Green is good, right? Try and buy a green car. There's Prius. Here, in Santa Monica, there's an eight week waiting list for the mere 80,000 cars to be sold in the US this year. Santa Monica, by the way, is the epicenter of Prius worldwide.So they don't do too many deals. They don't have to. Secondhand? They retail for more than 3 grand more than new. People don't want to wait. Prius is an LA ”must have”

But, Toyota make Highlander in hybrid. Its 8,000 dollars more than the regular version. Calculate the savings against slightly more than usual consumption here in LA (15,000 miles, 21,000 kms) and you find it takes 15 years to make back the difference. Finance the vehicle and savings are gone in interest. Sales aren't great therefore.

Until the car industry makes affordable, financially sensible hybrids, the mainstream aren't going to buy in big numbers. And green will still be good, but for someone else. Like the wealthy. 

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Posted in Economics Main Page by Richard McKinnon No Comments Yet