 Drivers of Hybrid Vehicles
Vince wrote:
> If you operate one of Toyota's hybrid vehicles, would you share your
> thoughts about the following questions:
>
> [1] The expected lifespan of the battery pack in your (make, model and
> year) hybrid vehicle ?
The life of the car. There have been very few cars that have had their
battery packs replaced.
> [2] The replacement cost of the battery pack in your (make, model and
> year) hybrid vehicle ?
Unknown, because so few have had their battery packs replaced outside of
warranty.
> [3] Provide an estimate of the amount of kiloWatt-hour electrical
> power needed to recharge a completely discharged battery pack in your
> (make, model and year) hybrid vehicle ?
This is irrelevant. The hybrid battery is recharged by either using
energy otherwise wasted (e.g., by braking the car) or directly from the
engine. Either, way, it does not use electricity from the grid.
> I would like to know if there is a substantial cost savings when
> comparing a hybrid engine vehicle to a conventional gasloline engine
> vehicle. It seems that conservation of the environment is one reason
> to purchase a hybrid engine vehicle, rather than based on less
> consumption of gasoline fuel.
You need to compare the mileage of a gasoline vehicle with a hybrid
vehicle. A Civic or Prius get around 45 mpg. You can find the exact
estimates on Honda's web site and Toyota's web site. I drive around
12,000 mi a year, and would save an estimated 100 gallons of fuel a
year. So I would save around $400 or $500 a year. For the increased
cost, it is just about break even over the life of the car, not
including the higher resale value.
Unfortunately, as far as the environment is concerned, I haven't seen
anyone account for the additional environmental costs of making the
batteries, motor, etc. So I don't know what the total environmental
savings/costs are.
Jeff
> Thanks and regards,
>
> Vince
> Long Island, NY | 
