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Hybrids on the market

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Goobieman

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Seems like the auto companies are coming out with more, and better, hybrids/electric cars all the time.

Is this because of market demand or because of government initiative?
Why do you think that?
 
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I think it is market demand, for the most part. During the sky-rocketting gas prices, sales of fuel efficient cars shot up by enough to let them know that the more fuel efficent, the better nowadays.

But Americans are unwilling to give up performance simply for fuel efficiency. We're picky bastards.

It'll probably be a while before I buy a hybrid. I'm going to need more performance than what is currently available for me to get something like that.
 
Seems like the auto companies are coming out with more, and better, hybrids/electric cars all the time.

Is this because of market demand or because of government initiative?
Why do you think that?

I think it's a combination of both.

While the market may demand it the auto comapnies would give just bits and pieces. Government initiative makes the try harder and give more than just bits and pieces.

Hope that made sense.
 
I think it's a combination of both.
Which (specific) govenrment initiatives do you credit for the increasing number of hybrids on the market?
Why?
 
It'll probably be a while before I buy a hybrid. I'm going to need more performance than what is currently available for me to get something like that.
-I- will need for it to make economic sense for me to do so, before I do so.
 
I may look into it, when my car bites the dust. But for now, I have no car payment on my car, and my wifes will be paid off in 10 months, so buying a hybrid make no sense for me even with the increase in gas mileage I would see.
 
Which (specific) govenrment initiatives do you credit for the increasing number of hybrids on the market?
Why?

Well there are several ways that the Government is helping in this area. But here is one...

PDF Link

(g) ensure that, if the agency operates a fleet of at least 20 motor vehicles,
the agency, relative to agency baselines for fiscal year 2005, (i) reduces
the fleet’s total consumption of petroleum products by 2 percent annually
through the end of fiscal year 2015, (ii) increases the total fuel consumption
that is non-petroleum-based by 10 percent annually, and (iii) uses plugin
hybrid (PIH) vehicles when PIH vehicles are commercially available at a cost reasonably comparable, on the basis of life-cycle cost, to non-PIH vehicles;

Lots of companies vie for government contracts. I would imagine that any company would jump at the chance to provide hundreds if not thousands of hybrid cars for the government since the government is looking for them.

The government also helps money wise to many car manufactures that are researching hybrid models. Here's one...

U.S. backs $30 million to build plug-in hybrids

The Department of Energy announced a $30 million effort Thursday with Ford, General Motors, and General Electric to bring to market by 2014 plug-in hybrid electric cars that drive 40 miles on a single charge.

"The projects announced today demonstrate a shared public-private sector commitment to advance clean vehicle technologies and will help reduce our dependence on foreign oil while also confronting the serious challenge of global climate change," Andy Karsner, assistant secretary of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, said in a statement. He made the announcement Thursday at a conference on plug-in electric vehicles sponsored by the Brookings Institution and Google.org.

And then there's the tax incentives that the Federal Government provides...

Federal Tax Incentives (United States)
 
Seems like the auto companies are coming out with more, and better, hybrids/electric cars all the time.

Is this because of market demand or because of government initiative?
Why do you think that?

You can't really say that one or the other is the reason. Market demand is of course the driving force behind any company's production of anything - if nobody will buy it who the hell would build it? However demand is greatly affected by government programs and incentives, because they have a not negligible impact on the cost of a hybrid.
 
Seems like the auto companies are coming out with more, and better, hybrids/electric cars all the time.

Is this because of market demand or because of government initiative?
Why do you think that?
Oh both, after the last year or so I'd bump market demand to the top o' the list though. But don't take my word for it, look at Toyota Tundra sales!

My better half and I purchased a Pius last year and we love it and the smug feeling we get from it. I rather think we are the opposite of the aims of most hybrid owners though! We saw this purchase as our opportunity to not only save fuel/money/the environment and all of humanity, but a cheaper way in which we could more afford to foray into the national and state parks we have not yet explored hiked and photographed!

I can honestly say that we have contest between us to see who can rack up more kinetic energy at the wheel than the other! Yet if you listened to anyone who has ever argued with me about AGW they would SWEAR I burn old tires in my backyard daily. :roll:
 
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