Questions for Hybrid Car Owners

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: CRXican
I don't want to calculate anything. I'm a Journalism major because I don't do math.

If that's your approach you have an uphill battle in life. You did take math in school, so I know you have the basic math skills to calculate costs of gasoline, depreciation, etc. if you find the numbers to start with. I suspect also that it will be a problem for writing meaningful pieces in the future if you can't properly understand the numbers that you're conveying to your readers.

 

[CRXican]

Originally posted by: Skoorb

Originally posted by: CRXican
I don't want to calculate anything. I'm a Journalism major because I don't do math.

If that's your approach you have an uphill battle in life. You did take math in school, so I know you have the basic math skills to calculate costs of gasoline, depreciation, etc. if you find the numbers to start with. I suspect also that it will be a problem for writing meaningful pieces in the future if you can't properly understand the numbers that you're conveying to your readers.

No I'll be fine. Thanks for preaching about my life.

 

[Goosemaster]

Basically, the yare designed for city stop-and-go traffic, unlike efficient disels which can rack up MASSIVE MPG ratings on the highway.

I would ask them: Do have any idea wtf you bought and what it does best?!

 

[eelw]

Originally posted by: Scarpozzi
Battery costs and maintenance costs drive the price of Hybrids up. They don't last as long as the traditional gas-powered cars simply because of the battery replacements, special parts, electric motor rebuilds that are inevitable....etc...

WRONG!!!!!

8 year/80,000 mile warranty on the hybrid system

Hybrid cars have a less severe schedule maintenance. Average car has recommend maintenance at 5,000 miles, hybrids are at every 10,000 mile interval.

Originally posted by: irwincur
Ask them if they mind being surrounded by high voltage wires that the FD will not cut through to save your life in the event of an accident. In short, a major accident means you sit in the car and bleed to death because no one is going to take the Jaw of Life to a hybrid car.

Also ask them how much replacing the batteries will cost five years down the road. Also, where are the eco-friendly morons going to dispose of them?

More stupid media misinformation. The 4 gauge cables that connect the batteries to the engine are bright orange and run UNDER the car, NOT along the doors.

 

[desk]

you could ask them if they notice a difference between a conventional drivetrain and a hybrid system.

more specifically: is there a difference in throttle response, braking, or NVH?

 

[vi edit]

Originally posted by: Goosemaster
Basically, the yare designed for city stop-and-go traffic, unlike efficient disels which can rack up MASSIVE MPG ratings on the highway.

I would ask them: Do have any idea wtf you bought and what it does best?!

Good to see somebody understands the habitat that hybrids flourish in. These aren't vehicles that you buy to get you good highway milage.

They are designed to yield 50%-100% better in town milage than their ICE equivalents.

The hybrid escapes and hybrid highlanders get double their in town milage figures. If you are doing most of your driving in town, they are an excellent alternative. Plus they have the added "environmental" aspect of being very low, to non-existant emission vehicles.

As for the comments on performance, in stop and go when the electric is kicking in, electric motors put out torque numbers that diesel engines would be envious of. And again, you are in stop and go traffic. You don't need oodles of horspower at your disposal.

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: CRXican

Originally posted by: Skoorb

Originally posted by: CRXican
I don't want to calculate anything. I'm a Journalism major because I don't do math.

If that's your approach you have an uphill battle in life. You did take math in school, so I know you have the basic math skills to calculate costs of gasoline, depreciation, etc. if you find the numbers to start with. I suspect also that it will be a problem for writing meaningful pieces in the future if you can't properly understand the numbers that you're conveying to your readers.

No I'll be fine. Thanks for preaching about my life.

Golly you're in a rotten mood today. Candidly you're going to make a pretty crappy journalism major if you can't even come up with basics or do all of 4 minutes of researching on google.

 

[dcdude]

Ask them if they took in to account that a VW Golf gets 45 mpg and is cheaper than a Hybrid

proceed to film their suicide

 

[CRXican]

Originally posted by: Skoorb

Originally posted by: CRXican

Originally posted by: Skoorb

Originally posted by: CRXican
I don't want to calculate anything. I'm a Journalism major because I don't do math.

