понедельник, 1 октября 2007 г.

How the public, not SUVs, screwed up the idea of hybrids

The public is right to be upset to find that hybrids don't automatically improve mileage by 20 MPG. Most hybrids now, compared with the market just a few years ago, are a bunch of SUVs with only slight improvements in mileage and very high annual fuel costs. The SUV fad began dying, so SUV makers looked to cost cuts, switched to crossovers, and added hybrid systems to hang on for dear life. We'll see how much they tarnish the public's perception of hybrids in the future.

The excerpt above pretty much summarizes this recent post from AutoblogGreen. They were covering an ABC News story which notes that the annual cost of hybrids (i.e. fuel cost) is rising. Both ABC News and ABG take it upon themselves to blame SUVs.

I have no love for SUVs, which is a whole other topic, but to condemn auto manufacturers for introducing "hybrids" which don't get as high gas mileage as the Prius et al? That's downright ludicrous.

They note that since 2000, the annual fuel costs of hybrids have gone up. This is due to the use of hybrid technology in pre-existing cars, resulting in a product that wasn't fuel efficiency-designed from the ground up and generally just has an electric motor slapped into the mix. While in examples like GM full-size trucks this is just a bid to get a few points higher MPG, in others like the Saturn Aura it is an attempt to introduce hybrid technology to a new low in starting price. Regardless of the product, the bottom line is that hybrid technology increases fuel efficiency and that despite whatever motivation the manufacturer might have had, it is a step in the right direction.

Instead of blaming auto companies for introducing "hybrids" that don't get elevnty-billion MPG like the Toyota Prius or Honda Insight, and thus "tarnish the public's perception of hybrids in the future," the public needs to take responsibility for knowing products before they buy. The public needs to know that the Honda Accord Hybrid, while not selling well and being discontinued after 2007, gave you the fuel economy of a compact four-cylinder car in a mid-size sedan with 255HP. The Ford Escape Hybrid gives you a mid-size SUV with gas mileage better than most sedans. GM is showing huge commitment to many forms of green auto technology, from offering the first semi-hybrid system on a full-size pickup truck to making strong pushes for E85 to offering hybrid technology (albeit not as efficient as Toyota's more expensive systems) at a new low price point.

If the public knew that and realized that today's hybrids are just a stepping stone to more efficient transportation, they might get off their keisters and pay more attention to something other than a keyword about the product they may buy - "hybrid."




Source: http://supplespub.com/rants/2007-09-26/how-the-public-not-suvs-screwed-up-the-idea-of-hybrids/

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