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Available Models
Hybrids have come a long way since the first Honda Insight appeared in 1999. Back then, being a free-range, tofu-munching driver just meant that you had to sacrifice a few things. Like looks, comfort, and luggage space. Not to mention a quiet ride, feeling of safety on the road, and — oh yes — room for more than one passenger. Then along came the Prius, a normal-sized, four-door sedan that looked and drove like a real car.
Now, there are no fewer than eight true hybrid vehicles on the market, including popular sedans like the Prius, Accord and Civic, and SUVs like the Ford Escape, Toyota Highlander and Lexus RX 400h. Many more will be coming to market in the coming months: Nissan will introduce an Altima that uses Toyota's technology; Toyota itself will produce a hybrid Camry; and Kia and Hyundai will produce hybrid versions of the Rio and Accent, respectively, using their own technologies. Between 2007 and 2009, hybrid versions of the Toyota Sienna minivan, Dodge Durango, Mazda Tribute and Porsche Cayenne SUVs, and Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan sedans are expected to come to market, and Volkswagen is thinking about a hybrid Jetta. We may even see diesel electric hybrids once the new, cleaner diesel engines arrive later this decade.
Pseudo-Hybrids
We should mention two vehicles now being peddled as hybrids that really aren't: the GMC Sierra and Chevrolet Silverado pickup trucks. These trucks are powered by the same 5.3-liter V-8 engine that comes under the hood of the conventional truck, without any assist from an electric motor whatsoever. Why does GM call them hybrids, then? Because the engines shut-off at idle, and because an electric motor runs things like the power steering and air conditioning to take a little of the burden off the engine. That helps the trucks get an additional 1 to 2 miles per gallon — it's something, but not exactly save-the-planet material.
The other thing about the GM pickups is that they aren't being sold everywhere. If you're a resident of in Alaska, California, Florida, Nevada, Oregon or Washington, you can buy one. If not, tough luck. These pickups will be joined by a Chevy Malibu sedan and Chevy Equinox and Tahoe SUVs in 2007.
Yet another hybrid design is in the works. GM has developed a system that uses a combination motor/generator hung off the side of the engine. The electric motor can supply torque back to the gasoline engine, improving mileage by as much as 20 percent, although it can't power the vehicle on its own. Regenerative braking and shut-off at idle are also part of the package. Expect to see cars with this system appearing in the 2007 model year. While it's less sophisticated than the Honda and Toyota systems, it also promises to be less costly to build — and perhaps to fix.
Dinero — and Tucking It to Uncle Sam
All of this brings us to the issue of money. The catch with hybrids now is that they will only pay for themselves, for the average driver, if the price of gasoline stays around $3 a gallon or more. The Civic Hybrid, for example, costs $4,000 more than its non-hybrid counterpart. With the average price of gasoline at about $3.00, that's the equivalent of 1,600 gallons of gas — putting the break-even point at, very roughly speaking, 200,000 miles.
Many of you can lower that break-even point with tax breaks. There are tax advantages to owning a hybrid, but they vary widely, depending on the vehicle and the state you live in. Currently, the federal government provides a one-time income tax credit ranging from $650 for an Accord Hybrid to $2,600 for a two-wheel-drive Escape Hybrid, but the credits will be phased out as each manufacturer (Ford, Toyota, and so forth) reaches sales of 60,000 — the idea is to help get hybrids onto the nation's roads, not to provide every hybrid buyer with a tax break. Once 60,000 sales are rung up, a one-year phase-out will begin with the next calendar quarter; half the credit will be offered for the first two quarters, and a fourth of the credit in the final two quarters.
At the state and local levels, there's a confounding mess of deductions and exemptions, including legislation that welcomes hybrids in high-occupancy-vehicle, or HOV, lanes. It's all too much to go into here; check out the Environmental Protection Agency's Fuel Economy web site to find out what's up in your neck of the woods.
The Future
Well, in the near future, expect more and more hybrid models to choose from at your dealer's lot. And a market for used hybrids should be appearing soon. What lies in the more distant future for hybrids? Turns out, automakers are tinkering with all sorts of combinations. Opel, GM's branch in Germany, has built a concept hybrid that uses a clean-burning, direct-injection, gasoline engine, which promises an additional 20-percent increase in efficiency, and a commensurate reduction in emissions.
Meanwhile, those clever Swedes over at Saab have shown the world the first hybrid that can burn ethanol, or grain alcohol, promising a 75-percent decrease over the carbon-dioxide emissions of the Prius — and the ability to fill up at any frat party.
The big question is whether the price premium for hybrids will shrink as they sell in larger numbers. And whether other technologies will offer similar mileage and cleanliness at lower prices. Even right now, you can get a normal Honda Civic that gets almost 40 mpg on the highway. And it costs several thousand dollars less than the hybrid version of the same exact car. That's not bad. Then there are diesels. While not as clean as a gasoline engine, the diesel VW Jetta gets over 40 mpg on the highway, too. For people who want to do their part, without spending an extra couple of thou, cars like these are providing serious competition to hybrids, without the Ed Begley glamour.
Car Talk Hybrid Test Drive Notes
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