I encourage you all to set the record straight in your community.
Today our school newspaper came out, including an article about hybrid electric vehicles. Someone did not do their homework. The writer claimed they were not catching on, that the Ford *Focus* Hybrid was a failure, and Americans only desire acceleration -- something hybrids cannot provide.
As the only hybrid owner in a school of 3500, I was actually pretty offended by so much blatant misinformation. I've already written a letter that I wil be giving to the editor to pubish in the next issue. I know her, so it likely won't be a problem.
The biggest threat to this revolution is ignorance.
Squash it while it's young. Squash it like a bug.
Fuel-efficient hybrid cars lack American appeal
by Kris Chana
The introduction of the all-new hybrid Ford concept car has caught the attention of many across the world. Since Honda and other foreign car manufacturers have already developed and introduced such machines, Ford has decided to join the competition. The purpose of a hybrid car is to save and conserve energy. It is run by two engines, a small gasoline engine and an electric motor, which compensate for each other, making the car more fuel-efficient. This new and evolutionary car concept sounds great, but it has its ups and downs.
The introduction of Ford's new hybrid utilizes the spacious and practical innovation of the Ford Focus. By using the Focus body style, Ford kept a great car and made it even better for the people and the environment. This new advancement in technology has changed the way cars will be powered in the future and has revolutionized the automobile industry.
This design introduces a whole new era in history. People's lifestyles are so different today than they were ten years ago. A person's image is very important, and people are always on the movie, as more horsepower and bigger gas guzzling vehicles beome more popular. It is like a competition, and the person with the biggest, fanciest and fastest car wins. Ultimately, the average American is not ready to step down a notch, and Ford has to take into consideration that most Americans do not want a fuel-efficient automobile, because it does not present people with the high level of wealth and success that they desire.
The concept of a hybrid car is a good idea, but middle class citizens are not ready for fuel efficiency, less horsepower, better gas mileage and aerodynamic space age-looking cars. People want horsepower; they want big cars and SUVs, and they want luxury and style. Times are not ready to change, and until Ford realizes this, I do not believe the Ford hybrid will sell well.
I actually had to check to make sure this Focus Hybrid didn't really exist. You'd think I would have known it if did! My response:
Quote:
Dear Editor,
I am writing in response to Kris Chana’s article, “Fuel-efficient hybrid cars lack American appeal,” in the October issue of the Brantley Banner. The information provided to readers was inaccurate and quite misleading.
For about a year I have owned the second-generation 2004 Toyota Prius, the first practical hybrid electric vehicle available to consumers. The success of this car is unprecedented, sparking the most in-demand automobile craze in ages and spurring waitlists upwards of six months. The Prius will become Toyota’s third most popular vehicle, requiring 100,000 units for the 2005 model year.
Other manufacturers are scrambling to offer the technology. Next year, the lineup includes hybrid versions of the Honda Accord, Civic, Insight, Ford Escape (not Focus!), Lexus RX400, Toyota Prius and Highlander. Most of these match or exceed the performance of their non-hybrid counterparts, approaching 300-horsepower systems. Note that many are SUV’s.
The hybrid revolution is not “lacking in appeal.” To the contrary, it is sweeping through the country, quite unstoppable. The greatest threat to progress is misunderstanding, but I believe Americans will come to realize the impact this technology has on the world in which they live.
Interested in hybrids? Get accurate up-to-date information at my website, GreenHybrid.com, or ask me for a look at my car!
Thanks for the opportunity to set the record straight.
Thanks for the information. I'll have to edit that letter before I send it off.
While I do stand corrected that there actually IS a hybrid Focus, the article implies that this is a gas-electric hybrid. The Focus is a hydrogen fuel-cell hybrid, something that definitely is not on the mass distribution lineup.
