|
|
Hybrid Cars Owners on Their Hybrid Cars May 2005In the motoring world, Olivier Gayou and his wife, Rikki Roche, are going against traffic.Across Hampton Roads and the rest of the country, people have been lining up to buy gas-electric hybrid cars. But the Newport News couple wants to sell their Toyota Prius. They must hate it, right? Not even close. Theyre still in love with the sedans sleek design, impressive gas mileage and unchallenged status as an environmentally clean driving machine. It has a very smooth ride, said Gayou, a physicist at the Jefferson Labs. When the electric engine is on, its completely silent. And the turning radius also is very good. The problem is theres more to life than cars. In their case, a newborn last year was joined by a diaper bag, stroller and all the customary extras of child transport. Its just too small now, said Gayou, who is selling the car online. We have a big dog and a cat and a new baby and we travel to Kentucky fairly often. So we bought a minivan instead. Random exit interviews with a few other hybrid sellers locally turned up similar sentiments. People said they werent displeased with their cars performances far from it. All said theyd buy another hybrid if there were a model that fit their needs. That should be good news for vehicle makers that are expanding their lineup of vehicles available in hybrid versions. Their biggest push over the next few years: hybrid sport utility vehicles and pickups. Ford introduced the first hybrid SUV with its Escape last year. Sales of new hybrid cars nationwide went from nothing five years ago to 84,000 last year, according to R.L. Polk & Co., which collects and interprets automotive data. Virginia was second among the states, behind California, for hybrid registrations, with more than 5,600 last year. Because hybrids are allowed to use HOV lanes in Virginia, no matter how many occupants are in the vehicles, they have become especially popular in the congested northern part of the state. Across the country, sales of new hybrids likely will reach 260,000 units, or about 1.5 percent of all sales, next year, predicted J.D. Power and Associates, another research firm. That assumes that hybrids will continue to enjoy a positive image among vehicle buyers. For now, that reputation appears intact. When Consumer Reports magazine surveyed Prius owners earlier this year, 94 percent of the more than 1,600 who responded said they would buy another such vehicle. Consumer Reports went on to grace the Honda Accord hybrid as its top pick for a family sedan, choosing it from among three dozen contenders in that car class. The local hybrid sellers had little but good to say about their experiences with the vehicles. Vinny Nikiforov of Norfolk bought a used 2000 Honda Insight about two years ago, and has been using it to deliver medicines to nursing homes around Hampton Roads. His hybrid is among the most gas-stingy. Shaped like a low-slung teardrop and equipped with only two seats, it draws on three cylinders and a small electric motor to slip through the air. Rear fender skirts cut resistance a little further. Fuel efficiency often approaches 60 miles per gallon. He bought the car because his 2002 Buick Rendezvouz was costing him $550 a month in gas, mostly because his job at Global Shipping Solutions keeps him on the highway six days a week, all day. Without this car, I could not make money, Nikiforov said of his Insight. The only maintenance is changing the oil. The motor has never been touched, even though the odometer reads 105,000 miles. Still, its time to sell. He has listed the car online and is asking about $9,500. For its replacement, he wants a vehicle that can seat at least four. Asked if he would ever buy anything but a hybrid again, Nikiforov delivered an emphatic: No! Never, ever. No way! Forget it! Dont even think about it. A joint study sponsored by the University of Michigans Transportation Research Institute and Hybridcars.com, a Web site that dispenses information about the technology, shows unusual owner loyalty to hybrids. The study says that 88 percent of hybrid owners would definitely recommend their car to a friend. Thats an overwhelming vote of support by people who have them, said Walter McManus , an institute research scientist and a self-described initial skeptic about hybrids. But the market is speaking, he said. People are buying them. Hybrid vehicles use a combination of fuel-efficient gasoline engines and electric motors. All deliver better fuel economy than their non-hybrid counterparts. All also qualify as zero emission vehicles under California clean air standards. Maintaining them has not proved too difficult for auto technicians such as Brian Culp , a shop foreman at Hall Honda in Virginia Beach. Among the most important lessons mechanics learn is the huge difference in potential electrical energy. Ordinary cars rely on 12 -volt electrical systems to operate various components. The hybrid system on the Honda Accord runs on 144 volts, and the cables that carry current from the battery pack stored behind the rear seat are marked in bright orange. The presence of high voltage within the car has prompted Honda to print a brochure instructing emergency service personnel on preventing accidental electrical shock following an accident. The simplest way is to turn off the engine and remove the key, the company has said. Terrance Frierson , a Norfolk resident, bought a 2004 Honda Civic hybrid from a Virginia Beach dealer. I was going to buy a Prius, but they were back-ordered, so any negotiating was pretty much out the window, he said. Frierson described himself as something of a greenie and considers gas hogs a waste of money. But his military duty is taking him on deployment, so he decided to get rid of the car. He quickly sold it for $17,000. He had paid $21,000 for it new. Hell buy another hybrid at some point, Frierson said. It lived up to all the bells and whistles that the automakers said it had. SOURCE: Hampton Roads | ||
|
Hybrid Car Links
|