Remember my note that anything less frantic than last year means the hybrid fad is over?

http://www.hawaiireporter.com/story....6-622a5327b670

" . . .
According to Art Spinella, the uber-auto analyst and President of CNW Marketing Research, hybrid sales every month this year have been down compared to the same time last year. Even sales of the Toyota Prius – the darling of the greens – have dropped significantly. The only segment besides taxis where hybrids are still holding steady – taxpayers will be happy to note -- is the car fleets maintained by the government.

What's particularly interesting is that individual consumers are defying all expectations and turning their backs on hybrids at a time when gas prices are soaring. (The average U.S. retail price of gas spiked to a record high of $3.01 last September following hurricane Katrina, and just last week it hit its second highest price ever at nearly $3.00.) Nor is the reason all that mysterious. Spinella's customer satisfaction surveys show that 62 percent of hybrid owners are dissatisfied with the fuel-economy performance of their cars given what they have paid for them.

This means that when gas prices go up, these people don't rush out to buy more hybrids. "They buy a Chevy Aveo," says Spinella. "It delivers the same fuel economy as a Prius, but at half the price."

Consumer interest might revive if the cost of hybrids goes down substantially – or the cost of fuel goes up and stays up for a long period of time, Spinella believes. Until then, however, the hybrid market is unlikely to come out of the deep freeze, a reality that even Ford had to finally acknowledge.
. . ."

Have You Hugged a Hummer Today?
Hybrid vehicles' overall energy costs exceed those of comparable non-hybrids
By Shikha Dalmia, 7/19/2006 7:37:22 PM


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Remember, it is the editor and their fact checker we need to contact. Let them learn the 'lessons' about CNW Marketing.


Bob Wilson

 

This article misses a major point: A hybrid dramatically decreases a vehicle's dependence on gasoline. The reduction makes immediate economic and political sense. The hybrid/Hummer analogy is absurd. So, let's all buy Hummers and see what happens to the price of gas and our dependency on foreign oil and politics. Dust to dust cost comparisons are irrelevant in today's energy squeeze. Probably wrong anyway. The article is a cop-out.

 

Actually it looks like a word-for-word cut and paste from a Libertarian web site. But that is less important than getting feedback to the paper, and in particular, the editor and fact-checker.

What would be very useful is if a local Toyota dealer took an interest in this article and replied. <GRINS>

Bob Wilson

 

I have nothing against the Aveo - saw a brand new one drive into a Waynesville, Missouri gas station yesterday on the way back from HybridFest.

The 61% that will not repeat buy a hybrid is triggering my bogus alert....

 

What IS he smoking?

The Aveo has an EPA rating of 26/34 and Edmunds testers only managed to average 23 mpg.

http://www.edmunds.com/apps/vdpconta...ticleId=102473

My HAH does better than that. Alot better!

 

The Aveo is no Prius when it comes to quality, either. The comparison is ludicrous.

 

Not only that, but didn't Consumer Reports say that the Prius has something like a 93% satisfaction rate? I could be wrong, but I think I remember SOME figure like that!

 

Just a thought: there have been numerous articles dissing hybrids, but how many do you remember that cites a specific person and a sad story with their hybrid?

 

Well people with less money are more likely to feel the squeeze from the soaring gas prices, and they can't afford a Prius. I'm sure the used market is chock full of 1998 Suburbans. An Aveo, Kia, or Hyundai probably makes sense for those people.

Frankly, if Toyota is serious, they'll make the Corolla and maybe a Scion or two available with hybrid that people who are affected by the gas prices can afford. $26K+ for a nerdmobile is a specialty market. This is where I think Honda got things right with the Civic. The typical out the door price is significantly less, and it doesn't scream Greenpeace.

I can't imagine the Ford F-250 crowd moving to a Prius until gas gets REAL expensive. I mean, they have to look macho. Plus, Ford had to give them the truck below cost... so they can justify the higher gas by figuring that they saved $15k on a new full sized truck. And they get zero percent financing.

As far as I know though, hybrid sales are up... the Prius is down. So the article is crap.

I have mixed feelings about Toyota's hybrid decisions:
Camry - Great. Offer fuel economy and decent performance in a very popular, practical model. Kudos... best decision yet.
Prius - Neat, but it's too expensive and most people don't want a nerdmobile. You don't spend money to save money.
Lexus - What a complete waste... marketing it for maximum power. Follow your Camry model.
Entry level Toyota hybrid - doesn't exist... making their hybrids a specialty car for the middle class.

 

I agree totally, Captain!