wrote:
> In alt.autos.ford Ted Mittelstaedt > wrote:
>
>> the tax credit needs to be revoked for these "green turbocharged"
>> vehicles.
>
> I have an Escape Hybrid. I agree with the state of California that it
> doesn't belong in the HOV lanes when higher mileage Hybrids are
> allowed (whether that is a good use of HOV lanes is a separate
> issue... I think not). I agree with Google, who will sponsor their
> employees' purchase of a Hybrid, but only the high mileage ones.
>
> The Escape, at least, puts a smaller engine in the hybrid, although
> it is an engine that is available "naked". The Civic shrinks the
> engine to one that is not otherwise available.
>
> The Accord/Highlander/RX400H, topics of the unfavorable NYT article,
> are a different thing altogether.
>
> Should there be a tax credit of any sort? Why is the credit being
> given to any Hybrid? To subsidize development of something that
> Congress feels needs a subsidy.
> "Hybrids should be encouraged, Callahan said, because their electric
> components some day could be useful in an all-electric car..."
>
> I can accept that logic, but a loophole that allows someone to take
> the already overpowered Accord V6 and add more power, shouldn't be
> closed. Someone buying an Escape hybrid should. I eliminated a 13mpg
> Durango when I bought my Escape, and it still tows my horse trailer.
>
> Eventually, when hybrids become more accepted, plug-in hybrids could
> get us to the point that electric cars were never able to achieve,
> being able to replace any car, instead of a commute-only limited
> application. If my Escape could give a 25 mile range all-electric,
> it would only need gasoline on longer trips, and be all electric
> during the typical week, getting it's plug in recharge from my solar
> system at home.
>
> Someone else suggests that all of the energy ultimately comes from
> gasoline in a hybrid. That's not true. Regenerative braking helps a
> lot.

This would be true if you only drove down hill and somehow got up the hill
for free. Think about it.

> On the other hand, on level ground, I drove about seven miles on
> electric, followed by a few miles where I watched my "average"
> plummet from 99mpg to 38mpg, as the batteries were being recharged.
> I calculate an average of 38mpg for 10 miles was actually 7 at 0
> usage, 3 at 11mpg. Recharging the batteries was pretty costly. But
> I got 38mpg over the stretch, something I'd be hard pressed to do in
> that traffic in any other car.

Not if it were specifically designed to do so as your Hybrid is.