Increased Fuel Economy Sought
I see no point in making more gas efficient cars if they are going to cost more to own. What is the point of saving money on gas if that money saved just goes towards purchasing the car in the first place? Either the $1500 goes towards gas in a cheaper, perhaps less efficient car, or it goes towards a more expensive, gas efficient car. In the long run, the $1500 is spent on the car, regardless of how.
11 comments:
Reducing pollution is part of the reasons for making the car more fuel efficient. Although this can be achieved on cars that use more gas (catalytic converters for example) it is easier to reduce emissions when the car does not burn as much gasoline. So that is one reason to make cars that are more fuel efficient. I am not saying that you should go out and buy one now, but the new hybrid cars (eg. Toyota Prius and Honda Civic Hybrid) seem to be a good way to go to increase fuel economy. At this point they are still more expensive than just straight gasoline powered cars, but I believe that if given some time the technology might be good enough to bring their prices down enough to be competitive. I do believe that the idea of having nmore fuel efficient automobiles but the methods have to be checked as was discussed in class.
It is true that a fuel efficient car would cost more, but since you would be getting better gas milage; you'd be saving money on gas. Although it would probably take a while for the money saved on gas to equal the extra money spent on the new car. I think it'd be worth it to increase the standards, it's going to have to be done sometime with fuel being a limited resource.
Well, I think that the fuel savings for the higher efficiency cars more than makes up for the added cost of the car, but only for some people. The Honda Civic hybrid claims to get 51 mpg, however, independent tests have shown that it will only get about 40 mpg which is what I will use for comparison. Now assuming the price of gasoline stays around $1.75 average over the life of the vehicle, and I'll use 5,000 miles driven in a year, then the average cost per year for a car that gets 28 mpg (the efficiency that car companies are forced by the government to maintain) is $310. The hybrid at 40 mpg would cost $220, which is a savings of $90. At that rate it would take 16 years to recover the extra cost of $1500. If you drive 7,500 miles, it would take 11 years. If you drive 10,000 miles, it would take 8 years. If you drive 12,500 miles, it would take 6.5 years. I think you see my point. The more miles you drive in a year, the faster you regain the extra cost. If you know you won't drive more than around 7,500 miles a year then the higher mileage isn't worth it. However, if you drive 10,000 miles or more, it would take very little time to recover that cost in fuel savings.
I think that these are all good points. I also thought a lot about this topic after we discussed it in class a little. I don't think that more fuel efficient cars are needed for the same reasons as this post, but also because of the fact that more people are dying. To make these cars fuel efficient, we are making them lighter, and when involved in an accident, your survival rate goes down. I do not think that we need any more cars that are fuel efficient. Instead, work on making a stronger material that is just as light.
I agree with the person above. As important as saving money is to all of us safety should be a more important issue. With gas as expensive as it has been latley, we are going to pay alot of money for gas anyways so we should just start worrying about the more important things.
I think another factor to consider when looking at these new hybrid cars is the technology and parts involved with their maintenance, the more intricate the moving parts the more likely they are to fail. Although I do not know much about the engine systems utilized in the new designs, I am certain it would have unintended effects when it comes to the repair of said vehicles, including requiring different training or perhaps more specialized workers. All of these factors could potentially tack more on to the price tag than expected.
Just because a car may cost a little more to purchase does not mean that in the long run you will not save money. The average person keeps their automobile for several years, if not longer. If you as a consumer spend a little extra on a hybrid that is not only going to save you money on gas, but help keep our planet a little bit cleaner then whats the harm? You will surely see the extra money saved on gas a few years down the road. It may not be an immediate change, but it is one that people need to be willing to make.
As stated earlier here, the additional cost of a hybrid WILL indeed pay for itself. However I disagree with the time it would take. If you look on www.honda.com and compare the base civic and the civic hybrid the difference in cost is not just $1,500, it is closer to $4,500, this is with the two similarly equipped. At 5,000 mpy (miles per year) it will take 48 years (not 16), at 7,500 mpy it takes 33 years (not 11), at 10,000 mpy 24 years (not 8) are required, and at 12,500 mpy it takes 19.5 years (not 6.5). Who keeps a car for 20 years? Seriously, come on now, and that’s at 12,500 mpy.
Don't get me wrong - I am 100 percent for more gas efficient cars. Too many cars available now are destroying our environment. I just think it is ridiculous to buy a gas efficient car as a way to save money - you just pay more upfront and less in the future.
I think spending a little extra money on a Hybrid or something like that is a good thing. Especially if you plan on keeping it for a long period of time, eventually that money not spent on gas will add up. I guess it would depend on how much you would drive it also, if you are a college student and the car would not move for days at a time, there would be no sense in getting a Hybrid. If you were a Pharm. Sales Rep. or something like that, a Hybrid would be great. If for no other reason, I've seen facts that Hybrids are actually better for the environment, that alone would make me want to get one.
The extra cost that kate is argueing about, she needs to remember a little term called sunken cost. yes you will be initial paying more for the car, however, you also have to remember that their is a tax rebate of up to 2000, so that cancels out the fact that the car is more expensive as well.
one also needs to remember that the technology is new and once automakers can find the most effiencet way to produce them in larger quantities and the number of people requesting them grows. This will lead to the price of the hybrid becoming equal to a regular car price.
one just needs to wait for the markert to adjust itself.
Post a Comment