hybrid - the big YAWN !!!!!
#1
07-20-2007, 08:12 PM
hybrid - the big YAWN !!!!!
Where are the other 20,000,000 save the planet global warming drivers ?where ?
I see. It is about status and show, not the other things they claimed all along.
I see. It is about status and show, not the other things they claimed all along.
by Forbes
Toyota Motor's Hybrid Prius is a big success. In June, the company sold 17,756 of these cars, bringing sales to 94,503 units for the first half of the year.
The Prius is a winner; but that's not the case for Toyota's other hybrids. Prius accounts for two-thirds of Toyota's sales volume in hybrids, even though the company makes five other hybrid vehicles, three of which it sells under its luxury Lexus brand.
Honda Motor, one of the pioneers in hybrid technology, recently announced that it was dropping its Accord hybrid. Its Civic hybrid six-month sales, which equal 17,141, are fewer than Prius sales for the month of June alone.
Other manufacturers' hybrids have not been big sellers, either. Ford Motor has sold only 11,444 of its Escape sport utility hybrids in six months, and only 2,028 of the Mercury Mariner version. Nissan's hybrid Altima sedan is a half-hearted effort, as it is not even distributed nationally.
Besides fuel economy, people buy hybrids to make a social statement about energy and the environment. It does not hurt that the Environmental Protection Agency rates the Prius at 48 miles per gallon in the city, 45 on the highway.
Yet I think that the major factor behind the success of the Prius is that it looks like nothing else on the road. All the other hybrids on the market, such as the Toyota Camry hybrid, cost thousands of extra dollars, and yet look almost identical to non-hybrid models bearing the same nameplate.
for more, goto
http://autos.yahoo.com/articles/auto...hybrid-dilemma
Toyota Motor's Hybrid Prius is a big success. In June, the company sold 17,756 of these cars, bringing sales to 94,503 units for the first half of the year.
The Prius is a winner; but that's not the case for Toyota's other hybrids. Prius accounts for two-thirds of Toyota's sales volume in hybrids, even though the company makes five other hybrid vehicles, three of which it sells under its luxury Lexus brand.
Honda Motor, one of the pioneers in hybrid technology, recently announced that it was dropping its Accord hybrid. Its Civic hybrid six-month sales, which equal 17,141, are fewer than Prius sales for the month of June alone.
Other manufacturers' hybrids have not been big sellers, either. Ford Motor has sold only 11,444 of its Escape sport utility hybrids in six months, and only 2,028 of the Mercury Mariner version. Nissan's hybrid Altima sedan is a half-hearted effort, as it is not even distributed nationally.
Besides fuel economy, people buy hybrids to make a social statement about energy and the environment. It does not hurt that the Environmental Protection Agency rates the Prius at 48 miles per gallon in the city, 45 on the highway.
Yet I think that the major factor behind the success of the Prius is that it looks like nothing else on the road. All the other hybrids on the market, such as the Toyota Camry hybrid, cost thousands of extra dollars, and yet look almost identical to non-hybrid models bearing the same nameplate.
for more, goto
http://autos.yahoo.com/articles/auto...hybrid-dilemma
#2
07-20-2007, 08:31 PM
RE: hybrid - the big YAWN !!!!!
IIRC Toyota has to keep 80% of its Prius in Japan.
The Prius is in a different emission class than the rest.
Toyota really over did it with that car to keep ALL emissions to near 0.
I'm still waiting to see how the resale holds up for 80k - 100k mile cars.
The Prius is in a different emission class than the rest.
Toyota really over did it with that car to keep ALL emissions to near 0.
I'm still waiting to see how the resale holds up for 80k - 100k mile cars.
#3
07-21-2007, 08:24 AM
RE: hybrid - the big YAWN !!!!!
Isold my Prius after three year ownership and only because it was a small uncomfortable car for my "body."
It had an A/C system far superior than the one in Bro/in/laws new Buick which is in my driveway for the summer, had the identicle brake system as the Bosch in my Allante with a couple of fail-safe additions and the addition of vehicle stability control..
It drove like my mini van, (not too shabby) and had zero emissions. And over three years of normal driving with "no gimmics used" I averaged 45 MPG.
No glitches in the three years and only at the dealers for oil changes and the one complaint "5,000 mile tire rotations. (Seems to be a requirement for Japanese cars.)
Now for the crap that I resented and it is mostly government and state oriented. The US Government has been giving any Prius purchaser a three thousand dollar tax write-off to buy the car. That's right off the top of the amount you owe. Not a deduction that saves you $300,00.
We are paying for people to buy a Japanese car.
Secondly the States that have HOV lanes are allowing people who own these things to drive single passenger in the lanes. BIG, BIG, selling point in states like California. Another subsidy to buy a Japanese car and I really think it "sucks."
