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Regarding
the article, "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?
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