Alternative Vehicle Trends as Gas Prices Rise
By Melissa Bartell, Carseek.com

The next time you're on the road or in a parking lot, take a look around. What do you see? Despite the fact that gasoline prices are once again hovering near the $3.00/gallon mark, and our climate seems to be changing more rapidly than most of us can utter the phrase “global warming,” chances are that you don't see a disproportionate number of hybrid cars flitting in and out between monster trucks and SUVs large enough to have their own zip codes.

Still, reports are that more hybrids were sold in 2006 than in 2005, and fuel efficiency, while a factor, isn't the only reason. Let's look at some of the main criteria when choosing a hybrid car:

• Fuel Efficiency. It's not the only factor, but it is the most celebrated. Why suffer in an heavy truck or SUV that gets only 15 miles to the gallon when Toyota is reporting fuel efficiency of 55 mpg for the 2007 Prius?
• Fewer Emissions. Generally speaking, hybrid vehicles produce fewer emissions than regular cars There are actually three classes of emissions ratings ILEV (which is a Federal designation that stands for “inherently low emission vehicle” and applies to electric-only cars) and ULEV and SULEV (“ultra-low” and “super-ultra low emission vehicle,” respectively) which are specific to California but used in some northeastern states, as well. ULEV cars get that “50% cleaner” designation, while SULEV cars produce only about 1% of the pollution of regular cars produced prior to the year 2000, and generally incorporate advanced technology or the ability to use alternative fuels. A fourth designation has been added, which, again is aimed at the California market and it's push for zero-emission vehicles: AT-PZEV, or “advanced technology, partial zero emission vehicles.” Toyota boasts that their Prius meets this standard, while Honda includes special filters to make their hybrid cars meet it in select markets, but would generally be classed as SULEVs otherwise.
• Tax Credits. Purchasing certain hybrid vehicles qualifies some people for a tax credit of up to $3500, but it should be known that this credit only applies to a certain number of government-approved vehicles from each dealer, and once the dealer has sold more than that number, the credit significantly drops – the threshold is around 60,000 cars sold in a single year.

Obviously there are excellent reasons for consumers to consider the purchase of a hybrid vehicle, but is a hybrid always the best choice? Not necessarily. Here's why:

• Got Speed? While most hybrid's can manage a respectable 0 to 60 in about 11 seconds, if you really like to push speed such a car might not be the one for you. Hybrids work by feeding power back into the system when the brakes are applied, after all.
• Home or Highway? Hybrids are most efficient when the brakes are used on and off – there's even a driving technique called “feathering” that helps maximize your mileage while driving one – so if you do long stretches of freeway driving, again, you might not want a hybrid, especially since regular cars generally offer more power and greater torque.
• Maintenance Ease. Does your local mechanic even touch hybrids? Do you live close enough to the dealer, or a mechanic who can work on your car? This is an important issue to consider, as most auto shops NOT affiliated with dealers don't yet have the technology or expertise to fix such cars.

Hybrids, therefore, as attractive as they are, may not be the best choice. So who is buying them, and why? Not surprisingly, California with its higher standard of emissions requirements, and larger than average population of idealists and activists, is one of the biggest markets, followed closely by cities like Washington, D.C., Boston, and New York. However, as more and more scientists talk about “peak oil” and “sustainable mobility” pundits think the trend of buying hybrids will continue to expand and grow.

What do those terms mean? Well, “peak oil” is the idea that we are approaching the time on earth when we will reach the highest amount of available crude oil, and that after this peak, oil supplies will start to dwindle rather than increase. Many authorities say this will happen by the year 2021, but 2015, and even 2010 have been mentioned as well. As this happens, it's likely – and even necessary – that we as consumers will turn to hybrid vehicles and alternative fuels. Already, there are cars and trucks that use a different sort of “hybrid” technology, allowing them to use E85 – fuel up to 85% ethanol – instead of “regular” gas, and cars that can use synthetic motor oil have been standard for years.

“Sustainable mobility” is the term used when talking about “green” driving – cars that not only don't pollute the atmosphere, but also generate their own power. Today's hybrid's already do this in part, with their regenerative braking systems (braking returning power to the engine), but plug-in electric vehicles do this as well, using far less power than even a regular hybrid. Think of it as the automotive equivalent of sustainable food.

Does this mean we're all going to be driving hybrids in three years? Maybe not quite that soon, but with Toyota projecting 150,000 Toyota Prius sales by the end of 2007, as well as offering hybrid versions of their Highlander, with Honda pushing their hybrid Accord and Civic, and even Ford selling hybrid Mariners, the buying trend that started as a fad is fast becoming the norm.

By Melissa Bartell, Carseek.com

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