Posted on 04/09/2012 3:22:24 PM PDT by dila813
While the choice of fuel-efficient hybrid vehicles for sale in the U.S. continues to grow, more buyers than not are deciding against the technology when they go to buy another car.
Only 35% of hybrid vehicle owners chose to purchase a hybrid again when they returned to the market in 2011, according to auto information company R.L. Polk & Co.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
My liberal co worker drove her Prius around for a few years, now drives a Lexus SUV.....she says she wanted more room and felt she did her bit to help the environment....I suspect that could be a reason for the none repeat customer....
One option of Gen. 3 Prius has solar panels on the roof. However this panel is only used to power fans when the car is parked. I have no idea if it is of any use, though.
That roof panel probably peaks at 200W output, in best conditions. Unless you are 23.5° or closer to the equator, the Sun will be always not in the best position - the roof is not tilted toward the Sun. But even if you can get 200W out of it, a 16 kWh battery in Volt would require 80 hours of optimal conditions to charge. Given that the Sun is not standing still in the sky, the practical answer is that the roof panel would be about sufficient to compensate for self-discharge of Volt's battery.
We have an 05 and an 08 Prius. They are not stylish, but I think they drive great and they have been very dependable. The 05 has about 160K miles and the 08 over 100K. The batteries show no sign of weakening.
Only problem— people think we are liberals.
Could have bought a nice VW Jetta/Golf TDI diesel with a 6 speed manual and got the same or better fuel milage and had a heck of a lot more fun driving.
I’ve got 280,000 miles on my 2003 and its still going strong.
Speaking of the efficiency of the Prius, isn’t it skinnier and more streamlined than other cars? Wonder how much those two characteristics improve the gas mileage.
I’ll bet simple gasoline-driven prius-sized cars could be made much more efficient (MPG) if a smaller engines were used. They would also be cheaper. I remember that idea being suggested to a GM engineer and he said that the public wouldn’t accept less zippy cars.
I remember also that the Suzuki Samuri, which was banned from the US because it rolled over too easily, was originally designed for 3rd world countries and had a 25 horsepower engine. Someone decided to produce a giant-engine version which was sold in the US. That huge (for the Samuri) engine is what made it tippy.
These are the same spawn that spend 150$+ on college, and then can’t figger out why it didn’t work out.
Leftists are driven by envy. One of her next door neighbors bought a Lexus SUV and she just couldn't stand it. The effect is so strong I'm surprised car dealers don't direct mail neighbors whenever they make a sale.
... down from a high of 2.9 percent in 2008 ...
prolly true with those rear wheel skirts and all and it's also true about the power factor both my Toyota 4-Runner and my Hyundai have an "ECO" button that gets the top mileage, but turn it off... and there is power to spare for their size and they'll haul azz
i'd rather have a car that gets 40mpg but can still act like a sportscar if i ask it to than a car that gets 50+mpg and can't get out of it's own way
a friend had Samurai when i was living on St.Croix and it was a fun little vehicle
“both my Toyota 4-Runner and my Hyundai have an “ECO” button “
What does the button do that increases the fuel economy?
it adjusts the RPM shift point lower by quite a bit to save gas, turn it off and the engine can go to and past the red line on the tach if you want it to even though there is no reason to since you basically quit making HP at the redline
One wonders about depreciation on new hybrids. When it is sold in 3-4 years isn’t there a big ownership loss that vastly exceeds the fuel savings?
Is there actually a market for used hybrids?
On a commercial hybrid there might be some value to taking the rapid depreciation on the more expensive vehicle
Toyota expects 150,000 miles from their hybrid battery, at a replacement cost well north of $3000. That’ll suck the winds out of that SALE.
I had a co-worker that purchased a hybrid for the HOV privileges. It became so popular that they took away the HOV exemption and now it’s not worth buying anymore.
The attraction only lasts as long as the government provides incentive to drive an overpriced, underpowered vehicle.
There are small hobby jet engines now used in remote control toy airplanes. If the Volt had gone for a small 40 horsepower jet engine instead of a conventional motor it could have been a hit for the cool factor alone. It also would have been lighter and more reliable. In combination with the battery it could have had drag racer acceleration. But that will never be a Government Motors design.
I would be afraid to buy a used one, the batteries are getting better but the batteries on the current hybrids have to be replaced when they wear out at a large expense.
“optimistic to the point of Insanity to think a roof panel can power a car.”
Actually, it could.
Disclaimer: it will take a month for that roof panel to charge up the battery. :-)
cool... now that's what i call thinking outside the box!!!
That seems like the most likely interpretation. Usually people who want a second car while the first is still up and running need one economical running-around-town car and one heavy-duty cargo-hauler.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.