If that's your approach you have an uphill battle in life. You did take math in school, so I know you have the basic math skills to calculate costs of gasoline, depreciation, etc. if you find the numbers to start with. I suspect also that it will be a problem for writing meaningful pieces in the future if you can't properly understand the numbers that you're conveying to your readers.

No I'll be fine. Thanks for preaching about my life.

Golly you're in a rotten mood today. Candidly you're going to make a pretty crappy journalism major if you can't even come up with basics or do all of 4 minutes of researching on google.

Finals next week and a story to write by next Thursday = crappy mood. This Hybrid idea was just the first thing I thought of so I was looking for a jumping off point and thought I'd see if there was anything people really wanted to ask those that actually spend the money on hybrid cars.

If I do choose this as my story topic I will get the research done and interview come owners (couple of them at work actually) and talk to car dealers and such.

The most important thing I need to find out first is if sales have actually increased as a result of increasing gas prices. If not, I have no story.

 

[StageLeft]

 

[vi edit]

Originally posted by: dcdude
Ask them if they took in to account that a VW Golf gets 45 mpg and is cheaper than a Hybrid

proceed to film their suicide

Not if you are in California where the diesel VW's aren't available.

 

[Pliablemoose]

1.) Ask them if they feel the Hollywood actors & actresses that show up with these things are idiots for driving them up to a home(s) that uses 1000X the energy that an ordinary home does are complete assholes, or if they feel the private jets that use more fuel in one trip than some people use in their lifetime are hypocritical...

2.) Ask if they plan on keeping the car long enough to replace the battery packs and how much they'll cost.

3.) Ask if they know how the battery packs will be recycled.

4.) Ask them how much their local dealership charges per hour to work on their car, because independent mechanics aren't going to be up to speed for a long time.

5.) Ask them if they've made sure the local dealership has a trained technician to work on their hybrid.

6.) Ask them if they took out a loan on their car & what the intrest rate is, then subtract the interest from the anticipated fuel savings.

7.) Ask them if they feel frightened when driving on the interstate in a relatively small car, particularly Honda Insight owners...

8.) Ask them if if they paid over the Monroney price for their car.

 

[irwincur]

More stupid media misinformation. The 4 gauge cables that connect the batteries to the engine are bright orange and run UNDER the car, NOT along the doors.

That's odd. I wonder why my firefighter friends have been trained to NOT attempt an extraction from a badly damaged hybrid.

 

[Remnant2]

Ok, lets be reasonable here.. Hybrids are certainly not the be-all end all, but alot of the dumping on them thats going on in this thread is absurd. You aren't going to buy one for the sticker savings, that's for sure. If the price of gas continues an upward climb, they will start to become an ideal city-driving vehicle, although as noted elsewhere the benefits on the highway are much less.

Mostly, I would imagine that most people bought their hybrids because they like the idea of having an efficient car, for all of the benefits that brings (low emissions, high MPG, etc). Not necessarily for the non-existant overall savings. Hybrids are definitely alot more complicated than just an ICE. I wouldn't buy one today, but if we haven't come out with anything better in 6-8 years, I wouldn't be surprised to find myself buying one. Most of my driving is in stop-and-go traffic (grrr).

 

[eelw]

Originally posted by: irwincur

More stupid media misinformation. The 4 gauge cables that connect the batteries to the engine are bright orange and run UNDER the car, NOT along the doors.

That's odd. I wonder why my firefighter friends have been trained to NOT attempt an extraction from a badly damaged hybrid.

That is a scary thought in that incorrect information is given in these training courses. Think logically, how the hell can you run 4 gauge wires along the door frames!!!!!

 

[desk]

Originally posted by: irwincur

More stupid media misinformation. The 4 gauge cables that connect the batteries to the engine are bright orange and run UNDER the car, NOT along the doors.

