Toyota
Prius: The truth about hybrid cars
Thursday, December 05, 2007
It's
not just a niche vehicle for environmentalists
I just finished reading Karl
On Cars' take on the Toyota
Prius, and how the Prius outsold entire brands like,
Acura, Audi, Buick, Infiniti, Lincoln, Mercury,
Mitsubishi, Saturn, Scion, Subaru, Suzuki and Volvo. Not
bad for a niche vehicle.
So, why aren't other hybrid
cars selling as well?
Because there really isn't any competition. That's the
plain and simple truth.
The Honda
Civic hybrid uses less hybrid technology than the
Prius and isn't as fuel efficient, especially in urban
driving, and it takes much longer to recover the costs of
Civic hybrid technology compared to a standard Civic. The
Civic hybrid just isn't as cost-effective as the Prius.
In terms of sales, the 2nd best selling hybrid is the Toyota
Camry hybrid, which is on track to sell more than
60,000 units in 2007. Still, it costs more than the Prius
and is less fuel efficient - the primary concern of hybrid
buyers. Would the Camry hybrid sell more if it was unique?
Maybe, if it was a really cool design, but tax credits
would also provide a big bump in Camry hybrid sales.
Again, the Camry hybrid just isn't as cost-effective as
the Prius.
In the end Prius buyers like their unique hybrids because
they represent their beliefs - fighting foreign oil
dependency and global warming - at a fair cost. In fact,
if you keep your Prius for 7 or 8 years, the Prius is
probably the most cost-effective car you can buy,
especially if you drive in any type of congestion, and
it's a permanent hedge against high energy costs.
Despite the critics and skeptics, Prius buyers are smart -
maybe the smartest car buyers out there - and I guess
that's what causes so much irritation.
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