9 Responses

1. i think it’s a little bit of both. im an environmentalist, so i am motivated my lower emissions, and the fact that they’re healthier and have less of an impact on the environment. some people are more concerned about fuel efficiency, but that’s not what i think about when im looking at hybrid cars

2. A heard a recent study indicated that about 50% of all people who bough a Prius chose the Prius for issues concerning image and what others think. That is the reason why the Prius sells so much better than any other hybrid. Unlike most other hybrids, the Prius is the only dedicated hybrid as in you can only buy a Prius hybrid and nothing else shares the same body. Still, some people do genuinely care about the environment and have figured that a hybrid will actually save them money (as they do a lot of in town driving).

3. Sexual tendency and silliness. High five.

4. for their egos and their MMI religion they practice.

5. the reasons are as varied as the people who buy them. some look at it as they are doing their part to save the environment. some like the better fuel economy. some because it is a small honda. some because it is a small car that fits their needs. the ones looking to save money usually dont though as these are the ones that trade in a car they bought a few years earlier and are still paying on it, thus they get upside down on the loan, and end up spending more money for slightly better fuel economy.

6. I bought cars that run on natural gas after doing some research to see what was cheapest and what was available. Natural gas here in Utah is just 87 cents a gallon and there are pumps available nearby for convenience, so that beat out pretty much everything else out there. I didn’t really want to put together a big biodiesel operation; I just wanted to keep it simple. The cars were available used for a decent price, too. I guess what started the whole thing was the price of gasoline, which at the time (November 2007) just had reached $3.00 a gallon. That was my tipping point. So, that was the main reason, but the cars are also environmentally friendly, plus natural gas is domestically produced, so my money stays here in the US economy instead of being sent to the Middle East. Many upsides to the switch…hope this helps!

7. My reason was that electric gives a better drive: smooth, quiet, smell free; max torque from 0rpm from cold… no grinding starter motor, no high maintenance coolant, transmission or exhaust systems; refuel conveniently at home or work (no complicated vunerable supply chain, refineries etc)

   What motivates people to keep buying clunky high maintenance infernal combustion engines that can only be refuelled from a few global fossil fuel corps outlets?

8. Gas prices are very unstable these days and people want to control. When I speak on the phone with someone interested in converting their car I always get the impression that they are either dying from high gas prices or they are doing it for a fun project.

   It depends on the income of the person.

   If they’re rich, it’s going green.
   If they’re poor, it’s because of gas prices.

   A poor person can say they are going green to save the environment, but that’s really their added bonus and another thing to convince them it’s the right choice to spend $10,000 on the electric car their getting.

9. When people buy a hybrid they are probably doing it to save money. If there buying it to go green then they are very misinformed about how good they are for the environment. The construction of a Hybrid car is worse for the environment than a Hummer h2 in its full lifespan..
   Ford is making a car that gets 65 mpg but is not releasing it in the US. Why? Because environmentalists don’t want a car that runs on diesel even tho its probably better than a hideous looking prius.