Edmunds.com commissioned a survey that found that hybrid owners were not likely to buy another one. Edmunds had R.L. Polk conduct the study that determined only 35% of hybrid car owners bought another electric/gas vehicle as a trade-in during 2011. If the repurchase behavior among the high volume audience of Toyota Prius owners is not factored in, hybrid loyalty drops to under 25 percent.
It is thought that the increased availability of new high mileage gasoline-powered cars at lower prices is causing the shift away from the hybrid. Edmunds reports that: “The 40-mpg category has risen from one vehicle in 2010 (the Smart ForTwo) to nine vehicles in 2012. “Even as gas prices soar, the economics of buying a hybrid vehicle don’t make much sense in many cases,” Edmunds.com Chief Economist Lacey Plache explained in a statement. “ To read more click here.
A previous posting on this site, “Evaluating The Cost Of Ownership—Electric v Gasoline Cars” provides the DOE program for comparing different makes and models of cars to determine the cost of ownership.
cbdakota
Climate Change Sanity 