid cars just a year or two ago. Since
electric vehicles require even greater battery capacity
than hybrid
cars, should we really be surprised electric vehicles
didn't take America by storm?
Even Toyota, a company consumed by efficiency, has claimed
that plug-in hybrid vehicles are not yet ready for
mass-production. Plug-in
hybrids offer very near electric car performance, but
with the option of using conventional fuel when needed -
significantly increasing the appeal of 'electric'
vehicles.
Thus, is Toyota killing the plug-in hybrid electric
vehicle?
Even today, hybrid vehicles could fade away for a number
of years, particularly if gas costs decline for a couple
of years. Yet, the dangers of foreign oil dependency won't
go away because gas becomes cheaper. On the contrary, the
dangers of foreign oil dependency will probably increase.
Inevitably, the only way hybrid cars, plug-in hybrids or
electric vehicles are going to go mainstream in the next
decade is with significant political help, as well as
consumer help. Consumers have to be willing to share some
risk - to pay now and save fuel later. Politicians have to
help consumers afford to buy these foreign oil dependency
fighting vehicles.
Will consumers and politicians rise to the challenge, or
will we again be blinded by temporarily cheaper gas?
posted
by Dahcredyns at
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Hybrid
Cars Buying Guide: Which hybrid vehicle is best for you?
If you are not sure which hybrid vehicle best
meets your needs, use our Buyer's Guide (more)
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The
Toyota
Prius Hybrid
The hybrid car
leader at just $20,000?
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Simply
an unbelievable piece of automotive technology. Tax
credits for this hybrid vehicle have now been cut in half,
however, supply of this hybrid is up.
(more)
(test
drive)
--> Buying
a Toyota Prius Hybrid
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Toyota
Camry Hybrid
Top
selling Camry, as a hybrid
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A
hot, new hybrid vehicle from Toyota. This hybrid offers
excellent performance, fantastic fuel efficiency - and its
a Camry!
(more)
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Toyota
Highlander Hybrid
Great
performance and efficiency
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This
hybrid SUV from Toyota offers V6 performance with V4 fuel
economy. Hybrid credits for this Toyota have also been cut
in half.
(more)
>
Official
Highlander hybrid pricing
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Mercury
Mariner Hybrid Hybrid
The
hybrid drive is similar to the Escape hybrid, with Mercury
styling.
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The second
hybrid vehicle from Ford, the Mercury Mariner hybrid, will
only be offered in limited numbers through 2006. An elegant
and efficient hybrid!
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The
Ford
Escape Hybrid
The world's
first hybrid SUV.
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V6 power with V4 fuel efficiency, the
Escape
hybrid offers SUV functionality and environmental
awareness. The most fuel efficient full hybrid
vehicle.
(more)
(
test drive)
--> Buying
a Ford Escape Hybrid
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The
Honda
Accord Hybrid
Simply the best
Accord.
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Faster
than a conventional Accord, the hybrid Accord is the first
V6 hybrid. This is a hybrid vehicle built for the
highway and the open road, a performance hybrid.
(more)
(test
drive)
--> Buying
a Honda Accord Hybrid
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The
Honda
Civic Hybrid
The first
converted hybrid vehicle
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Now
in its second generation. It
looks
like a Civic, drives a Civic, but at 50 mpg it gets 40
percent better gas mileage than a regular Civic.
(more)
--> Buying
a Honda Civic Hybrid
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The
Lexus
RX400h Hybrid
The world's
most luxurious hybrid SUV.
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This hybrid is
a luxurious performer for those seeking to help the
environment
(more)
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