Plug-in hybrids don’t have the range yet to interest much of the public. If I owned one, the electric charge would be long drained by the time I got to work and the engine they use to recharge the electric motor isn’t all that efficient. My wife could use it for commuting and never buy gas though. Commuting more than 18 miles one way would mean using gas in the Volt, and it has one of the best ranges for a plug-in hybrid. I know a couple of people that have said they will buy a Volt when their current cars get old.
I have to agree with Nevada_545. Even when gas was almost $5/gal in the US, it wasn’t enough pain to the consumer to make many look for a smaller or more efficient vehicle. If gas would have risen to what people in Europe pay, that might be a bit different.
Personally I enjoy driving my gas-guzzling V8, but I only drive about 12-15K miles a year these days. If I still had my old job where I typically drove over 3,000 miles per month, I’d probably be rethinking that.
How can I earn a dollar for every one of my post views? Seems I have a knack for getting a discussion underway.
I would’ve been rich with my “Credentials Please” post of years ago… LOL
Blackbird
A lot of people bought smaller cars when gas prices were much higher.
I agree completely. I know MANY people who have commuter cars. Their criteria was reliable and good gas mileage. They have something like a minivan or SUV at home for family trips or grocery trips…but drives to and from work in something economical.
I ALWAYS consider mpg when buying a vehicle. The vehicle first has to meet our needs, then reliability…then mpg.
@meanjoe75fan Well, Cummins certainly has found away to deal with it. As a matter of fact, I believe they can make them multi fuel and capable of burning regular diesel as well. The innate qualities of NAt Gas being cleaner is a huge advantage. The charcteritstic that it is more combustible makes unsuitable for a lot of uses diesel fuel is now used especially where safety is a bigger concerned. Gas, both Propane and CNG are already used in applications where the fueling stationsare nearby, usually when the vehicles have their own infrastructure for refueling. A big savings over time, but don’t expect the consumer to rep huge benefits when doing it himself for now. The same energy companies around here that control liquid fuels, also sell gas products. The energy companies still want to extract the same amount regardless of what fuel you use. But, the savings overall, especially considering the trade deficit is substantial and better over all having this natural resource. Still, it’s a fossil fuel and as such is a viable near term solution.
Even though the military is moving towards fuel cells for motivation, may well be charged using natural gas and other more efficient and cleaner fuels.
@jtsanders.
When you consider profit making, 2779 per 4 months Volts sold will always be a failure as long as the price needs to be subsidized so they can make a profit. We are still taking too much money from the public tax base in general to get these things off the ground. When they sell for competitive prices without incentives, they are then classified a success IMho. Then, you will see them threaten Camry’s and F150 s as monthly sales leaders. From the owners to the testers, there is much to be pleased about in owning a Volt and for most, a more practical vehicle then a Camry. Practicality goes out the window when everyone’s tax dollars has to support their ownership with the return only going to individual owners and in such small numbers.
Btw, the Volt is a Prius type system with a bigger battery and the computer extends the time it can run on E power alone. At higher speeds it still needs the gas engine helping to drive through a planetary gear set. It’s a rouse by GM making everyone think it’s a “range extender series hybrid”. Just BS advertising…still a very good car over all and good engineering overall…that can onle be done with govt. encourgement t and support.
@dagosa, basically all plug-ins are failures. As you can see from a previous post, the Prius was worse than the Volt. I’m just trying to get you to admit that by your yardstick, Toyota is a failure.
These plug-in hybrids are new to the market and we should expect them to sell poorly until the conditions are better for them. Lower battery cost would be a start, and a significant increase in gasoline price would also spur sales. I’m in favor of the former, but not the latter.
I applaud the manufacturers for trying plug-ins. If they didn’t try, we would never know if people would buy them. Companies as large as GM and Toyota can afford to stick around longer than most companies in that market.
@jtsanders. Good points. But, You don’t have to bend over backwards to get me to admitt that NOT TOYOTA, but the plug in Prius as a model is a still failed product and will continue to be so until it can support itself. I am only talking about models within a corporations production compared to other models they make. Without govt. Intervention, many more models not supported by the govt. would be more successful. Once the rebates and subsidies stop, if they make a profit and continue to sell, they are a success.
Each has a long history of cars that were stopped from production because of lack of profitability. That in my opinion, is a failed end or, do you doubt for one moment that EVs and Plug in hybrids would sell in numbers to make them profitable enough to continue production without govt. aid ? They are not success stories until they ARE. They are test beds of technology’s sponsored by the govt. That is ONLY reason why they have become prevalent. I am not dissing this procedure in anyway shape or form but to recognize that this is what the govt does to help address problems we could not do on our own. Even GM could not and would not make theses products on their own without intervention. Applaud them for sure, but applaud those we elect for providing that assistance and recognizing the need. Capitalism often needs a boost or a jump start to promote production of products that are scientifically better for our use.
If the car is a failure, the maker is a failure. They are responsible for it, and they have to take ownership of whatever happens. I still think it is too early to call the plug-ins failures. If there is wholesale exit from the market, I will change my tune. Besides, marketing cars like this helps the aut companies meet the aggressive CAFE standards. That has to play some part in how they decide to proceed.
The innate qualities of NAt Gas being cleaner is a huge advantage. The charcteritstic that it is more combustible makes unsuitable for a lot of uses diesel fuel is now used especially where safety is a bigger concerned.@dagosa: Actually, methane is a very safe fuel, in that when it spills, it is lighter than air, and wafts upward and away from the incident site. Most other vaporous fuels pool in low-lying areas, then travel laterally ISO an ignition source.