Quote:
Originally Posted by TruckMan
You people need to wake up and come to your senses. Most (not all) people don't want hybrids, especially in large vehicles. Look at the Tahoe/Yukon hybrids collecting dust on dealers lots. And if hybrids are the answer to our fuel prices, why aren't they in every vehicle in Europe? Gas is 3 to 4 times more expensive, and most people still drive ICE vehicles. It's because in 90% of cases the hybrid doesn't pay itself off before the buyer sells it - it's a waste of money.
People that want hybrids look at a vehicle as only a means of transportation. And that's good for them. That's why most hybrids and economy cars look like crap. People that buy Corvette, Hummer, GMC, Cadillac, etc buy them for a different purpose - Comfort, Safety, Luxury, Functionality, AND EVEN STYLING!!! Some people think of their vehicles as an expression of their personality, or care more about the way they look & perform. Those people couldn't care less about fuel economy! Get it into your heads! They don't care about fuel economy. Only the first group of people care. Those are the vehicles that need hybrids, not the Cadillacs/Hummers of the world!
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One reason that Europe doesn't buy as many hybrids is that they rely on diesels, and turbodiesels, in particular, to improve fuel economy and then performance. Also, many Europeans drive cars that make a Prius look kinda big. Think about a Golf or Astra next to a Prius, they're both shorter.
As for hybrids as only a means of transportation, I'd guess that's why Lexus sells 3 different hybrid models. They may not be terribly popular, but I guess there's some money to be made there if they bothered. The economy car remark harks back to the typically American idea that if it's small it must be cheap, and very much the automotive equivalent of a hair shirt. Cars like the Mini have managed to succeed in this country to refute that notion.
So far around here, I haven't seen Tahoe hybrids on dealer lots, only on the road. So someone must indeed care.
Actually, the use of new technologies on Hummers could be quite interesting. I recall reading, or perhaps watching commentary that went to this effect: "If the Hummer were built of carbon fiber, weighing perhaps 2200 lbs (3000 more likely), and were powered by a hydrogen fuel cell, then the Prius would be the problem..."
While I'm hardly a Hummer enthusiast, as I'm not much into off-road vehicles, I find the possibility quite interesting.