How high do gas prices have to rise before you buy a hybrid or alternative fuels car?
$5 a gallon 31.1%
$8 23.0%
$10 12.4%
$20 5.2%
I'll never buy that type of car. 21.0%
I've already bought one. 7.3%
Total votes: 3253
http://www.kiplinger.com/poll/index.php

Well it looks like we all need to visit Kiplinger. <GRINS>

Pass it on to the other hybrid forums??

Bob Wilson

Operation Iraqi Oil Freedom:

Automatic, stock, project car.

My other 1500 cc car:

Automatic, stock, backup car.
Free speech, dialog and knowledge thrives without the poison of SPAM.

When I bought my '06 gas was $2.39/gal for plus (that's what I buy).

But what made up my mind was the temporary price spike in Sept. '05 after Hurricane Katrina of $3.64 (IIRC). I'm not embarrassed to admit that that price "event" put the fear of God into me. It was obvious to me at that point that I wasn't going to survive financially in a world where those kinds of prices were possible with a 72 mile commute, a car that got 23.3mpg and a salary of $36,000/year. I had to have a car that would give me DOUBLE 23.3mpg.

So far, so good. I'm still vulnerable, but now no more than many people, less so than probably most.

I voted for $ 5.00 cause there wasn't an ASAP choice ...

1981 Raleigh for errands & fun
1997 Trek 2300 for real fun !
2000 Civic hatchback
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UT...6327466c8c&z=2 (transportation @ google maps)

Considering that 350,000 U.S. car buyers bought hybrids in 2007, when gas was under $3 per gallon, I'd say that the survey is a bit pessimistic.

If these results were applied to the general population, I assume that's the purpose of the article, then at 15-16 million new vehicle buyers annually that would mean at another $1.00-$1.50 jump we'd be looking at 5 million plus buyers looking to get a hybrid annually.

That's probably 10x current demand in toto. Wanna see hybrid vehicle prices go through the roof. LOL, it would be like oil prices; too much demand chasing too little supply. If this snapshot is valid the the vehicle makers better get cranking.

I think that this poll though is like exit polls. The respondents say what they think the pollsters want to hear. Now if the poll states that the public would consider a hybrid that seems more likely. From direct experience these last two months 1 out 3 shoppers seems to want to look at, drive or actually buy a hybrid.

Lifetime fuel usage: 2.1 GPC ( 1.99 recent )