The damn things come from the factory with only a speedometer and a fuel guage. AND it seems quite a few of the owners have run out of gas in the things for that first experiance in their lives.
It is a unique car and if the Government ever lets gas get much more expensive we will seeas many of them on the roads as we saw VW's in the fifties.
It is a small, light car with an aluminum hood and hatchback but I felt it safe because they all come with forward, side and overhead air-bags. However I did hear of two headon accidents in them with "NO" airbag deployment so I never felt that safe in one.
The warranties are fantastic. Much better than anything else on the road and the "Taxi" models have now gone four years and 250,000 miles with zero problems. Batteries are warranted for ten years and 100,000 miles. (150,000 in the six states that observe Californias emmission standards.)
The Prius is a complex car, run completely by three main computors. Twice as complex as Hondas Civic hybrid and when I purchased mine I expected lots of visits to the Toyota dealer. Didn't work out that way however and that is good because after four years of the "new" model there is still only about two mechanics at a dealers who knows enough to work on them.
So with the price of gas (and mid-east oil) going up what bothers me most is GM, Ford, and Chrysler not being able to keep up with progress. Maybe they all "should bite the bullet"
Damnit, where are all these touted six or seven speed transmissions that can be mated with 200 HP on the road?
Why is it that foreign companies come over here and make mucho profits building their own factoriesor buying failing American ones. What the heck is going on with American management?
Tis true, a lot of obnoxious people are buying the Prius and from web-sites it is also obvious that they all read Consumers Reports and actually "hate" American car manufacturers and most are in the age group who have never owned anything but a Japanese car because of their "reliability" and all have horror stories about "Uncle Joe's or aunt Mables" American made car.
Anyway, there certainly is a market for the prius that can only grow as the price of gas rises. They are funny looking little things but their owners love them, even though most have no idea whats under the hood.
It had an A/C system far superior than the one in Bro/in/laws new Buick which is in my driveway for the summer, had the identicle brake system as the Bosch in my Allante with a couple of fail-safe additions and the addition of vehicle stability control..
It drove like my mini van, (not too shabby) and had zero emissions. And over three years of normal driving with "no gimmics used" I averaged 45 MPG.
No glitches in the three years and only at the dealers for oil changes and the one complaint "5,000 mile tire rotations. (Seems to be a requirement for Japanese cars.)
Now for the crap that I resented and it is mostly government and state oriented. The US Government has been giving any Prius purchaser a three thousand dollar tax write-off to buy the car. That's right off the top of the amount you owe. Not a deduction that saves you $300,00.
We are paying for people to buy a Japanese car.
Secondly the States that have HOV lanes are allowing people who own these things to drive single passenger in the lanes. BIG, BIG, selling point in states like California. Another subsidy to buy a Japanese car and I really think it "sucks."
The damn things come from the factory with only a speedometer and a fuel guage. AND it seems quite a few of the owners have run out of gas in the things for that first experiance in their lives.
It is a unique car and if the Government ever lets gas get much more expensive we will seeas many of them on the roads as we saw VW's in the fifties.
It is a small, light car with an aluminum hood and hatchback but I felt it safe because they all come with forward, side and overhead air-bags. However I did hear of two headon accidents in them with "NO" airbag deployment so I never felt that safe in one.
The warranties are fantastic. Much better than anything else on the road and the "Taxi" models have now gone four years and 250,000 miles with zero problems. Batteries are warranted for ten years and 100,000 miles. (150,000 in the six states that observe Californias emmission standards.)
The Prius is a complex car, run completely by three main computors. Twice as complex as Hondas Civic hybrid and when I purchased mine I expected lots of visits to the Toyota dealer. Didn't work out that way however and that is good because after four years of the "new" model there is still only about two mechanics at a dealers who knows enough to work on them.
So with the price of gas (and mid-east oil) going up what bothers me most is GM, Ford, and Chrysler not being able to keep up with progress. Maybe they all "should bite the bullet"
Damnit, where are all these touted six or seven speed transmissions that can be mated with 200 HP on the road?
Why is it that foreign companies come over here and make mucho profits building their own factoriesor buying failing American ones. What the heck is going on with American management?
Tis true, a lot of obnoxious people are buying the Prius and from web-sites it is also obvious that they all read Consumers Reports and actually "hate" American car manufacturers and most are in the age group who have never owned anything but a Japanese car because of their "reliability" and all have horror stories about "Uncle Joe's or aunt Mables" American made car.
Anyway, there certainly is a market for the prius that can only grow as the price of gas rises. They are funny looking little things but their owners love them, even though most have no idea whats under the hood.
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