Hybrid car fuel cost savings calculator

[eelw]

Originally posted by: CPA

Couple of minor points:

1) The tax deduction (not tax savings) is $2000 for 2005 and only $500 for 2006. the actual tax savings will be quit a bit less, but based on tax rates could be anywhere from $0-600.

True, in the US, it's a $2000 federal deduction. How much money saved ends up to be far lower. But here in Canada, in Ontario and BC, it's a $1000 tax credit for a hybrid purchase.

2) I hardly believe that one vehicle emits millions of tons of emissions a year. So your comparison is off.

I'm more referring to the lifetime of the car, not an annually.

 

[tennisflip]

This calculator determines environmental impact in addition to gas savings.

 

[RaDragon]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
So you save gas but have another 60 months of car payments. Sounds like a good plan to me.

Yup. Exactly. My sis is deciding whether or not to get a hybrid or a luxury compact SUV. She chose the SUV.

 

[StageLeft]

I don't care what the media says. I've done the math myself, as have automotive journalists. These cars are not good bang-for-buck purchases. It's simple math. You're only paying to help the environment, have the wow factor, or appease your ignorance. They are not cost-effective.

 

[FoBoT]

*edit* n/m

guess it died after i clicked reply button

 

[FreshPrince]

Originally posted by: FoBoT

*edit* n/m

guess it died after i clicked reply button

LOL! m0000000000000000000


btw, if you happen to own an Enzo and decides to trade it in for a civic hybrid...you'd save about $2.5K per year

 

[cavemanmoron]

Originally posted by: halik
figure in the cost of the car...

 

[MisterCornell]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
I don't care what the media says. I've done the math myself, as have automotive journalists. These cars are not good bang-for-buck purchases. It's simple math. You're only paying to help the environment, have the wow factor, or appease your ignorance. They are not cost-effective.

I'm with Skoorb.

 

[tennisflip]

Originally posted by: eelw
I'm sick of these comments about you won't save enough money on gas to justify the cost of a Hybrid vehicle. Yes, you spend like $5000 more over a comparable no hybrid vehicle. But you get a fully loaded car with all hybrids. You get tax savings. You have a less strict schedule maintenance schedule. You get the tech/geek WOW factor. You get help the environment. On a negative, we unfortunately don't know the long term impact of the battery disposals. But the 100 pounds worth of battery vs millions of tons of toxins released into the environment seem a fair compremise. And you can't forgot the time saved spent filling gas. Instead of daily or once a week, you only need to fill gas once a month.

So with everything said and done, you will break even a lot sooner than what the media portrays with the premium on hybrid vehicles.

The batteries are recyclable...

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: eelw
I'm sick of these comments about you won't save enough money on gas to justify the cost of a Hybrid vehicle. Yes, you spend like $5000 more over a comparable no hybrid vehicle. But you get a fully loaded car with all hybrids. You get tax savings. You have a less strict schedule maintenance schedule. You get the tech/geek WOW factor. You get help the environment. On a negative, we unfortunately don't know the long term impact of the battery disposals. But the 100 pounds worth of battery vs millions of tons of toxins released into the environment seem a fair compremise. And you can't forgot the time saved spent filling gas. Instead of daily or once a week, you only need to fill gas once a month.

So with everything said and done, you will break even a lot sooner than what the media portrays with the premium on hybrid vehicles.

And as more and more hybrid vehicles are developed and sold the costs will go down.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: tennisflip

The batteries are recyclable...

Awesome! :thumbsup:

 

[Ophir]

Originally posted by: eelw

Originally posted by: CPA
2) I hardly believe that one vehicle emits millions of tons of emissions a year. So your comparison is off.

I'm more referring to the lifetime of the car, not an annually.

You're an idiot. Do you have any idea how much a million tons of GASEOUS emissions is? For reference, the ENTIRE US produced 1,460 million tons of gaseous carbon in 1998 (Source).

Please bother to remotely know what you're talking about before you open your mouth.

