I agree with you Jason. I think that in order to keep the hybrid momentum going, there needs to be some hybrid that don't have what other people perceive as "compromises".

Unfortunately, many people feel that speed and power are more important than fuel economy and I don't see that changing any time soon.

If we get some "uncompromising" hybrids, I think that everyone stil wins because it could help reduce the overall cost of hybrid technology for the masses.

Eric Powers

MHG Organizer - www.MadisonHybridGroup.com
Hybridfest 2008 - A Hybrid Electric Car Show and More! www.hybridfest.com
Madison, WI July 19 & 20, 2008

Hi Jason and Eric:

___I do believe in the performance marketing of the AH (pretty shrewd actually) but not in the price, FE, or emissions given the outrageous $8 - $10K premium vs. a better equipped EX-L w/ NAVI using the I4. It is one thing to ask a $2K premium for the I4 vs. V6 as most premium models from many automakers do the same but $8 - $10K (real world invoice or less vs. MSRP or more) and such a small increase in FE if any at all in the hands of a hypermiler? I am not even speaking of its emissions. This is nuts although from a marketing standpoint, it might be needed?

___Let us imagine an Accord I4 Hybrid that was VCM’ed receiving the mythical 45 + out on the Highway (EPA estimates). It would have close to the power and performance of the V6 using IMA yet close to the FE of the Prius II? It shouldn’t need the wild tech ANC and AM’s of the 05 AH either. The std. Accord I4 is a very strong performer in comparison to the Insight or Prius II already. Add IMA and it is the V6 with the FE of a lean burn Civic. This is the marketing strategy of the Escape HEV which doesn’t actually perform as well as its V6 counterpart in the real world but does achieve ~ 50% > FE over and above its I4 brethren.

___Good Luck

___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___Waynegerdes@earthlink.net

I agree with Jason that the vast majority thinks that faster is better. However, I think speed is a little bit overplayed when talking about hybrids. Whenever someone talks about the H2, they never complain how slow it is, even though it is slower than the Prius from 0-60.

My friend's mother put down an order for the Accord Hybrid because she looked at the Prius's ICE hp and immediately rejected it. Although she did test drive it and felt that it was fine, she was not able to go on the highway so she did not know how it would fare.

I think its important too however, that the public start realizing that all that speed is completely unnecessary as most people will never floor their car to race.

A Prius a day keeps the doctor away!

And, they seem to confuse "speed" with "acceleration." All the current hybrids go plenty fast. It's the acceleration that they wonder about, but how often do people floor it every time they accelerate? Hardly ever, I'd hope.

That said, I do notice a lag when I floor the Prius. It takes about a half-second before the engine revvs up. That could make the difference between getting hit and not.

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Ahh, the debate rages. Personally, why not have both the I4 and V6 version of the HA? That, in my eyes, would be the true way of being uncomprimising. You could get the power if you wanted, or you could settle for more FE. The world of today is full of maximizers...they want as many options as posible. So why not give it to them?
CHeers,
Steven

Hidden Views Photography