"Two-Thirds Of Hybrid Buyers Don’t Buy Another One"

[macstar1]

Hybrids in the U.S. just sell because there aren't too many light diesel vehicles available back there. Some diesel cars such as the current Opel Astra 1.3CDTi can get better fuel-efficiency than a Prius with a lower cost.

Aside from that, until 2010, hybrid vehicles are allowed to use diamond lanes kahit isa lang ang pasahero... Diamond lanes refer to priority car pool lanes. Pag trapik, puwedeng dumaan dito yung may 2 or more passengers ... Pero pag hybrid, puwede kahit 1 passenger lang.

But as of 2011, di na rin puwede sa diamond lanes ang single passenger na hybrid.
So unti unting nawawalan ng appeal yung hybrid ...
Ang siste, may mga upscale brand na gaya ng Lexus, na nago-offer pa rin ng hybrid, not to save on fuel but to add more power ... Ang lakas kasi ng batak pag hybrid.

[niky]

Anyway, IF the owners really ride that much, when the vehicle needs the battery (and maybe also the electric motor) to be replaced it still has a bigger carbon footprint due to the mining, manufacturing and logistics involved. And the difference between the cost of a hybrid and an average compact car covers the higher fuel expenses.

Battery replacement isn't as bad as originally feared. There are vendors who sell reconditioned batteries. Unlike Honda hybrids, Prii have batteries that last a long time in the right circumstances. And remember... batteries can be recycled. What requires heavy mining nowadays is the rare earths used in engines, and you can even get around that.

Carbon footprints (not that I believe in going hybrid for reasons of such) can be estimated by cost. If something costs more, then the extraction of natural resources, processing and transport of its components cost more in terms of energy. If you can break-even, then the energy cost and possible carbon emissions are similar. If you can actually save, then they are lower.

That's why you look at lifetime usage. In which case, a hybrid makes sense, but the payback time is very, very long... longer than most people are willing to wait.

[ghosthunter]

That's why you look at lifetime usage. In which case, a hybrid makes sense, but the payback time is very, very long... longer than most people are willing to wait.

The payback period is still impractical unless you're driving the hybrid car to the moon and back. A hybrid car can only justify itself when the car has gone astronomical distances... but just to accomplish that same distance, you would probably have replaced every single moving part of the car at least twice over.

[niky]

The payback period is still impractical unless you're driving the hybrid car to the moon and back. A hybrid car can only justify itself when the car has gone astronomical distances... but just to accomplish that same distance, you would probably have replaced every single moving part of the car at least twice over.

Not that long. Versus a brand new regular car of the same capacity... perhaps 500,000 kilometers with no tax breaks. Been a while since I recalculated those figures...

[cripple_rooster]

Aside from that, until 2010, hybrid vehicles are allowed to use diamond lanes kahit isa lang ang pasahero... Diamond lanes refer to priority car pool lanes. Pag trapik, puwedeng dumaan dito yung may 2 or more passengers ... Pero pag hybrid, puwede kahit 1 passenger lang.

But as of 2011, di na rin puwede sa diamond lanes ang single passenger na hybrid.
So unti unting nawawalan ng appeal yung hybrid ...
Ang siste, may mga upscale brand na gaya ng Lexus, na nago-offer pa rin ng hybrid, not to save on fuel but to add more power ... Ang lakas kasi ng batak pag hybrid.

No wonder the Chevy Volt is officially classified as an "extended-range electric vehicle", in order to still be allowed in the carpool lanes.

[xthine]

I guess I belong to the 1/3