Is There a Hybrid Vehicle in Your Future?

They're here! Many auto companies are now offering "hybrids"...i.e., vehicles powered by gasoline and/or electricity. Of course, these vehicles are in no way close to being like your grandfather's wheels! Back in the day, your grandpa and grandma could drive around all day in their full-sized V-8 Coupe de Ginormous, for less than the cost of one gallon of today's gasoline!

Let's see:
Today's average price of gas: $2.80 per gallon
Grandpa & grandma's (estimated) price of gas: 28 CENTS per gallon

That means for $2.80 back then, grandpa and grandma could buy 10 gallons of gas. A big V-8 Coupe de Ginormous probably got only about 10 miles per gallon, so grandpa and grandma could drive about 100 miles on $2.80 worth of gas!

Ok, so what does all this have to do with hybrids, you ask?

Well, I think it is all about the economics. And we are seeing people get more and more frustrated every day, with ever increasing gas prices. Indeed, people are spearheading grassroots movements to boycott gas buying, or boycott driving, in attempts to drive down costs by conserving the supply.

Many people are buying these hybrid vehicles, too. Some states offer tax incentives on hybrid vehicle purchases to encourage more buyers to choose hybrids, thereby helping to reduce energy consumption and thus greenhouse gases.

What I am continually amazed at is the apparent ignorance of American auto buyers, as well as the audacity of our auto makers over the past 30 years or so.

Back in the 1970's gas-shortage (so-called), auto manufacturers were forced to downsize their gas-guzzling behemoths that were so very popular in earlier times (like that V-8 Coupe de Ginormous) when gas cost that 28 cents per gallon or even less.

Along with the gas-shortage came frequent and strong reminders that energy consumption was out of control, and the world would one day suffer if we did not do everything in our power to begin conserving. No longer should Americans keep burning up all the worlds' gasoline driving around in 2-3 tons of those typical Ginormous boats of the era.

Auto makers began making mini-cars; practically every car maker had at least one mini-sized vehicle in the lineup, and ALL cars were mandated to meet new Federal fuel economy guidelines as well.

After the 1970's gas-shortage was more-or-less forgotten by most Americans, auto makers once again came out with the big stuff. Now, the thing to have in your driveway became the Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV), some of which were all wheel drive power houses that could move mountains!

Did the auto makers hear any of the same messages about energy conservation that consumers were fed? Did the auto makers do their part to discourage energy waste by promoting their new breed of American symbolism? Did the auto makers care then about fuel economy? I really think not.

Instead, the auto makers made the new breed of vehicles huge, so they could fit them into a class of vehicle with less stringent fuel economy regulations. And, they sold millions of them! Because we bought them! Because we forgot about the gas-shortage and all those pleas for all of us to conserve, I guess!

Then, all of a sudden the world starts needing more gas and oil, prices skyrocket, SUV's and gas-guzzlers once again become white-elephants people are sorry they're saddled with, and a new generation of mini-vehicles once again emerges, now including the hybrids! The small, fuel efficient, comfortable, and otherwise like-any-other-vehicle is slowly beginning to become mainstream.

These vehicles can provide answers to both the misers' desire to save all their nickels and dimes, and the status-seekers' wishes to show the rest of the world he/she is doing their part to save energy, and, of course, the world, because burning all those fossil fuels we were burning up back in the 80's is now becoming a worldwide issue surrounding global warming and climate change and all that goes along with that!

So, while I think I am convinced that the hybrids are here to stay, it might be that only the poorer folks, the "nerds", and the die-hard environmental altruists will truly appreciate and actually own them. Those with the means to pay any price for the status-quo (i.e., gasoline) may still drive their big guzzler machines. After all, with the average Jane and Joe Public be-bopping around in their small cars so they can save money for the rent, mortgage or food, that leaves that much more gas available to those who can afford to buy it.

I would suspect there is a significant level of pressure from Big Oil for automakers not to become too excited yet about hybrids. After all, they still want to earn their mega-profits, and if supply begins to get too plentiful from too many hybrids being sold and therefore less gas being purchased, Big Oil's business will obviously fall.

So, I don't expect hybrids to very quickly replace traditional vehicles, but I do expect we cannot go backward (i.e., discontinue producing and/or improving upon them) now that the technology has begun to prove itself as a successful alternative.

If we see auto makers start pushing the big stuff again, I hope we all have learned enough from our past experiences to resist the pressures of the Madison Avenue ad writers who may try to sell them to us next time!