Without
cheap hybrid vehicles, are hybrids irrelevant?
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
Hybrids
just not a solution?
GM has used plug-in hybrid concepts, such as the Chevy
Volt, about as well as any automaker has ever used a
concept. For fans of US automakers, the Volt proves that
America is better than Japan at making fuel efficient
vehicles, even though the Volt is years away from reality.
Perfect! So today I can buy a gas-guzzler because tomorrow
I'll buy a Volt, which will kick Prius
ass!
Of course, most GM fans probably won't be able to afford
the Volt or any other plug-in hybrid for many, many years,
let alone a more conventional hybrid.
A new consumer study by ACXIOM
points out that most hybrid consumers have above average
wealth and education and live predominantly in just a
handful of states. Hybrid buyers are "upper
rung" consumers, and according to ACXIOM, automakers
should be focusing heavily on this consumer group to
develop the sales of hybrid
vehicles, at least until a cheaper hybrid is produced.
Is there any wonder, then, that GM's dual mode hybrids are
so expensive? That Toyota keeps popping out Lexus after
Lexus hybrid model?
Yet, it is a cheap hybrid that offers the greatest
economies of scale, the greatest impact on foreign oil
dependency and global warming, especially in the short
term. Cheap hybrids are also probably the quickest path to
cost-effective plug-in
hybrids as well.
Unfortunately, outside of Honda and maybe Toyota,
cheap hybrid isn't even part of the conversation.
Yet, without cheap
hybrids, what is it exactly that hybrid vehicles are
accomplishing?
|
