CHRIS SEGAL
Perspectives Editor
Forget road rage on the 405 freeway. My blood begins to boil when the gas gauge nears empty. For many Southern California residents, hybrid vehicles are becoming a promising alternative.
According to a financial report on Illinois-based Pantagraph.com, sales of Honda’s three hybrids — the Insight, Accord Hybrid and Civic Hybrid — increased 240 percent from July to August, with 6,700 units sold in the final month. These vehicles are about more than saving gas. They’re used to make fashion statements. Just look at the popular Toyota Prius, which claims ownership by Hollywood icons such as actor Billy Crystal and television director Perry Lang, according to the Detroit News.
It can be more expensive to operate a hybrid vehicle, even with the tax breaks some states like California offer to owners. With average annual mileage, it would take years of hybrid ownership to offset the extra cost.
Hybrids operate on a gas-powered engine supplemented by a battery. The cars don’t need to be plugged into a power outlet because the batteries are charged whenever the driver applies the brakes.
“Hybrids cost about $4,000 to $5,000 more to make (and buy),” said David Cole, chairman for the Ann Arbor, Mich.-based Center for Automotive Research, in an interview last week with pantagraph.com. “All the technology is great. That’s not a problem — it’s all a matter of economics. If hybrids were the same cost as gasoline engines, it would be a no-brainer. But that extra $4,000 to $5,000, even with $3 a gallon gas — as a driver, you may never recover that.”
Owning a 2005 Ford Escape Hybrid, for example, would require gasoline to cost $5.60 a gallon for a driver to bridge the gap over the gas-powered Escape XLT AWD, according to a recent article in Kiplinger’s magazine. The article also finds that for a Prius driver to save money over the comparable Toyota Corolla, gas would have to cost $10.10 a gallon.
Having a hybrid SUV is an oxymoron. Anyone who cares about getting the best fuel economy would never buy an SUV in the first place. The Ford Escape hybrid gets 36 miles per gallon in the city and 31 on the highway, so it’s most efficient when driven very slowly in a congested city.
Without spending thousands on a hybrid, there are some simple ways to increase your car’s fuel efficiency. First, don’t accelerate quickly unless it’s absolutely necessary. When a light up ahead turns red, even if it’s a quarter-mile away, get off the gas right away and coast up to it.
Also, ensure that your vehicle’s tires are properly inflated and the engine gets serviced regularly. Make sure there’s minimal cargo, too.
Another way to keep your wallet full is to avoid using the air conditioner when driving under 40 miles per hour. Roll down the windows, but be aware that at higher speeds this increases the vehicle’s wind resistance and makes air conditioning the lesser evil.
Another major concern with owning a hybrid vehicle is passenger safety. Although the cars usually include a full bevy of modern safety features, the battery systems — which use between 114 and 650 volts of electricity, depending on the model — create significant electrocution risk for firefighters and police officers to rescue trapped occupants, according to an article in the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel. In comparison, gasoline-powered cars have a 12-volt battery. Though some stations are training their firefighters to deal with these factors, the increased risk means that emergency workers may not reach you as quickly.
If you want to make an environmental statement, buy a hybrid. Just remember, it’s probably not going to save money in the end.
I’ll remain cursing the gas pumps, but that extra $4,000 premium I saved by not buying a hybrid is going to afford enough fuel to drive up and down these Pepperdine hills for quite some time.
09-22-2005
