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Story
-->>Hybrid
Buyer's Club
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November 19, 2004
Why did Toyota work so
hard on the Prius?
Why did Honda push the Insight?
Why didn't America push hybrid technology?
American auto manufacturers have seemed so against the
idea of not only fuel efficiency, but efficiency itself.
Even today hybrid technology is too expensive, they
continue to say. It's almost as if Detroit is still
hoping gas will return to $1.00 per gallon, and that
this whole hybrid thing will go away.
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Efficiency isn't
just about fuel
This week the auto establishment has been a buzz with
news that electronic stability systems are going to be
put into most American-made SUVs.
Apparently, SUV rollover is a problem.
What? Are you kidding me?
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Toyota
Prius
Test Drive(<<)
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Ford
Escape Hybrid
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Hybrid Car Info.
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Detroit has been marketing
SUVs as Safer than Safe for at least a decade.
Yet, this problem was ignored by Detroit, even well
after such technology was proven in luxury vehicles.
That's inefficient negligence in my opinion.
Today, Toyota believes pollution is a great threat to
humans and to the company. And they believe efficient
vehicles can do something about it.
Man, I look cool
The American auto industry, on the other hand, focuses
on horsepower and looking cool because, they claim,
that's what customer satisfaction surveys tell them to
do. Additionally, it's a lot easier to market sex appeal
than intelligence.
Now Ford is leasing technology from Toyota so Ford could
create a couple of Ford
Escape Hybrids and beat Toyota to the "First
hybrid SUV" award.
Did customer satisfaction surveys tell Ford to do that
as well?
Why the rush?
The Lexus
RX400h hybrid had to have it's market release date
pushed back, at least partially, due to demand.
Thousands have already been purchased in advance, and
Toyota is already increasing production on the world's
first luxury hybrid SUV, set to hit markets mid-April.
Now American mags are even buying into the hybrid
vehicle. The Honda
Accord hybrid, set for a December 3 release, brings
significant horsepower into the hybrid sphere.
Suddenly, hybrid technology is seen for it's potential -
faster, more powerful, significantly more
fuel-efficient, pollution reducing vehicles.
Additionally, the gasoline engine could ultimately be
replaced by a hydrogen engine and help bring in the
'hydrogen economy'.
Wow. You mean hybrid cars
are better than standard cars?
Ultimately, efficiency will always trump inefficiency.
Hopefully, one day intelligence will also trump looking
cool.
Join the hybrid
revolution!
>>
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