That's odd. I wonder why my firefighter friends have been trained to NOT attempt an extraction from a badly damaged hybrid.

its too bad that they are being trained that way. there are several redundant high voltage cutoffs in the event of a crash. so the only part they really need to worry about cutting into would be the high voltage battery.

 

[tennisflip]

Wow, so much hate for hybrids here. I'd ask them what car they are replacing and whether or not their hybrid has lived up to expectations. Ask them what kind of response they get from thier fellow drivers... do they get a thumbs up or responses like the ones you see in this thread.

 

[eelw]

Originally posted by: tennisflip
Wow, so much hate for hybrids here.

Dare I say *cough* ignorance *cough* instead.

Yes, I know hybrid vehicles have their niche market, but as if we need half of the market full of large gas guzzling SUVs.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: CRXican

Originally posted by: radioouman

Originally posted by: CRXican

Originally posted by: Skoorb
What was the primary reason you bought it? If they say money ask them if they've done the math and if so how did they come up with different numbers than most everybody else, who's run them and noted that a hybrid is a poor choice from a money perspective?

do you have links to that info that says hybrids are a poor choice?

You might want to calculate it for yourself.

Try 1500 miles per month as a starting point.

I don't want to calculate anything. I'm a Journalism major because I don't do math.

Being a journalism major you should know how journalists use statistics to make a point...I guess the fact that you don't do math shouldn't come a shock to me though. You'll fit in perfectly.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: irwincur
Ask them if they mind being surrounded by high voltage wires that the FD will not cut through to save your life in the event of an accident. In short, a major accident means you sit in the car and bleed to death because no one is going to take the Jaw of Life to a hybrid car.


Also ask them how much replacing the batteries will cost five years down the road. Also, where are the eco-friendly morons going to dispose of them?

How come every hybrid thread quickly deteriorates into a bunch of halfwits posting things they clearly know nothing about...:roll:

 

[tennisflip]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: irwincur
Ask them if they mind being surrounded by high voltage wires that the FD will not cut through to save your life in the event of an accident. In short, a major accident means you sit in the car and bleed to death because no one is going to take the Jaw of Life to a hybrid car.


Also ask them how much replacing the batteries will cost five years down the road. Also, where are the eco-friendly morons going to dispose of them?

Toyota has a recycling initiative for hybrid batteries. And what do you have against eco-friendly people? Good lord.

 

[thomsbrain]

Originally posted by: notfred

Originally posted by: CRXican

Originally posted by: radioouman

Originally posted by: CRXican

Originally posted by: Skoorb
What was the primary reason you bought it? If they say money ask them if they've done the math and if so how did they come up with different numbers than most everybody else, who's run them and noted that a hybrid is a poor choice from a money perspective?

do you have links to that info that says hybrids are a poor choice?

You might want to calculate it for yourself.

Try 1500 miles per month as a starting point.

I don't want to calculate anything. I'm a Journalism major because I don't do math.

If you can't come up with interview questions yourself, it looks like you suck at journalism too.

:thumbsup:

 

[tennisflip]

Originally posted by: thomsbrain

Originally posted by: notfred

Originally posted by: CRXican

Originally posted by: radioouman

Originally posted by: CRXican

Originally posted by: Skoorb
What was the primary reason you bought it? If they say money ask them if they've done the math and if so how did they come up with different numbers than most everybody else, who's run them and noted that a hybrid is a poor choice from a money perspective?

do you have links to that info that says hybrids are a poor choice?

You might want to calculate it for yourself.

Try 1500 miles per month as a starting point.

I don't want to calculate anything. I'm a Journalism major because I don't do math.

If you can't come up with interview questions yourself, it looks like you suck at journalism too.

:thumbsup:

LOL. Original Poster, how many questions do you need?

 

[Nomada]

I'd ask them how often they scare the crap out of unsuspecting cyclists they approach with no engine noise!

 

[desk]

Originally posted by: Nomada
I'd ask them how often they scare the crap out of unsuspecting cyclists they approach with no engine noise!

good point, that is actually really dangerous. i've scared a bunch of people in parking lots.