Begle1

A little tidbit I caught in the paper this morning,

Surveys of owners of hybrid-powered automobiles show that, on the average, each is saving about 408 gallons of fuel a year or, based on recent gasoline prices, about $900 annually.

That's according to surveys of almost 1,000 people by Carnegie Mellon University engineering, science and public-policy students.

The surveys also showed that owners of about 200 diesel-powered cars are saving 388 gallons of fuel each year even though they drove 22 percent more miles than they had in the past.

By comparison, hybrid owners experienced only a modest change in the amount of driving that they did, the study said. That could be because fewer hybrid owners apparently use their cars as primary vehicles.

There was a clear difference between owners of hybrids and diesels, said Scott Matthews, an assistant engineering and public-policy professor. "The diesel owners tended to be gear heads who wanted to drive quite a lot, and weren't as concerned about fuel and emissions issues. But the hybrid owners were more concerned about environmental concerns and saving fuel."

http://www.rocklintoday.com/news/tem...=1998&zoneid=1



It made me chuckle, anyways...

Shovelhead

It should have said.....
"The Hybrid owners were more concerned with the ability to ride the HOV lanes without having more than one person in the car."

RickG

I wonder what they'd say about the new CTD hybrid . It's really against Federal regulation for states to allow hybrids in the HOV lane but the Feds aren't cracking down on it . But allowing them there is nonsense . They are at speeds burning gas . Don't tell me they are using less fuel than what is saved with two or more people using a small economy car .

Scubasteve

Wait till it needs a new battery pack..


Your savings just went up in smoke..


Vehicle costs should be based on the life of the vehicle or atleast 5 years, anything less is not worth the paper its written on and that goes for any vehicle out there.

Its the only way to get a true cost for a vehicle.


Jason

BC847

Don't know if it's been mentioned, but there's already talk in some states of coming up with a new tax to compensate for the lost revenue due to the reduction in petrol sales.

herb

That surely doesn't come as a surprise?

jrs_dodge_diesel

Yep, batteries don't last forever, and these ones are most likely not to be found at Kragens, or Radio Shack.

wannadiesel

That's why anyone who wants a hybrid ought to lease it and turn it in when the lease is up. Not a vehicle that makes economic sense long-term.

Begle1

How much do the batteries cost? $5,000 if I recall correctly?

P.J

This is why the TDI (or other fuel efficient diesel powered car) is looking better and better when compared to any Hybrid. It's pretty much a historical Fact that technology is bumpy in the first few years, this is my main fear about Hybrids. I don't want to be the guy getting interviewed on 20/20 about how our car needed $3,000 in bateries, $250 in software upgrades and a $900 alternator......
It's gonna take some getting used to, I don't want to be part of the test market for these cars.
The little turbo diesels just sound cool anyway, not to mention the prospect of Bio taking off in the near future.

wannadiesel

Starting at. That's why I think buying a hybrid is stupid. Would you buy a car if you knew that no matter how well you maintained it the engine would die in 3 - 5 years? Then why buy a car that will need something just as expensive? It's just to buy one. People who lease 'em at least have half a brain.

belfert

They still sell a lot of hybrids out here in the Midwest and I'm not aware of any HOV lanes in the Midwest that allow single passenger hybrids.

Brian Elfert

Shovelhead

My statement applies to the Washington DC area.
When asked why people were on waiting lists for new Hybrids, the overwhelming majority of DC area buyers stated they wanted one to drive in the HOV lanes.

belfert

Your statement seemed pretty general to me.

There are rumors that VDOT may soon ban single passenger hybrids from the HOV lanes.

I'm not sure why a hybrid should get any better treatment than a high mileage diesel anyhow. A TDI can do as well or better in the MPG category, especially on the highway.

Brian Elfert

belfert

This is very true for me. Since my TDI gets such good mileage, I tend to drive more than I would otherwise since my fuel costs are so low.

I would certainly drive far less and still spend more on fuel if my truck was my only vehicle. I often decide it isn't worth doing something if I need to take the truck since it drinks so much fuel compared to my car. The truck is primarily for pulling my RV and it does less of that with the high fuel prices.

Brian Elfert