Doesn't Anyone Want A Hybrid?

By: Daniel Carty
Topics: Economic Stimulus

(AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Over the summer, when gas prices topped $4 a gallon in parts of the country, the public clamored for more fuel-efficient cars. And when the heads of the Big Three automakers went to Congress to beg for billions in bailout money, politicians increased pressure to shift focus from churning out gas-guzzling SUVs to eco-friendly hybrids.

But several months later, with gas back down to around $2 a gallon, sales of hybrids are stuck in neutral and carmakers are staring at growing stockpiles of seemingly unmovable merchandise, reports the Los Angeles Times.

Car sales are flagging anyway in a battered economy, but things are particularly bad for hybrids. Sales are down almost 66 percent from last April, when the segment's popularity peaked, reports the Times. Earlier this month, GM reported an overall drop in annual sales of 53 percent; Ford - 48 percent; Chrysler - 43 percent.

Over the summer, U.S. Toyota dealers could barely keep up with demand, with dealers running through their stock of Prius models in two days and many charging thousands above sticker prices, the paper reports.

But now those same dealers have 80 days worth of hybrids filling up their lots and have to offer financial incentives – like a $500 factory rebates – to move what they can, according to the paper.

But if the carmakers aren't appealing to customers, who are they really targeting?

"The automakers are in the situation of needing to pacify politicians that are in the position to bail them out with expensive fuel-efficient cars," Rebecca Lindland, auto analyst with IHS Global Insight, told the Times. "But shouldn't it be more about satisfying the needs of the American consumer?"

Auto companies may have no choice than to hope consumer sentiment turns their way, though, as they've planned to barrage the market with hybrid choices – Ford plans a "family" of hybrids by 2012, Chrysler promises eight new hybrid or electric vehicles by 2015 and GM says 26 of its 33 models won't use gas by 2015, reports the paper.

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by robbyr2 March 18, 2009 7:42 AM EDT: "Beside, my non-hybrid averages a kind 30mpg. It's actually more expensive to drive the hybrid. (Plus, you'll have to eventually spend even more $$ to replace the battery!)"

My hybrid averages 52.6 mpg over the past 5000 miles. When the weather is nice it's around 55 mpg. I pay the same price for oil changes, tire rotation etc that everyone else does. When my transmission goes out (so far that happens about every 200K miles since it is so simple) it costs a few hundred dollars. A new battery is about $3K but it has a 100K mile warranty, and many have lasted 300K miles in taxis. The battery is then recycled.; Reply to this comment


by robbyr2 March 18, 2009 7:35 AM EDT: "Hybrids at this time don't offer a good bang for your buck. I can p/u a cheap Hyundai for around 12K that gets 30+ miles per gallon. Even though the hybrid will get better gas mileage it will take about 12yrs before it will make up for the difference in the extra cost of the hybrid."

First, many people who have Prius' get over 50 mpg vs. the theoretical numbers posted by the EPA and the bizarre numbers posted by Consumer Reports (I had to drive at 75 mph on the interstate into a 40 mph wind to average 44 mpg on one tank).
Second, if you do the math, when in far less than 12 years oil reaches $147 a barrel again, we will probably be paying $6 a gallon.
And finally, I think your typical American buys a car for more reasons than how inexpensive they are... for better or worse.; Reply to this comment


by robbyr2 March 18, 2009 7:26 AM EDT: As far as I can tell, you could post a parallel story asking, "Doesn't Anyone Want a Non-hybrid?" I didn't see where the journalist quoted sales statistics showing that non-hybrid sales are just skyrocketing vs. hybrids.

Maybe it's the economy?; Reply to this comment


by robbyr2 March 18, 2009 7:25 AM EDT: "Think for a moment. When your speeding down the highway your burning the same amount of fuel that the guy
without the hybrid is burning. Your hybrid doesn't take less energy to move at 65 than a regular rice burner does. It doesn't have any less weight or wind resistance or rolling resistance than a regular car."

