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Originally Posted by Xist
...isn't it more economical to time the light and never brake, regenerative or otherwise?
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Yes, it's more economical to time the light and not brake. That said, we all use the brakes sometimes, and it's better to get 1/4 of the energy back than to waste it as heat.
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I actually do not think that hybrids are cost-effective long-term
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You don't need to purely speculate, you can use the Vehicle Cost of Ownership Calculator linked in my signature to run hypothetical numbers.
A hybrid probably wouldn't be cost-effective if you buy a new car every 2 years, but then again, anyone buying a car every 2 years isn't concerned about cost-effectiveness.
I guarantee that an equivalent hybrid saves more money over a longer term. Try plugging in the numbers for a new Camry, and a new Camry hybrid into the spreadsheet, and you will probably find that in 5 years, you will spend less on the hybrid.
Of course, the most economical way to travel is to walk, followed by bicycle, followed by mass transit, followed by an old used car...
Hybrid technology is an investment, just like wall insulation, or a high efficiency furnace. If you purchase wall insulation and a high efficiency furnace for the home, and then move out 6 months later, you will never recover the initial investment. Spending extra for higher efficiency is a long term strategy.