GreenHybrid - Hybrid Cars - View Single Post

martinjlm · #30 (**permalink**) 07-13-2006, 07:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by finman

Someone please explain to me the TEN YEAR lag between the Prius debut (okay only in Japan)...how about the 7 year lag between the US Prius debut and ANYTHING even remotely resembling a full hybrid from GM??

Simple.

"Hey boss! Check this out! I can get a 25% F/E improvement by hybridizing this vehicle! We should do this!"

"Excellent! How much will it cost us in capital, tooling and engineering?"

"$XXX Million"

"Ouch! How does that amortize over the volume we could sell?"

"It would add about $4 - 5,000 to the cost to produce the vehicle."

"What about material cost?"

"Well the electrical components and motors and batteries will cost about $3 - 4,000 per vehicle."

"And customers are willing to pay how much for it?"

"Consumers are typically willing to pay about $500 per mpg improvement, so roughly $2 - 3,000 per vehicle"

"Ahhh. So we don't even cover our costs. Tell you what. You keep working on it. See what you can do to get the costs down. Meanwhile, we also need to keep working on clean diesels, variable displacement engines, multi-speed transmissions, and other less costly ways to improve fuel economy. Stay at it and let me know when you make progress."

"We'll keep you posted"

Waaay over-simplified, but directionally correct.

Quote:

Originally Posted by finman

And it is STILL not in the showroom or on the road for the public to experience. And the Saturn version of 'hybrid' is a start-stop system. Please, Toyota had those overseas several years ago...for actual people to drive! Not just press releases.

And if it can perform at the same level as an Escape Hybrid for significantly less cost (to the company) and price (to the consumer) the problem with that is........?

Quote:

Originally Posted by finman

GM is so not in the hybrid/fuel-efficiency game. No matter what their press releases say, show me the hybrids!

Time will prove one of us wrong. I can be very patient.

Quote:

Originally Posted by finman

Show me where they applied ANY EV1 technology to fuel efficiency.

I could. But honestly, what would that prove?

Quote:

Originally Posted by finman

I'm sorry, GM has REALLY screwed themselves. Nothing like digging a hole with big SUV gas guzzlers, then burying yourself in that hole by crushing the ONE car that was brilliant. I don't see how I'll ever get over that one.

Cheers,

Curt.

PS I'd be just as disappointed in Toyota for crushing my Prius, telling me there ain't a market and the wait lists non-existent. It didn't happen that way, and some Rav 4 EVs are still running in private hands just fine. Does that mean they are leading the charge (pun intended) for EVs? I'd say so.

Peace,

Martin