Have You Hugged a Hummer Today? (Piercing the Hybrid Hype)

Reason ^ | Shikha Dalmia

[Uncledave]

Shikha Dalmia

[vpintheak]

It is amazing what a little research and common sense will do isn't it?

[ConservativeMind]

I love her article and I think I love her...

[Panzerfaust]

Great writer and beautiful to boot!

[cyberaxe]

.....just doin my part for the environment.....

.....(LOL).....

[Onelifetogive]

But the biggest reason why a Hummer's energy use is so low is that it shares many components with other vehicles and therefore its design and development energy costs are spread across many cars.

It is not possible to do this with a specialty product like hybrid.

This is somewhat bogus logic. It implies that if nearly all cars were hybrids, they be the cheapest ones and Hummers would be "speciality".

We can't avoid adotping new things simply because they are not common yet!

I AM NO FAN OF HYBRIDS....just commenting on her logic.

[watchin]

Gotta love it. Put a bumper sticker on that Hummer, too.

"This vehicle powered by organic fuel"

Crude oil is an organic substance, isn't it?

[martin_fierro]

[Uncledave]

Ture. It's a serious flaw with her piece.

[Uncledave]

Wow, ten posts and no "hummer" comment regarding her picture.

[ConservativeMind]

But then every luxury could be justified by your logic.

What is, is. Her logic is totally valid. If a new valve came out that cost nothing more to produce, but doubled fuel mileage, then that would work with both her logic and yours.

Everything else costs more and makes your position untenable.

[sgtbono2002]

The Post mentions the Chevy Aveo. The car sells for less than half what a Toyota costs and gets comparable gas mileage.

Too bad that General Motors dosnt make that car in the United States. They import it from South Korea. Why doesnt General Motors build it here? Why dont they a fuel economical Diesel on the market?

[HEY4QDEMS]

I love hummers, both kinds.

[RoadTest]

Phhhhhdddttttt Bill Ford! You guys build more humungous hippo vehicles than anybody.

[r9etb]

mega-million dollar ad campaign

Hmmmmm.....

Do we really believe that Ford was planning to spend $1 trillion on an ad campaign?

Gotta love those media types who think words like "mega" are nothing more than meaningless superlatives....

[lormand]

Bill Ford - Idiot

[HEY4QDEMS]

Why doesnt General Motors build it here?

Like the other big American auto manufacturers, they build plants in countries with non-union exploitable labor to offset losses generated by American plants with unionized overpaid labor.

[RoadTest]

"Why doesnt General Motors build it here? Why dont they a fuel economical Diesel on the market?"

Because UAW labor costs would put the cost in the Impala range. Still want an American Aveo?

"Why dont they a fuel economical Diesel on the market?"

Diesels are very bad for our lungs. Particulates = soot. How much soot do you want in the air you breathe?

[rhombus]

But the biggest reason why a Hummer's energy use is so low is that it shares many components with other vehicles and therefore its design and development energy costs are spread across many cars. It is not possible to do this with a specialty product like hybrid.

I agree with your point. It seems that hybrids are still expensive because the technology is new. I'm not ready for to go back to 4 cylinders and plastic yet but it seems the time will come when they will be cost effective...just not now. Let the wealthy folk like Al Gore and Tom Friedman keep the market going and reduce the costs. ;-)

[newgeezer]

Frankly, I don't care what she thinks. Hummers s*ck!