Uh, not in a Toyota Camry, Highlander or Prius, or in a Ford Escape, Mercury Mariner or Ford Fusion. Perhaps the new Honda Insight too. In all of these models, the electric motor is running assisting the internal combustion engine to keep the car or SUV rolling. The Prius does have lower wind resistance than most any other car on the market and comes with low rolling resistance tires.; Reply to this comment


by jwesel1 March 18, 2009 4:49 AM EDT: Could it be the $10K extra for a hybrid? We waited for a Mariner Hybrid but when it came in the regular Mariner was going for less than $25K...the hybrid version was $36K. Give me a break!
Posted by centralcacoast at 7:31 PM : Mar 17, 2009
==========================================
In one year you can save
Miles/year * (1/Regular MPG - 1/Hybrid MPG). If you drive 12000 miles with 25 MPG regular and 36 MPG Hybrid, you will save 147 gallons in one year or $294 at $2/gallon. This is assuming that all 12,000 miles are in city stop and go in which case you're probably a cab driver.; Reply to this comment


by 167irishboy March 18, 2009 12:44 AM EDT: If no one can afford a regular, what makes anyone think they're going to buy a hybrid? We can't take all the good paying manufacturing jobs out of America, use slave labor in 3rd world countries, and expect to grow consumers who make the corporations grow if no one can afford the end product. HELLO, EARTH TO EXECUTIVES WHO HAVE BEEN RAISED IN SUPER WEALTHY FAMILIES.

How dumb are these executives who get big bonuses for eliminating job and consumers. Do we expect American consumers to live completely on credit? What the h e l l is going on in this country?; Reply to this comment


by heritagemi March 18, 2009 12:27 AM EDT: Ford, GM, and Chrysler are all unveiling some great, energy-efficient vehicles in the next year or two. In addition to Chevy's Volt, Chrysler has several high-efficiency electric vehicles that the company expects to sell at a reasonable price. But the vehicle that has been turning the heads of auto critics has been the Ford Fusion Hybrid. While officially rated at 41 mpg city and 36 hwy, several automotive writers who test drove the Fusion hybrid in Los Angeles last November achieved a real-world mixed mileage of 46-51 mpg. And this is for a vehicle that seats five people and has a good-sized trunk, in addition to innovative instrumentation and other features.

A number of auto writers who generally favor European or Asian vehicles (e.g., Motor Trend) are very complimentary of the Fusion Hybrid. It's due out in a few months, and I'm saving my money to purchase one, because I expect to hang on to it for 12 years or more, as we usually do with our vehicles.; Reply to this comment


by cbsblogger March 17, 2009 11:36 PM EDT: I'm all for keeping the price of regular gas and highway diesel constant at $3.50 via a floating gas tax. For Americans in lower income bracket they could get a tax rebate to offset the cost. But it would encourage the sale of energy efficient cars with reasonable payback times.

With the lower price of fuel it is harder to justify the extra cost of hybrids.; Reply to this comment


by cs4466 March 17, 2009 11:29 PM EDT: Hybrids are nonsense. 40 MPG is nothing. Unless it's an electric car with gas backup that gets over 100MPG, don't even bother. These cars will be out in the next year or so.; Reply to this comment


by ProfileEngineer March 17, 2009 11:19 PM EDT: "Think for a moment. When your speeding down the highway your burning the same amount of fuel that the guy
without the hybrid is burning. Your hybrid doesn't take less energy to move at 65 than a regular rice burner does. It doesn't have any less weight or wind resistance or rolling resistance than a regular car." - tmittelstaed,

Do a little research before you present yourself as an expert on hybrid power trains. The Prius has a distinct advantage over a typical internal combustion engine in a car of the same size and weight because it is tuned with a Atkinson cycle engine to improve highway mpg. The Akinson cycle engine in a Prius has the valve timing tuned for efficiency at the expense of horsepower. Because the electric motor has ample starting torque at low RPM for driving around town you don't have to tune the engine for power. So the Prius ends up doing better then all standard gas engines for around town driving and also does better than most on the highway as well.; Reply to this comment