Hybrid Hysteria

Not Quite Yet.
Originally uploaded by EdnPHX.

It’s amazing how hyped up hybrid cars are now a days. Just think, a very few short years ago, no one would know what you were talking about. Now it seems the word “hybrid” is mentioned in every car commercial, political conversation and Hollywood interview. Yes, America is obsessed with hybrid automobiles and the perception that they alone are saving the country, and the world, from the evil dependence to foreign oil. Oh yes, and saving the environment too….can’t forget that.

I personally know 3 people who own hybrids. I’ll agree that their Toyota Priuses are quite nice…neat even. Push the button, flip a lever and off you go…sipping gas and expelling “look at me, I’m saving the world from evil” right out of their chrome plated tail pipes. All of them bought hybrids for the right reasons and economically it made sense for them. And yes, they look fabulously eco-chic. They love their piece of the automotive future. The only thing missing is the “pleeeeeeep” that the infamous Jetson’s family car made.

But what I find amazing is that although hybrids ARE better than their gasoline counterparts, they are only MARGINALLY better. So I decided to be a good little blogger and actually look at the numbers behind some of the most popular hybrids. When looking at the EPA MPG’s, I decided to really only consider the low numbers in their calculations. Let’s be honest, the high mileage per gallon numbers are in the absolute right conditions and are an estimate. You can’t really guarantee perfect conditions on the road, especially here in Phoenix with construction, traffic and accidents. BUT, you should be able to hold true the bottom number. So, without further adieu:

Escape Hybrid SUV: 36 city/31 highway
Toyota Prius: 60 city/51 highway
Toyota Hylander Hybrid: 33 city/30 highway
Lexus RX400h: 31 city/27 highway
Lexus GSh (2007): 30 city/26 highway
Honda Accord Hybrid: 25 city/34 highway
Honda Civic Hybrid: 49 city/51 highway
Honda Insight: 60 city/66 highway (The best of the bunch)

Ok, yes at first glance they look like pretty good numbers right? Well, consider that these cars are NOT hybrid, but rather all gasoline, normal cars:

VW Golf Diesel: 37 city/44 highway
VW Beetle Diesel: 37 city/44 highway
Toyota Matrix/Pontiac Vibe: 30 city/36 highway
Honda Civic: 30 city/40 highway
Hyundai Accent 32 city/35 highway
Acura TL 20 city/29 highway (I clocked my car getting 31mpg at times)
Toyota Rav4: 24 city/30 highway

So when you really look at it…although the numbers ARE better for hybrids, you have to admit, it’s not a HUGE difference. Which brings me to one of the points of this post: Why is it that we can go to the moon, put 10,000 songs in our pocket, and even make hundreds of thousands of Twinkies an hour, but yet we cannot make a car that gets 100mpg? People are raving about not having to fill up their hybrid after 400 miles. Shouldn’t normal cars do that? I find that odd. One thing to clarify: I think hybrids are a great idea…and quite frankly I would get one. But, governments and auto manufacturers need to really do what they need to do: Make cars go farther on gas, or really stand behind alternative fuels, like hydrogen. (By the way did you know that 2/3rds of all matter in the known universe is hydrogen? Hmmm….don’t really see a hydrogen shortage anytime soon, do you?)

Anyway, as much as we all love those nifty hybrids, here’s another thing to consider: “Do you know any people who drive hybrids who make UNDER $30k?” Nope…not me. You’d figure that hybrids would be the perfect solution for middle America, let alone the booming population of China. Because hybrids are targeted for the upper economic social ranks, the cost of a hybrid is, at most times, out of reach for most people. Can you justify the $3000-$6000 price premium on top of the regular car price? Nope, I wouldn’t really want to do that either. Because of this, hybrids will NOT drop in price anytime soon. Boy, Lindsay Loham, Brad Pitt and Salma Hayak sure look fabulous in those shiny hybrids. (Too bad they also all drive big SUVs too….sorta cancels out the point, doesn’t it?) Is saving the planet and reducing our dependence on foreign oil only for the chosen few?

So, next time your zipping along on the freeway and you pass that hybrid, think to yourself: Who are we kidding? Yes, it’s a step…a baby step. But, until perceptions change, governments change, and auto manufacturers change, hybrids are no more than regular cars, with marginally better mileage and a huge “cool” factor to them. Yes, it looks like the future is on the horizon….but the wait is going to be a little longer than expected.