___Using Word’s readability stats, she is writing on an 11th grade level (11.4 to be exact) although her generalizations of the subject matter as well as the lack of facts (well quite a few mistakes anyways ) make the editorial almost entirely unsupportable. It is a good thing she didn’t write this editorial up as a post for this audience of enthusiasts as we would have a tough time holding back. With that, I believe she might be taking a jab directly at you for whatever reason. I am sure most everyone in your high school knows you pilot a Prius II no matter how some might pretend to ignore the owners and their automobiles sitting in the HS parking lot. A Prius II simply stands out to much to be ignored … You can bet she knows what you drive. Is there an ulterior motive at work here?
___She makes some points some would consider spot on although using the Ford Focus as the platform instead of the Escape and “introduction of the all-new hybrid Ford concept car” are large leaps of faith from an enthusiast’s perspective. Let us break her editorial down a bit with your reply and simply let the uneducated statements stand as if they were coming from an uneducated high school student …
___Remind your audience that today’s “more horsepower and bigger gas guzzling vehicles” are actually far more efficient then those of a generation past. A 10 - 12 second to 60 automobile 30 years ago was lucky to receive 15 mpg. I cannot think of many large SUV’s available today that do not at least receive that yet are far more powerful, faster, safer, and far cleaner (emissions wise). Remind them of the 1974 Datsun B210 Honeybee 2-door sedan w/ a manual 4 speed transmission. IIRC, it came with an ~ 60 HP ICE, a 0 - 60 time that had to be measured with an hour glass, and it achieved an amazing for that era, 29 mpg out on the highway. Today’s 400 HP manual trannied Chevrolet Corvette can do 0 - 60 in ~ 5 seconds yet still receives 28 mpg as its official EPA highway estimate. This does not include all of the std. amenities, improved handling, and vastly superior safety components that could not have been imagined 30 + years ago. The Ford Escape HEV is a solid 9.0 second to 60 automobile (4WD from C&D - Aug 04) yet has all the safety attributes and utility one could ask for from a small SUV in this day and age. That and it’s a PZEV! Future hybrids can vastly improve upon such performance numbers with the ability to store vast amounts of electrical energy to run extremely high torque/low RPM electrics motors yet still receive unheard of fuel economy in the process. The 270 HP RXh 400 w/ another ~ 50 - 75 + HP of electrics will not only run 0 - 60 in less then 8.0 seconds, it will probably receive an overall EPA estimate in the low 30’s! Add the fact that it will be an SULEV-II only makes it that much more desirable.
___Image? Of course image matters … The second best selling sedan in North America just happens to be the Honda Accord. When you have the choice to purchase a Honda Accord in one of its many trims including a DX, LX, EX, EX-L, EX-L w/ NAVI, with I4’s and V6’s depending on initial choice, make a note to mention that as of this coming December, the fastest and most powerful Accord just so happens to be the Accord Hybrid. Along with the fact that it is a hybrid, it also receives the highest fuel economy of any Accord ever built. This should tell your reader’s volumes about higher performance (image) and higher fuel economy capabilities of future Hybrid’s over and above there std. ICE counterparts.
“Middle class citizens are not ready for fuel efficiency, less horsepower, better gas mileage and aerodynamic space age-looking cars.”
___Hmmm. The public is definitely ready for fuel efficiency. It just depends on how much they are willing to pay for it.
___Less HP? Sure, in the hybrid’s that are available today but not in those that will be available starting this December looking forward. The Hybrid Accord, RXh, and Highlander Hybrid are the future.
___Aerodynamic space age-looking? The Lexus LS430 has a Cd of just .25 with its active suspension set as such. It looks as sedate as one could imagine a luxury automobile to look like. You don’t need a Prius/Insight exterior for a Hybrid platform as they can be placed into any exterior as is the case with the HCH and most future hybrid’s being discussed today … The Accord Hybrid is a dead wringer for its lesser Accord siblings other then the loss of the sunroof vs. the EX + trims, slightly different wheel styling, and the Hybrid badge on its tail. The same can be said of the HCH given the slightly different front fascia, antennae mast, and rear badging. I would expect a very similar look between the RXh and RX as well as the Highlander Hybrid and Highlander. An Escape HEV vs. a V6 spec’d XLT? Except for a slightly different front fascia, slightly different wheels, a small battery vent, and the Hybrid “leaf” badging, I don’t think there are any other exterior differences?
