Hybrid thoughts

[ghini]

I did some quick math replying to Marthas journal. thought you might find it interesting:

If you go to http://www.fueleconomy.gov you can compare a regular civic with a hybrid civic.

A regular plain-vanilla Civic costs about $13,500 and has an estimated $908 a year in fuel costs. A hybrid civic costs $19,000 and has $658 in fuel costs. Both these are based on driving 15,000 miles a year.

The difference in cost is $5500. The difference in yearly gas costs is $312. At that rate, you would have to drive the Hybrid for 17.5 years before the money you save in gas is greater than they extra money you paid for a hybrid. If you drive less than 15,000 miles a year, then it's even longer. Even if gas prices double, it's still 8.75 years driving the same car. There are a lot of 9 year old Civics on the road. No one is sure if a Hybrid will last that long.

I'm sure in 20 years almost all new cars will be hybrids, or something similar. Right now they are like computers and digital cameras. Give them 3 years or so and there will probably be something new and better.

Comments

[uglor.livejournal.com]

Hybrids have rechargeable batteries which in theory need to be replaced after so much time/use. They haven't been on the road long enough for anyone to really know how often they need to be replaced, or how much they will cost.

[plantyhamchuk.livejournal.com]

I was wondering about other maitenency costs with hybrids, are they more expensive?

I plan on getting a hybrid as well (eventually), once they work all the technical kinks out.

[uglor.livejournal.com]

Hybrids are a lot like normal cars. They have shocks, power steering, tires, etc. Things that wear out on any car.

That being said, hybrids also have things unlike other cars, like regenerative brakes. Like any new, high tech car parts, they are expensive. They haven't been on the road long enough for anyone to know if they are going to be more or less expensive 5 or 10 years from now.

[plantyhamchuk.livejournal.com]

*nods* The weirdest thing about a hybrid I found was actually driving one. It's like driving a really really expensive golf cart.

[angry-user.livejournal.com]

If that's your plan, you'll never have a hybrid. They are filling a gap between gas motors and fuel cell type cars. I'd just hold out for the latter.

[violin.livejournal.com]

Oh, none of that should be construed as an effort to economically justify owning a hybrid. More that these things get in my mind, and I have to address them....

While the 5 years at 5% depreciation result surprised me (and is either way off because the standard is a known quantity and will depreciate slower or because the hybrid is widely assumed to make economic sense and will depreciate slower) the fact remains that, in absence of gov't incentives, a hybrid doesn't make economic sense right now.