Dear Valued Hybrid Customer...

WSJ ^ | November 30, 2005; Page A19 | By HOLMAN W. JENKINS, JR.

[Tank-FL]

We at the Toyota Motor Corporation are writing to address certain misconceptions that have arisen about your Toyota Prius model, which we are proud to note is driven by many celebrities, including Prince Charles and HBO's Larry David. Our pioneering gasoline-electric hybrid, introduced in 1999, has become an object of adoration to the world's enlightened car buyers. Our competitors, including America's Big Three, are rushing out hybrid vehicles of their own..

[Kimmers]

I am wondering about the batteries....won't they be rather environmentally unfriendly when you have dispose of them and now much are the new ones?....

[Revolting cat!]

SATIRICALLY CHALLENGED ALERT!

[Gordongekko909]

I understand that the batteries run about $4.5k, but may drop to $3k in the future.

[ikka]

The writer makes many good points. A good deal from Toyota is the Echo - 40+ mpg on the highway, 38 mpg city, zippy enough if you get the 5speed manual, etc. A four door, decently equipped, was about $12K.

I would have got the VW Jetta TDI, but VW has had some quality problems with the Jetta ever since they started making them in Mexico (not sure why that might be...)

[kittymyrib]

The new batteries are $4,000, but they hope to get it down to $3000.

[DoughtyOne]

LOL, but I think it should show me lying on the ground beside the chair.

[ikka]

Batteries are among the most efficiently recycled items in the world. At least 95% of the battery is recycled.

[Kimmers]

Great thanks for the information.....

[Revolting cat!]

We need a more suitable symbol, don't we. (I'll keep looking.)

[DoughtyOne]

I'll work one up...

[gov_bean_ counter]

Within the next year we will be getting a RX330 coming off a lease program. Got my wife's RX300 the same way three years ago. Probably will go through a broker in Birmingham.

[Dr. Scarpetta]

Hybrids Raise Safety Issues for Rescue Crews

http://www.newhousenews.com/archive/larini120205.html

[SteveMcKing]

For fun buy a new Mustang GT and install a blower.

That's likely my next car, if I can get one. Supposedly Ford is being careful not to make so many that they become 'uncool' in too quickly.

In fact, they say the Shelby GT500 will be so scarce, you'll have to be friends with a dealer to even get one.

What I really want is a Bullitt in 2008, but I'm not sure I can hold out that long. Plus they haven't said what the price will be.... I can hack a Cobra, but if it's in the Corvette'$ range - that's too much!

[LenS]

Honda and Toyota went ahead with hybrids when Detroit decided to hold off because of the difference between the home markets in Japan and the US. Gas is much more expensive in Japan plus there's a sizeable market for much smaller vehicles among Japanese consumers. So it made sense for Honda and Toyota to pursue hybrid development. Though, Detroit probably should have pushed on it more because:
1) Such development would challenge their engineering staffs;
2) Much of the work into hybrids will probably be useful in other fuel efficient designs down the road;
3) Other markets are similar to Japan with higher gas costs and bigger markets for smaller cars;
4) Detroit should never have assumed that low gas prices would continue indefinitely;
5) For an industry that once flourished on selling cars on intangibles, ignoring the potential of greenies wanting to "save" the environment was a bit silly.

[Kimmers]

Wow I will pass that on to my neighbors that smugly bought their hybrid

[randog]

Drive a Diesel, costs less and get's better milage than a hybrid without all the extra parts to break.

And you can easily make fuel from vegetable oil. How's that for being "environmentally-correct"?

[neodad]

Prius sounds suspiciously like Paris.

[Pukin Dog]

Can a Hybrid tow a Bass boat?

Never mind, I would never buy one anyway.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

Drive a Diesel, costs less and get's better milage than a hybrid without all the extra parts to break.

Yes. OTOH there could be something to be said for a hybrid diesel. In principle a diesel is simply a gasoline engine modified to the extreme for fuel economy over drivability, noise, first cost - indeed all other considerations (except durability; the diesel takes such a beating, and it so expensive anyway, that it has to be made durable in order to hold together at all - let alone last long enough for its fuel economy to overbalance its high first cost). The hybrid concept could readily compensate for the operability problems associated with diesels.

In fact, there exists a diesel design which is even more efficient than the standard fuel-injected version, but is entirely inoperable in a standard vehicle with a mechanical transmission. The dual-fuel diesel has injectors for diesel oil, but that is intended only to act as a pilot charge, analogous to the spark plug in a gasoline engine. The main fuel source for the dual-fuel diesel is natural gas (gasoline would presumably work), carburated lean enough to prevent autoignition without the pilot charge of injected oil.

That system is highly efficient, but it is inoperable in a normal setup because the only way of controling its power level is to impose the load on it which will hold its RPM down to the desired speed which gives the desired power. As a practical matter that rules out the use of a mechanical transmission, but an electric drive can accomplish it.

I have no idea how that would play into emissions considerations, but otherwise it would seem to be a go - if indeed you are willing to pay for the most efficient drive short of a fuel cell. I would agree with the idea bruited by the GM exec who said that a city transit bus - which racks up high mileage in stop-and-go operation - is the least illogical application for hybrid technology.

[Sgt.Po-Po]

I need one to haul 250 pounds of bloodhounds and plenty of gear, with 4-wheel drive and enough power to get through a little snow and mud.

Haven't found anything to equal the old suburban.