H.Y.B.R.I.D. - How You Bypass Rising International Dependency

The point of a hybrid is not simply economics, even though it does make a difference. Those of us who buy into the hybrid technology are not necessarily trying to save money on gas. We are buying into the future. We are supporting the research and development of cleaner fuels and less emissions. Maybe the current hybrids aren't perfect, but they will keep getting better. And if no one buys into the technology first, it will never get developed.

So are hybrids a farce? Not the big 3 (Civic, Prius, and Insight). Others are using hybrid technology to increase performance rather than improve efficiency (Accord, Ford SUV, etc). Those may be a "farce" but they still do get slightly better mileage than their regular counterparts (like 1-5MPG better - not much).

As for batteries, yes they may be an issue...but we just don't know right now. They are rated to last the lifetime of the car. All we can do is believe that and hope for the best. But it shouldn't be the reason not to buy into hybrid technology. And I am not overly concerned with resale value as I plan to keep this car as long as I can. It's a Civic. It'll last.

Yes, I paid a premium over the regular Civic ($22k vs. $19k) and I may not see that exact amount returned to me in gas savings...or maybe I will. Only time will tell. But that's not the true reason to jump on the hybrid bandwagon. It's about caring about what our current vehicles are doing to our environment...it's about reducing our dependency on foreign oils...it's about supporting the development of newer cleaner fuel alternatives.

Support change. Support environmentally consciuous technologies. Support Earth.