leftlanenews.com — "Hybrids are technologically of doubtful benefit, and expensive, but necessary from a political and public relations point of view," said GM's Bob Lutz. "Toyota has said, economically, hybrids make no sense. The reduction in fuel does not pay for the technological content [...] so therefore economically it remains fairly nonsensical."
Jul 21, 2006 View in Crawl 4
c5mjohnJul 22, 2006
@akhomerun: Actually, much of the energy comes from the regenerative braking.<a class="user" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regenerative_brake">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regenerative_brake</a>
wet_napkinJul 22, 2006
@mackstann:From personal experience, getting hit in a smaller car would do just as much damage as getting hit on a bike. Just because small cars have airbags and seatbelts and all of the safety equipment on earth, if a SUV or even a larger car hit you, you would be in for a hurtin'.IMHO, thats why Americans drive big cars. It makes them FEEL safe, and to us, thats all that matters.
arpadJul 22, 2006
Oh yeah, I encourage everyone to go to this Flash-ridden site and read the expensive but low quality propaganda.Example: The GM EV1 was commercially released in 1996 with an underperforming lead-acid battery...Two years later, the nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) battery, developed by Stanford R. Ovshinsky's Ovonics battery company....Yeah, what was the management of GM thinking? Here they had an opportunity to bet the company on an untried technology that didn't have a manufacturing infrastructure at all, let alone a manufacturing infrastructure capable of supporting automobile manufacture and they didn't.I'm sure the site was approved by all the greenie uber alles types.
sonofagunnJul 22, 2006
Don't blame GM. They only make it because people want to buy it. Consumers have to change before the manufacturers will. Toyota's Sequioa is not exactly a progressive, fuel efficient vehicle either - comparable gas mileage to the Hummer.
beaverfeverJul 22, 2006
As with so many people who talk about their perceived value of hybrid vehicles, Mr. Lutz forgets that money is not the sole measurement of value and efficiency. If that were the sole motivator, everyone would be riding a bus every day, wouldn't they? When vehicles powered by the internal combustion engine were first introduced, the technology was unproven, expensive, and a support infrastructure was not in place, yet efficiency was argued in their favour. Unfortunately the horse industry didn't have a heavily funded lobbying effort in place in Washington to look out for their interests, and so their days were numbered. Those people who have posted comments that hybrid vehicles are only popular as eco/PC-status symbols should perhaps consider that they may be projecting their core motivators onto others, and review why they do the things they do before attempting to explain other peoples' behaviour. For example, one person buying a type of car thinking it will impress their firends or women, or if one person simply judges everyone by the type of car they drive, doesn't mean everyone's vehicles are chosen as status symbols.
civilizationistJul 22, 2006
Ok. Well my point is, make a car with as much power, and you'll have the same MPG, and save on $$ from buying the car, and parts.. Im pretty sure it was a Prius I was driving when I floored off the line and got nowhere. Good for you that you can go 95mph or 60 in 10sec, I think its pretty safe to say that most, if not all modern cars can make at least that.Compare it to other cars..yea its pretty slow, and I drive a four-banger Altima.
cawpinJul 22, 2006
@burty89 - Actually, we are Americans BECAUSE we are "without the British". Thank you, come again.
cawpinJul 22, 2006
@mabhatter - Sorry, no winner for you. The Aveo is rated at 35mpg. My Cobalt is rated at 25 city/34 highway. I get ~28 back and forth to work. I get the 34 with the AC on going up and down mountains here in AZ. The GM cars that I have owned (2003 Cavalier LS, 1996 Geo Metro, yes I know its a Suzuki, 2006 Cobalt LT) have all got at or above their rated milage. I drove from Indiana to Arizona in my Cavalier when I moved. It was 1830 miles. I averaged 36.5mpg. The car was rated at 32mpg highway. Speak from experience next time and you won't be a fool.
nogamiJul 23, 2006
"he quote is "Toyota has said, economically, hybrids make no sense". Mr. Lutz explained that from a technology perspective hybrids make no sense, but in regards to public policy it is important for GM to make hybrids."That's funny, I never read anything about Toyota making that statement. Perhaps you or Mr Lutz could provide a credible source for that?
nogamiJul 23, 2006
"Sales of hybrids are already stalling."The "research" they're quoting is from one of those "research" companies that always have results that tend to support the beliefs of the company that is paying their bills... Funny, that.For a better estimate, ask dealers how long hybrids are sitting on their lot after arrival.
syyykkoJun 3, 2008
It is a known fact that prius batteries outlast peoples tendency to get bored with their car...
syyykkoJun 3, 2008
I pledge Allegiance to the flag of the United States of Toyota......Woohoo
syyykkoJun 3, 2008
GM is set on getting more horsepower and a little more mpg, where as Toyota and Honda get more mpgs and horsepower doesn't matter too much, thats why Toyota has my vote.
syyykkoJun 3, 2008
That is where a ton of people are wrong...A car like the Prius has a higher price not just because of it's fuel economy(although it does get around 55 mpg which rocks) but it has a lot of luxury options and is totally functionally designed...sure I could have save some money in the purchase price, but I am not going to be happy driving a compacted egg on wheels.