Hybrid Car Sales Soar in U.S. in 2004

[anonymous161]

If I could figure out a way around the property taxes on the 15 acres, I probably would.

 

[JesseJames]

We're not evolving fast enough. In the end we'll screw ourselves over. The human race is very good at that. OH WELL! CHEERS!

 

[cr2sh]

Offtopic

If I could figure out a way around the property taxes on the 15 acres, I probably would.

I wish I had a link.. because its going to sound like the most redneck thing ever... until you actually see it being done.

In Ohio there's a lot of land zoned Agricultural/Residential... you can farm it or live on it, whatever. People are building frame structures with steel shells, finishing the insides of them as houses and living in them. Putting plumbing into the concrete floors, water lines, electric... just like a slab/frame construction house. The only difference is, this structure is actually a 'pole barn.'

They put their land into a wildlife protection plan to get cut tax rates, and they only pay taxes on the Ag structure...

Again, I know what it sounds like... but how the tax codes are written it is a hell of a lot cheaper then paying property taxes on a $200,000 house.

I've seen some of these barns, and you wouldn't believe how nice they are (on the inside).

Anyways, OT... sorry.

 

[maxvamp]

We're not evolving fast enough.

Speak for yourself mate...

I for one have 6 fingers on each hand!!

<grin>

Max.

 

[Les Kern]

"New hybrid vehicle registrations totaled 83,153 in 2004" out of 17 million new cars. 0.5%

Still, they are increasing. Unfortunately, they'll probably really take off only when hybrid SUVs are largely available.

True. From selling zero to selling one it wouold appear that sales jumped to an infinite amount.
But remember too that these cars actually use about the same to produce and run as a regular gas-driven car. Making the batteries, which have to be replaced, is an onging thing, and it takes a lot of power (and OIL!) to make them. So where the car itself saves a bit of gas, the overall impact on the environment and energy is pretty much the same. Also know that the gas mileage they get is STILL below the lowest available in a "normal" car. So what's the answer? It isn't Hydrogen, which takes MORE power to make than gas. We'd better come up with something fast. Can I direct you to the following article to get some idea of where we might be headed? LINK
Some of you might want to pan it without reading it, but give it a shot and indeed read it. Then think of ways to refute the hypothesis. I couldn't.

 

[wdlove]

From hearing the news today, it seems that there is a supply problem. Especially when it comes to the Toyota Prius. They are on a waiting list. Which allows dealers to raise the price. There needs to be incentives. The problem is that if they don't have something to build it could take years.

 

[Ugg]

I like how everyone is buying these hybrids with no idea of resale value of them.

I think the battery packs in these things last 6-10 years. What happens then?

Who would want to buy the car from you with no battery usefulness?
What trade-in value would you get for a car like that?
What will it cost to replace the batteries? $1000? $10,000?

yeah, yeah, yeah, i'm sure there were plenty of naysayers like you around when the first horseless carriages came out too. Aftermarket is where all the profit is, you don't seriously think that the manufacturers or third parties aren't going to tap into this lucrative field? The cost can't be that high, my guess is more along 2-3 thousand, if that.

 

[Les Kern]

yeah, yeah, yeah, i'm sure there were plenty of naysayers like you around when the first horseless carriages came out too. Aftermarket is where all the profit is, you don't seriously think that the manufacturers or third parties aren't going to tap into this lucrative field? The cost can't be that high, my guess is more along 2-3 thousand, if that.

Wait a sec. No offense but first you call him a naysayer, which means AGGRESSIVE negativity by the way, without adequately adressing the original concern, and THEN you try to answer a question that wasn't asked. SO by minimalizing his question by name calling, then answering the wrong question, you have, in effect, added nothing to the conversation.
I think he has valid questions on what it will mean finacially to a buyer.