[ml/nj]

The good news is a Toyota will last 10 years and 150,000 miles. The bad news is Americans won't drive the same car for that long. But then neither will anybody else in any other country. The Japanese will change cars every 3-5 years.

Bad analysis to support a reasonable point ...

It doesn't matter whether people sell their cars before they recoup whatever savings on gas are imagined, because this will be figured into the sale price when they dispose of the car (assuming it is drivable).

ML/NJ

[USFRIENDINVICTORIA]

You're right -- I was going to point out the same thing. The acid-test will be how well the hybrid holds its value in the used-car market. If it just depreciates at the same rate as an ordinary car, then it looks like it might be cost-effective. However, if the electrical components depreciate faster -- then it's going to cost more than an ordinary car.