Hybrid Vehicles - a car buff seeking automotive redemption

I had assumed that it was common knowledge that you could get discount auto insurance if you drive a hybrid vehicle. However, I’ve received a couple of emails about it - so thought it was worth clarifying.

In the United States there are a number of insurance companies that will offer you a 10% discount if you take out auto insurance with them.

One well-respected group is Hybrid Travellers.

While these offers are generally very competitive it still pays to shop around. Depending on the model you have purchased and your state of residence it can still sometimes be possible to get cheaper insurance (even when the discount is taken into consideration) through discount auto insurers.

Ecologically, there’s no question that hybrids outshine even the most efficient economy cars in terms of their environmental credentials.

However its worth looking at some of the intangible social, economic and environmental impacts of purchasing a hybrid.

Will a hybrid be a cheaper alternative to standard fuel cars?

Answering this question is often a reflection of the writer’s political beliefs as opposed to sound economics.

See an example of how hybrids can be costed to be cheaper 

See this comment on the same post for an opposite perspective 

Establishing the economic benefits of purchasing a hybrid vehicle depends to a very significant extent on your driving habits, the vehicle you intend to purchase and the state you live in (in terms of the rebates you can access) The general consensus at the moment seems to be that its a relatively break-even proposition, improved gas mileage will off-set the greater upfront cost.

See this post for a very detailed mathematical discussion of that perspective 

What about the other intangible benefits?

There are three additional things that are worth considering that might shape your purchase.

1. Hybrid vehicles retain their value to a great extent than standard fuel cars - the resale value of a hybrid can be up to 30% higher than a comparable standard fuel model from the same year.

2. Increased demand for hybrids is leading to an expansion in the number of mechanics who can perform repairs. Most new hybrids also come with substantial warranties that give you extra peace of mind.

3. Hybrid technology is still comparatively new. As oil prices continue to increase and the technology gets cheaper the value proposition is going to look increasingly attractive.

Less than 20 minutes after this post - someone emailed to ask me to justify my statement about hybrid cars being less efficient than standard fuel vehicles when travelling for long distances.

A hybrid car’s advantage in town traffic is three-fold

1. They use no fuel when coasting

2. They recover energy during frequent breaking - this can be used for acceleration

3. They don’t use any fuel when stationary.

However, in situations where a vehicle will be cruising at a standard speed for long distances they are no necessarily any more efficient than a standard fuel vehicle because they are carrying extra weight in batteries, motors and control systems.

technorati tags:hybrid, car, vehicle, automobile, fuel, efficiency, environment, gas

Following up from Yesterday’s post about the dangers of over-selling hybrid technology - I felt it was as good a time as any to list the top 5 reasons you wouldn’t buy a hybrid (in no particular order)

1. The higher upfront cost (up to $6000) of a Hybrid can take over six years for the average American to recoup due to improve mileage. Most people do not keep their car this long.

2. Smaller hybrid engines operate at higher RPM’s - and therefore break more easily

3. The battery in a hybrid car lasts only 4-5 years - and is very expensive to replace.

4. Specialised drive-trains and parts means that many mechanics are unable to service hybrid vehicles.

5. Hybrids are only more efficient in urban situations - if you spend a reasonable amount of time driving long distances-  there is little difference in mileage.

Stay turned tomorrow for the top 5 reasons you would want to buy a hybrid.

Somebody recently pointed out to me a number of innovative car-sharing programs that have been established in key American cities.

Services like www.zipcar.com and www.flexcar.com allow flexible sharing of vehicles. Members reserve online the use of a vehicle for a set period of time. An electronic card allows them access to the car and all gas and insurance costs are covered.

Some of the green benefits claimed by the companies are impressive:

• An increase of 14% percent in public transport use.
• Members drove an average of only 369 miles per year (compared to normal use of 5295 miles per year)
• Over 40% of our members decide against purchasing a car, or end up selling their car.
• Each car replaces the use of 20 privately owned vehicles.

I don’t have any way of measuring these claims - but would love to hear from someone who has more direct experience with some of these services.

Car sharing will not solve our automobile problem. These kind of services work best in densely populated metropolitan areas with highly developed public transport systems. Private ownership will be a reality for the forseeable future. Longer term, the flexibility of private vehicle ownership also means that many people would be unwilling to entirely adopt the system.

However, reducing our dependance on traditional automobiles is going to require a multi-pronged response. If we can encourage uptake of this kind of service alongside the growth in hybrid vehicles we stand a much greater chance of achieving success.

technorati tags:car, sharing, green, emissions, pollution, environment