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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 ...
Ping.
repeat customers.
Sounds like the market for hybrids is collapsing
Our overlords will determine the commerce clause gives them free reign to mandate we must buy hybrids or ev’s as a health care stipulation.
Well, the EPA has already made a determination that Carbon is hazardous to human health.
You might not be far off.
I don't think that recently purchased hybrid cars are ready to be replaced.
I think these are people who purchased hybrid cars who chose not make their second-car purchase a hybrid, too.
People may be thinking that one hybrid car in the family is enough.
-PJ
Well one commentor on the article is very optimistic:
“Electric is the wave of the future—coupled with photovoltaic roof panels to charge your car free with the sun forever free of OPEC and Big Oil !!!
By 2018 batteries will be being mass produced with 500 to 1000 mile range and that will KILL the gasoline car forever.”
‘Cause that’ll be the day when I die.
optimistic to the point of Insanity to think a roof panel can power a car.
He's another stupid liberal commentator! Several years ago, my liberal brother-in-law bet me $100 that electric cars were taking over and that gasoline cars would no longer be sold within 5 years. I'm a couple years away from collecting. I told him gasoline cars would be around another 100 years. No more efficient power source than gasoline exists for cars when cost is factored in. Even when throwing in 10 percent corn ethanol that drives up the cost and reduces efficiency.
they buy them to feeeeeel good about themselves, then they realize stooopid isn't a good feeling...
Well, I bought a Prius and I’m not stupid. It has cut my gas bill in half...that’s smart.
However, the thing DOES drive like a truck and I find it uncomfortable to drive. Also has a terrible blind spot because of the way it’s built, and quite frankly, it’s ugly as sin! But I’m certainly happy having an extra $200 a month in my wallet every month.
Spectators would no longer need earplugs!
I have a toy hydrogen powered car, bought on sale for $10 marked down from a $130 price. It was supposed to indoctrinate kids about green powered cars. The stupid car takes like an hour to charge in sunlight via a solar panel, creating electricity to make hydrogen from water in a fuel cell, which then runs the car for a few minutes. The toy car was a failure, just like it's big brothers being built for adults. Far better ways to make electricity than solar roof panels.
True. The sunlight energy density isn't there, even if the panel was 100% efficient.
Never owned a hybrid, but I just got an ‘09 Prius as a company car (it’s a loaner til the new one, a ‘12, comes in in the next couple months or so). I was prepared for a little, silent go cart; in other words, I was prepared to hate it.
Imagine my surprise. That little sucker will s**t ‘n’ git.
Does this person realize there isn’t even enough power from the sun hitting that area of their roof the entire day to support the average daily commute even if the solar panels and the batteries had 100% efficiency?
Dude, this is the way a leftist thinks. It’s like magic. They believe in these fantasies they create.
true, not everybody but there must be a lot of them, hence the article... that's why they only buy the first one and don't buy another one i was speaking in generalities, you prolly bought it to save gas, not the planet like the ones i was referring too
my Hyundai gets 40mpg on a regular gas engine without a turbo and only cost $17,600 loaded, handles well all the time, drives like a sportscar when ask to and looks great
ya don't need a to spend a lot of money on a hybrid to get great mileage
As in, "One hybrid car in the family is enough."
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.
Precisely. The battery technology can be tweaked to work off the rough edges, but there's no tweaking the laws of physics. The greenie-weenies just need to get over their peasant superstitions about nuclear power.
FNC ran another story on this today. Here’s how nuts the hybrid craze is...for comparison:
I spent $6200 on my old ‘87 T-Bird last year — new heads, headers, duals, pistons, valve springs, new(er) cam and intake. According to the trip computer, highway gas mileage jumped from 24mpg to 27mpg (which is what a 5.0L version was rated for when new). If I took all of my tools out of the trunk, I bet I could get it to 28mpg.
The car is old, so a few years ago I spent $5200 and had it repainted had all rust fixed (done correctly — two primer coats, with acid etching and sanding in between, then paint + clear coating).
So for a total of about $11,500 the car has basically been reset. What do hybrids cost again?
Pictures please!
With or without the crony hook-ups from politicians?
What a beautiful car and great job keeping it up to snuff.
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