This post is part of a series of articles intended to address some of the popular methods DieselEarth readers have suggested to address the rising costs of driving on petroleum-based fuels.
Gas prices are sky high (over $3 in Texas for regular). So how is this affecting peoples’ driving habits? Some of the DieselEarth readers have written in with their plans to combat high gas prices, and I’d like to address some of the more popular answers:
Change Your Driving Habits – Hybrid vehicles
Some readers have written in to let me know that they intend to buy a hybrid vehicle, something powered by a combination of electricity and petroleum, to alleviate the effect of high gas prices on their budgets. The problem with this idea is that hybrid vehicles are at best a push when it comes to saving money on transportation. The average cost of a hybrid vehicle is higher by $2500-$3000 with regard to initial purchase price, they’re subject possible costly repairs, and they don’t offer the fuel economy that most drivers expect when making the switch*.
The reason for this is simply that the technology is too new. As in most new model cars, Detroit is often quick to rush them to market to meet consumer demands. First year models have quirks that will be worked out only as the vehicle is road tested by millions of drivers and the problems are addressed one by one in preceding model years. It’s likely that hybrid cars will someday break through the barrier and become a true alternative means of transport, but today is not the day.
*Edumunds.com The Real Cost of Owning a Hybrid
More from this series on Changing Your Driving Habits.