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Hybrid autos cheaper to own in the long run |
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Written by Kacey Green
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Monday, 15 January 2007 |
 New IntelliChoice study shows Toyota Prius as top-ranking hybrid
DailyTech reports: 1/15
Gasoline-electric hybrid technology in automobiles is a very touchy subject for many people. On one side you have consumers who champion the increased efficiency and reduced emissions afforded by being able to shut down the engine when stopped and run on battery power at low speeds. The other side argues that the mileage gains aren't worth the added upfront costs associated with purchasing a hybrid.
According to new research released by IntelliChoice, naysayers may have less to argue about when it comes to the costs of owning a hybrid vehicle. The research showed that the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) over a span of five years or 70,000 miles of hybrid vehicles is actually less than that of competing gasoline-only vehicles.
IntelliChoice based their results on seven criteria: depreciation, fuel costs, finance costs, insurance, repairs, maintenance and applicable state fees. Factors that allowed hybrids to come out on top include better than expected resale value and depreciation, lower repair/maintenance costs and lower fuel costs.
Of the 22 hybrid vehicles evaluated by IntelliChoice the Prius was rated as the top performer. Comparable vehicles in the Prius' class have a 5-year TCO of $33,305, but the actual costs for the Prius came in at just under $20,000. “The Prius has been the darling of the hybrid set, and it remains our highest rated value for hybrid vehicles. But this survey validates the cost performance of the other many hybrid models that are currently on the market. All of the hybrids in our study have achieved ‘Excellent’ ratings in their respective classes from IntelliChoice.com,” said James Bell of IntelliChoice.
Finally, years after this whole debate started, some data that isn't skewed to support the anti-hybrid crowd. You can view the chart for yourself.
Kacey Green
http://www.grlt.com/. http://www.flhybrid.com/
"Tech with a twist of lime!", "Promoting the spread of clean personal transportation technologies."
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Last Updated ( Monday, 15 January 2007 )
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