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Argument 3. Extra Safety Concerns
Unlike current cars these cars have lethal battery voltages. Most manufactures plan to go to 36/42 volts in the near future, but the Civic uses 144 volts and the Prius 274 volts. Careless poking around in the wiring is likely to light up some do-it-your selfers! Even of more concern would be the exposed voltage due to a car wreck. Rescuers better be very careful where they use the jaws-of-life!
Probably even worse is high energy potential of these batteries; either contains the power of a large commercial welder. In an accident, a short could melt major hunks of steel around you and serve as an excellent ignition source for the gasoline they still carry.

I expect some every interesting crashes over the next few years.

Utterly false. "A fire involving a hybrid vehicle will be able to be handled by following normal vehicle firefighting procedures." University of Extrication.

You gas hog fans are sure worried about the availability of highly efficient vehicles, to put forth so much effort into trying to squash sales. Are y'all worried about not sending enough money to keep the Saudis in air conditioning? How's the buggy whip industry doing?

You gas hog fans are sure worried about the availability of highly efficient vehicles

How smug. Enjoying your ride in my tax dollars, are you?

I can't wait until your car is out of warranty and you get hit with that bill for all that fancy technology under that teenie-tiny hood.

Accoeding to your link in Part 3:
Emergency Procedures For Hybrid Vehicles:

Before attempting to rescue occupants from a damaged Honda Insight hybrid vehicle, it is also important to reduce the potential for high-voltage current to flow into the cables from the motor or high-voltage battery.

SO I think John Jamieson is indeed correct.

Regards

alfa6 ;>}

"You gas hog fans"

The point is these cars DO NOT reduce our consumption of oil. It's just used to make batteries instead.

I do drive very fuel efficient Cadillac Northstar, but I also own or have owned many economy cars including an 87 Toyota Tercel that could hit 53 mpg on the highway. I'm hardly a buggy wip guy. I have an MIT Aero/Astro Degree and worked 27 years for NASA at KSC. Now retired.

Turbo Diesel is the economy car that makes real dollars and sense. Fuel Cells may be a long term solution but not before 2020.

Hybrids are not only not THE answer; they're NOT even an answer.

PS: I have NO finantial interest in any company in the automotive business.

Thank you for helping my develope my point of view of the past few few months. At first, I thought my initial view might be wrong.