$82,500 !
My family and I are averaging 52 MPG on four Toyota Prius cars. We’ve driven Prius cars since the first one sold in Maine (mine) in 2000 - appx. 660,000 miles on four cars.
We’ve saved appx. $82,500 over this time - compared to. cars that get only 25 MPG
I wonder if they ever point out that each of these zero emission wonder cars comes along with an electric generation plant which can put huge amounts of pollutants into the atmosphere, leave a residue of toxic radioactive materials to be dealt with or cause huge damage to rivers and fish populations??
When Air-Force-One flys with electric motors I’ll embrace the technology. I know it’s coming, but I want more range than 200 miles.
They’ll be less smug in the air.
“My family and I are averaging 52 MPG on four Toyota Prius cars.”
Or, you could buy a Hyundai Elantra, average over 40 mpg and save a pile of up front cash. Not to mention, no replacement cost of hugely expensive battery packs.
Hybrids are viable, but minimally attractive. All electric cars are only viable for certain applications.
Whichever direction GM selects, bet on other options.
Somebody needs to do the math: how much would it cost to provide electric “filling stations” on the scale we currently have gas filling stations? What would this do to the electric grid? Is this even feasible?
Understand the basics for diving headlong into the unknown . . .
I think the future is in something like electric or hydrogen, but probably not in my lifetime (I’m 66). I remember when I bought my 2001 Chrysler 300m new. I thought it would be my last internal combustion engine car. Nope. Who knew gas would become even more plentiful and cheaper?
There are simply way too many BTU’s of energy in a pound of gas compared to a pound of battery - so far. The one thing hybrids and electrics have going for them - the ONE thing - is that they convert braking energy back to fuel instead of heat. But since my FR-S went 142k miles without a brake job, for me that doesn’t really give you much.
And did I mention gas is cheap? ;)
BTW, I work in the power industry. Imagine our electric grid as it currently exists trying to support millions of electric vehicles. Nope. It only works if not many people have them.
Gas is $6 a gallon in Maine?
perhaps you should be taxed for all the gas you didn’t use...
hmmmm
GM used to be known for the boobs in their bumpers. Now the boobs are apparently placed in upper management positions.
If you like your prius you can keep your prius. I like saving money too but not enough to drive a prius.
Just can’t do an all electric vehicle up here in Minnesota.
Batteries don’t like the low temperatures. Then factor in the amount of juice to heat the interior and de-ice the windshield. I bet the range is well under 100 miles at that point. Then factor in sitting in traffic for hours while the entire road system is walloped with a foot of snow and the chance of freezing to death becomes real.
Sorry, electrics do not have the range, recharging time nor capability of ICE vehicles.
Hybrids are the stop-gap. Toyota knows this.
The first person who freezes to death in an electric vehicle because its range was cut in half and no charging was available will make all-electrics a non-starter for most Americans.
All-electric may work in urban areas with density, but not in the vast majority of this nation.
I’m fine with experimentation with alternative sources and bringing these to market. It’s a fine balance to “help” automakers or incentivize them and buyers to encourage this experimentation so as to not bankrupt companies.
Traded in a 2013 - Hyundai Elantra (supposed to get 40 mpg and didn’t and Hyundai now now being sued for it) for a 2013 Prius-c.
I traded the prius-c in for a 2017 hyundai ioniq.
hyundai was giving ‘em away and I went from approx 53 mpg to approx 59 mpg with a bigger tank and better stuff on and in the car. I take the hit in the winter cold, but I get it back in the heat of the summer...currently running about 62 mpg.
should be my last car...
GM finally gets the Volt right and they stop making them.
They did the same when they stopped producing the V-6 Fiero GT.
I won’t ever have an electric or even a hybrid car... I have no quilt about that. I have the money for fuel, I’d rather enjoy a ride in my car than drink or gamble it away.
My 97 Jeep gets about 15 mpg..
But weighs over a ton and a half.
VW and GM are focused on going bankrupt..............
I’m with you, a hybrid makes sense from a standpoint of a full time car for either a single person or a family. With the limited range of an electric car, they are not viable for many drivers. A family could have both an electric and an internal combustion powered car to address all possible trips requirements. Until an electric car can be recharged quickly and in as many location as the current internal combustion car, there will be buying resistance for many car shoppers. The other issue for may car buyers is the large premium for an electric car.