___Anyway, there are a number of pieces to this young woman’s editorial that were either left out because of lack of knowledge of the topic or she simply wanted to stir the pot … I also know a small amount in regards to what stirring the “Hybrid” pot is all about
1) My school is not overly politically active. I do not expect this author to have ANY political motivation or a grudge against me, personally. I am indeed the only hybrid owner in the school and often people do come up to me and say, 'Hey, don't you own one of those hybrid cars?" but there's no ulterior motive, I assure you. I actually just looked Kris up in the yearbook... I knew him a few years ago and know his girlfriend quite well, now, haha.
2) A positive atmosphere is something I have really been working to achieve here at GreenHybrid. Please keep everything positive and not condescend. Often these stories are written in haste -- I know first hand. It is also very likely that if my response is published in a month or so, students will come to this site and possibly even read this thread.
3) Oh, my! The presidential election is on Tuesday!!
Revised and submitted response:
Quote:
Dear Editor,
I am writing in response to Kris Chana’s article, “Fuel-efficient hybrid cars lack American appeal,” in the October issue of the Brantley Banner. The information provided to readers was quite misleading.
For about a year I have owned the second-generation 2004 Toyota Prius, the first practical hybrid electric vehicle available to consumers. The success of this car is unprecedented, sparking the most in-demand automobile craze in ages and spurring waitlists upwards of six months. The Prius will become Toyota’s third most popular vehicle, requiring 100,000 units for the 2005 model year.
Other manufacturers are scrambling to offer the technology. Next year, the lineup includes hybrid versions of the Honda Accord, Civic, Insight, Ford Escape, Lexus RX, Toyota Highlander and Prius. Most match or exceed the performance of their non-hybrid counterparts, approaching 300-horsepower systems and many are SUVs. The concept Focus is actually a hydrogen fuel-cell hybrid that is not available to the public.
The “hybrid revolution” is not “lacking in appeal.” Rather, it is sweeping through the country, quite unstoppable. The greatest threat to progress is misunderstanding, but I believe Americans will come to realize the impact this technology has on the world in which they live.
Interested in hybrids? Get accurate up-to-date information at my website, GreenHybrid.com, or ask me for a look at my car!
Thanks for the opportunity to set the record straight.
Sincerely,
Jason Siegel
[edit]
P.S. I wouldn't trust that Word analysis. My letter registered as a 12th grade and my Emory Scholars essay registered as 11th.
___I did not intend to be condescending but when speaking negatively or positively about hybrids, you had better come to the table with a few verified facts or the opposition will overwhelm you with actual facts vs. your perceived ones. I am speaking about Kris’ editorial, not your reply or understanding of the topic at hand.
___I only brought up the ulterior motive stuff because who in your High School would really care about hybrid vs. non-hybrid transportation wants and needs? At your age, the only thought I remember having was about how big the back seat was I just wish Kris had the chance to edit his (I thought it was a she) editorial before it was posted given the errors riddled throughout.
___In regards to the level, 11.4 is actually a great score for a high school student imho. I was just showing how a paper written to that level can be so filled with “crazy talk” is all. Crazy being the Ford Focus HEV and concept release discussion.
1003 miles a tank personal record. 74MPG calculated. HCH1 CVT
) make the editorial almost entirely unsupportable. It is a good thing she didn’t write this editorial up as a post for this audience of enthusiasts as we would have a tough time holding back. With that, I believe she might be taking a jab directly at you for whatever reason. I am sure most everyone in your high school knows you pilot a Prius II no matter how some might pretend to ignore the owners and their automobiles sitting in the HS parking lot. A Prius II simply stands out to much to be ignored … You can bet she knows what you drive. Is there an ulterior motive at work here?