 

[FoBoT]

^^^ volcanos and cow farts ^^^

 

[DrPizza]

Originally posted by: notfred

Originally posted by: CaptainGoodnight
That doesn't include the electric bill, which is already bad enough durning the summer.

Note: Electricity is NOT an energy source.

Better to be thought an idiot than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.

Are you implying he was wrong?

I think he's referring to power generation. If you're charging batteries via a connection to household current, the "electricity" coming from the house is not the energy "source." The source is the plant burning coal a couple hundred miles away which is spewing toxins into the environment so your car won't have to. Of course, there are losses in transmission of the electricity from coal or oil burning plant to your house. Plus, those plants are far from 100% efficient.

 

[43st]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
I don't care what the media says. I've done the math myself, as have automotive journalists. These cars are not good bang-for-buck purchases. It's simple math. You're only paying to help the environment, have the wow factor, or appease your ignorance. They are not cost-effective.

Aren't automotive journalists the media?

The way I see it... We all have an impact on our environment and each other. Some folks choose to impact it less, some choose to impact it more, most are somewhere in the middle. Nothing is wrong with the extreme "less" crowd as they're not over consuming resources. The extreme "more" crowd on the other hand is, and that is reprehensible in a world of finite resources. It's incorrect to call someone who consumes less ignorant. The world is full of things that are beyond the value of currency... it's a shame ridicule is aimed at those who value those things.

 

[piasabird]

How long will the batteries last and how much does it cost to replace them?

 

[psteng19]

w00t!
I save a whopping $64/year @ 12000 highway miles with the Prius!
Most other cars, I actually lose money (except Civic and Insight).
Makes me wanna buy a hybrid... NEVER!

 

[SuperTool]

Hybrids are a scam.
Maybe a bus or a huge SUV will save enough fuel to pay for the hybrid's price. But an already economical car, not likely.

 

[mchammer187]

it is never good financially to replace a perfectly good car especially a 2000 camry with a hybrid

the only reasonalbe thing would be if you are considering another new car vs. a hybrid

I personally don't get excited paying 30K to "save" $500 a year (ie 1 month of car payments)

 

[desk]

Originally posted by: SuperTool
Hybrids are a scam.
Maybe a bus or a huge SUV will save enough fuel to pay for the hybrid's price. But an already economical car, not likely.

thats not true. just like any new technology, hybrid equipment is still very expensive. as the mass production effect kicks in, the costs will be reduced significantly.

 

[eelw]

Originally posted by: piasabird
How long will the batteries last and how much does it cost to replace them?

Warranty on the hybrid portion of the car is 8 year/80,000 miles. So it's a moot point to look at current costs to replace the batteries.

 

[Evadman]

Supposidly I would save 3,496 by going to the insight.

 

[SuperTool]

Originally posted by: desk

Originally posted by: SuperTool
Hybrids are a scam.
Maybe a bus or a huge SUV will save enough fuel to pay for the hybrid's price. But an already economical car, not likely.

thats not true. just like any new technology, hybrid equipment is still very expensive. as the mass production effect kicks in, the costs will be reduced significantly.

Not holding my breath. Batteries are expensive, and will continue to be expensive. You can amortize the R&D cost, but manufacturing and raw materials cost won't be going away.

 

[JasonK]

Dont people get to drive in the HOV/Carpool lane on the freeway by yourself with a hybrid too?

 

[LTC8K6]

Are you implying he was wrong?

I think he's referring to power generation. If you're charging batteries via a connection to household current, the "electricity" coming from the house is not the energy "source." The source is the plant burning coal a couple hundred miles away which is spewing toxins into the environment so your car won't have to. Of course, there are losses in transmission of the electricity from coal or oil burning plant to your house. Plus, those plants are far from 100% efficient.

How many times do we have to say that you don't plug in a hybrid????

The gasoline engine recharges the battery via a generator. There is also some recharging through regenerative braking.