First of all I am not a tree hugger or a fuel miser. But with prices the way they are I have joined the Prius clan. As such, my wife and I have now noticed just how many of these things are rolling about. I also noticed this article CJOnline / The Topeka Capital-Journal - Gas prices — Boiling point The part that gets my attention is the paragraph that reads: The Energy Information Administration report said gas consumption was 0.7 percent less two weeks ago than during the same week in 2007. That might not sound like much, but it's an encouraging sign considering consumption typically increases 1.5 percent a year because of population growth. My question is; Are the Hybrids making a differnce? Additional article: Oil demand is drying up - slightly
Undoubtedly for those of us who own them. As to whether they account for any of that drop, who knows? I suspect it has more to do with higher gas prices leading people to cut back on their driving.
It has absolutely made a difference in my life and the well being of my family. 1. Day one: I traded a Ford Expedition for a pkg 2 red Prius. It was a snug fit for me to get in! But I wanted that car! On that very day I decided to do something to make it easier for me to drive that little red car. 2. Day two: I stopped drinking coke cola. I was brought up in the fifties and early sixties and cola was like water. I would drink it daily. It definitely is an addiction to the vast amounts of sugar. Fast forward to present and Im a diabetic, 350+ pounds, and hate it. But on this day I quit it cold. For the little red car! 3. I was spending $100 + a week to keep gas in the SUV. My wife was spending about $50 a week for her Jeep Liberty. Thats a car payment plus! Now I spend a small percentage of that and so does the wife with her Prius. Yes she got one too! 4. My blood sugar is much better and I am almost off insulin! My weight is down 20 + lbs in two weeks and I can sit behind the wheel much better. The car is becoming more fun! Less gas money spent Better health in the offing and already less overall money spent monthly leaving more for us oh and its socially responsible and the best part is it is fun! These little Prii in my family have and will sent nothing but positives from here on out!
I've gone from filling up my old 1998 Toyota Camry with 306,000 miles (I donated it in January) at every 5 days for about $52 - $54 a fill up (18.5 gallon tank) to now going about 7 to 9 days at $32 to $34 a fill up 911.9 gallon tank). I figure I'm saving over $175 each month (36% of my car payment). I think I am doing pretty well so far. I tend not to take trips to the city (I live outside of Jacksonville, FL, but have to commute to work there five days a week) unless I have to. I have yet to take any trips with the vehicle yet... so we'll see.
Way to go Sheepdog! (or should I say weigh to go?) Back to the question of the OP. Prices are having an impact at the lower income levels and the higher IQ's, but the general population just doesn't get it, evidenced by the Escalades & Expeditions flying by at 85 MPH. It seems like a large percentage of Priuschat members are old enough to have experienced the gas crunch of the 1970's. Didn't we have a national call to conserve? The speed limit was lowered to 55 MPH, there were public service announcements with education about saving gas, and rationing. Is the difference because of the lack of fuel verses the price of fuel? Where are the so called "leaders" of the US now? (I already know, don't need an answer) Most of the US driving population doesn't think about how much fuel they are burning while waiting in line at a drive-up window, or to slow down to 55 MPH, to coast a little, plan out their route, etc.... Congratulations to Prius Owner's for having a brain!! If everyone could cut their fuel consumption as much as this group, OPEC would be drowning in it's own oil.
Looking at top 10 vehicles sold for 2005, 2006 , 2007, no Hybrids at all show up, Found the below quote, showing Hybrids at 2.3% of total market sales, and Prius accounts for half of that. Prius is amazing with 50% of the Hybrid market, or about 1.15% of all cars sold in US. It seems like this would be enough to be a contributer in the 0.7-0.9% fuel consumption drop. It also seems that Prius sales is picking up sales speed, 577,311 units from 2000-half way throught 2007, with 187k of them just in the first half of 2007. A few select quotes: "...Toyota (TM) says it has sold 577,311 gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles in the USA from mid-2000, when it launched the Prius here, through May.(2007)..." "...an estimated 187,000 hybrid vehicles were sold in the U.S. market through the first half of 2007, accounting for 2.3 percent of the total U.S. new light-vehicle market through June..." "...While sales of hybrid vehicles are projected to decline slightly in the second half of the year, the market is still on track to sell 345,000 hybrids in 2007 -- a 35 percent increase from the 256,000 hybrids sold in 2006."... "...The Toyota Prius continues to be the most popular [COLOR=blue! important][FONT='Trebuchet MS', Verdana, sans-serif][COLOR=blue! important][FONT='Trebuchet MS', Verdana, sans-serif]hybrid [/FONT][COLOR=blue! important][FONT='Trebuchet MS', Verdana, sans-serif]model[/FONT][/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR][/COLOR], selling 94,503 units through June 2007 and representing 50.6 percent of all new hybrid vehicles sold in the U.S. market in 2007...."
