What is a hybrid?
I wanted to express some of my opinions about these money sucking cars they call "Hybrids"...first of all, I still find it very amazing after all the blown hype about these cars that any moron would still be willing to shell out their hard earned money for one...they cost about twice as much money as a entry level car in the same group...and then when you think your almost done with ownership, boom!...honey we need to get a loan to buy some new batteries...the very day you sign that contract, that car own you!...do you think Toyota will actually honor their battery warranty? LOL....what do you think will happen when 60,000 owners all line up for their so called replacements...there may be a looong waiting list, it may be a couple of years before they deliver, or wait, if you missed any high dollar service checks, they could cough out and say you didn't follow warranty guide lines.
The motor companies never wanted to eliminate the engine, they just wanted to add more weight which sucks more fuel!...why do you think the EV that GM built was destroyed, because there was too much pressure from the oil companies to not build a full on EV!...it wasn't soon after all the so called tested and leased EV were destroyed that the big 3 started the big SUV trend...they had to make up to the oil companies for cutting their profits...I really don't care how you look at the whole picture here, but facts are facts and we all know the big oil run our world...and the reason why California is putting the pressure on CARB is because the state is loosing tax revenue from lost fuel sales, WAAH!! Are freedoms are being robed every day and every year, a little here and a little there...maybe we wont notice?...our governed state and government does not want to be green, because that means they loose big time...so the only way they can recoup lost revenue is the raise taxes and charge higher fees for those who want to be green...so we are well awarded for wanting to have a better world...don't you just love America...the land of the FREE! Note: Why is it that when I see these hybrids on the freeway, they blow by me doing 75-80 mph!...isn't that sacrilegious?...that's like being on a junk food diet..LOL! Just thought of this one H=Hows Y=Your B=Battery R=Replacement I=Included D=Doing? Lets hear what ye has to say about this! |
I think hybrids do have their place, in certain operating environments, and so not all hybrid owners are "morons". That said, I think a lot of people jumped on the hybrid bandwagon without really thinking about it (as people generally do) and they would have been better off with an economical non-hybrid.
I can think of one instance in particular where a person I knew was greatly alarmed by rising gas prices and wanted to get a hybrid in the worst way (practically frantic!) actually getting very upset that the dealer sold "his" hybrid to someone else (that was when the waiting lists were very long and the hype machine was running full bore). I sat down with him and went over the numbers and truly he had practically the optimal solution for his needs already in the garage: a Metro. A hybrid in his situation would have been a colossal waste of money. I'm not ready to give too much credence to any conspiracy theories about EVs, SUVs, oil companies, and such. Yes the auto mfgs are party to some really stupid stuff but in spite of that, my tendency is to lay the blame on the consumer. You see, nobody holds a gun to a car buyer's head and makes them buy what they don't want. Conversly, if EVs were REALLY what the consumer wanted, they'd have them already. I think the SUV/pickup sales explosion was the stupid*** consumers doing, and the mfgs simply went along for the ride. BTW, I am SO FREEKING GLAD I'm not subjected to pickup truck TV ads 24/7 anymore!!! Well, not that I watched that much TV, but whenever it was on, it seemed the truck ads took up at least 40% of the viewing time. I mean, do people really have that much **** to haul around??? :rolleyes: I totally agree re: hybrids blowing your doors off being sacrilege. They don't just cruise fast; they practically burn rubber when taking off from stops. It's like, look at me, I'm green, I've done my part, I'm tearing around like a mindless idiot in a HYBRID!!! Way to lay responsibility for being "green" all on the car, and none of it on yourself. :rolleyes: America is NOT the Land Of The Free. But I think the sheeple like it that way. Read some political issue forums and blogs- how people think scares the living **** outta me. I guess we get the gummint we deserve. |
Original battery packs are doing like 500,000? miles or so in that New York cab?.
We have a cab company in Auckland that only uses Prius now. Even 1st gen Prius are on original batteries? A guy down the road calls his Prius a 'Pious'. His tyre pressures are never checked and 1 tyre is usually near flat.... If they made a lightweight version of a hybrid I'd be keen. Dont want to go from my 640kg car to a 1400kg car, just to haul my miserable ass about town and about. |
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Hello -
I have no problems with hybrids as a transition technology. As others have posted, the batteries have held up well and are therefore proving themselves in real world circumstances. Also, the *replacement* generation of batteries are going DOWN in price, not up : Some Hard Figures on Hybrid Battery Replacement ~ Hybrid Car Review Quote:
If I were in the new car market, the *only* thing that would keep a hybrid out of my top-5 list is my bias towards manual-transmissions. No manual, no $ from me. CarloSW2 |
Yeah, the battery packs in the Hybrids really do last forever, and manufacturers have been VERY compliant with replacing (and recycling) them. I can understand people being uneasy about hybrids years ago, but the Prius has been around for 11 years now! These things are not new and have shown themselves a worthy technology. Honda with the Insight II is showing us it can be an affordable option too. The main problem IMO is that the manufacturers are loading on every possible option and offering that as a base model! I don't need the million little gadgety features the Prius base model comes with, but I don't have a choice because its a standard feature.
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I personally hate the Green today gone tomorrow attitudes of the consumers that are buying Hybrids. In a perfect world, those that bought these vehicles wanted to do so to make a positive change in their lives and the enviroment. So why sell the car after 2 years? If those owners really cared about making a change, then hold on to your Hybrid, don't trade it in or sell it because you want the next latest or greatest thing.
And as far as driving habits, you guys are right, I hit 100 miles of highway everyday and watch countless Prius blow my doors off at speed higher than 70mph. Then again, I shake my head knowing I am getting better gas mileage out of a 4 year old non hybrid sub compact. Education on so many levels seems to be the answer .. |
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I will also point out that GM will never reintroduce the EV1 for the sake of embarrassing shame...that was a really good advanced car for its time...I think they should build another EV cuz they did it once, they could do it again. |
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As for the nonsense about hybrids costing twice as much as an entry level car - well, so what? So does a BMW, Lexus, Porsche, or for that matter Hummer. Haven't noticed you objecting to any of those, have I? |
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The car companies DID and always have offered economical choices. If the consumer preferred, say, the Metro and made it America's top seller for 37 years instead of the F150, our national fleet would look quite a bit different. The car companies SHOULD offer SUVs. There is some percentage of motorists for which an SUV is actually the most appropriate, most economical choice. But bear with me as I grab numbers out of thin air here- that might be 2% of motorists vs the 48% of motorists that jumped on the SUV bandwagon for whatever stupid purposes they had in mind. Is it a policy failure or a failure of the consumer in general to be a consciencious steward? I think it's both... but mostly a consumer fault. |
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