Compacts and Hybrid Cars Becoming More Popular in the USA
by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada on 04. 9.08
NADAguides is a vehicle information website where customers can go to look up car prices and specifications. They have released some statistics on what their users are looking for, and apparently the interest in compact cars has increased by 96% between January and March 2008. This number is broken down further in 3 sub-categories: "Consumer interest in its mini-compact category increased 128 percent, while consumer interest in its sub-compact and compact categories increased 83 percent and 77 percent respectively."
Out of the 25 most searched for vehicles on the site were 5 compact cars. The models that saw the biggest increase in attention were the Mazda 3, Toyota Yaris, Honda Civic Sedan and Toyota Corolla. This isn't exactly the best news ever, but a move away from over-sized vehicles in the US would certainly be a step in the right direction.
Meanwhile, hybrid sales jumped by 10% in March compared to the same month last year during while light-duty vehicle sales in general were down 12%. That's still just 2.8% of all new vehicle sold during that month, though.
That's clearly not enough. What we need is not slightly more efficient and cleaner cars, though that would be a good start. What we need are radically greener means of transportation. For example, a plug-in hybrid with a decent all-electric range from non-toxic recyclable batteries could spend days, if not weeks, without burning a drop of gasoline. Now that's the kind of improvement that would really move us a step forward.
::NADAguides: America's interest in compact cars on the rise
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I rented a hybrid car on my last trip. Although I was thrilled to see I was getting 50 MPG, that was all I was thrilled about.
You can read my blog at http://www.getmyworldgreen.com/?p=3
Mike
i like the idea that hybirds are becoming more popular put plug-in hybrids may not be any better than gas powered vehicles. I live in New England and most of the power from our grid comes from oil and natural gas anyways. Plus, the gas it takes to mine the nickel for the battery, transport it to Japan to manufacture, and then ship to the United States makes me double think how much hybrid cars are doing.
Even with a dirty grid, it is more efficient to use electricity than to burn fuel. But at least with electricity, you can progressively clean up the grid and thus clean up the cars. With millions of tailpipes, it's al ot harder.
As for metal for batteries, that can be recycled and it's still a lot less energy and pollution than burning thousands of gallons of gas over the life of a car.
It's about time :)
"What we need are radically greener means of transportation."
Agreed. And we already have them. Rapid transit, rail, cycling and walking.
Hybrids are automotive margarine. If you take life cycle energy and resource consumption, they likely fair not much better or even worse in some cases than other cars. Better just not to drive as much. More PR from the auto industry.
Anonymous is right. Even with 100% coal, EV produce less GHG than gas. Check EPRI.
Even though it is bad, coal is in this cuntry, not the middle east.
Califonia should be 20% clean electrcity by 2010!
I like the idea of more "green" cars, but I have a problem with the “coolness” factor of fighting Global Warming. But my problem is that Global Warming just isn't cool enough. And neither is the “weapons” and gadgets to help me in this fight. No badge or hip gadget I can wear. Makes it difficult to know what I should do. A Prius? Not cool. Not like the FJ Cruiser. Windfarms? Cool but I can't carry it around like an iPod to show off. Those pesky CO2's are just so tiny - smaller than the diamond my wife will accept and bigger than I can afford? http://angryafrican.net/2008/04/03/global-warming-is-just-not-cool/
Compacts aren't becoming more popular. Compacts are bigger with worse fuel economy. The Fit is 500 lbs heavier than a 1984 Civic. The Hybrid Civic gets worse mileage than an old Civic HF. And the Escape, Highlander and Lexus RX hybrids? Don't make me laugh.
Wake me up when the Polo Bluemotion goes on sale here.
I like the fact that hybrids are becoming more popular, if not for the actual lowering of emissions then for the implication that alternative powered vehicles are becoming more popular and widely used, which will ultimately make substantial differences.
I just downsized from a Mazda Protege to a Scion xA and I'm very happy with it. The best part is being able to park in impossible places. My wife's really jealous that I always manage to find a spot in front of our house.
Cars from the very beginning were economical
to drive...the Model T got almost 30mpg in 1908
I drive a 96 saturn that averages 30mpg.
If I buy a hybrid I would lose money
The way I figure it "cost per mile" is what is
people will shop for. Buying a new "green" car
is silly just to try keep the air cleaner when actually
you just put another car on the road~ my2¢
"What we need are radically greener means of transportation. For example, a plug-in hybrid with a decent all-electric range from non-toxic recyclable batteries could spend days, if not weeks, without burning a drop of gasoline"
I'd like to modify that statement to say that we need EFFICIENT plug-in hybrids. A plug-in Chevy Tahoe Hybrid will still produce more GHG than a non-plug-in, non-hybrid Yaris. Electricity produces less GHG than gasoline, but it still produces GHG. Wanton waste of electricity can result in just as big a problem as wanton wast of gasoline.
First make it efficient. Then add technology to optimize it's efficiency.
11011011
great for fuel mileage, great for the environment but small cars are NOT safe and getting killed in an accident (or a member of my family) would ruin my whole day! LOL Let’s apply some common sense.
Actually it's been shown many times that modern small cars are as safe as big cars - and safer in most cases than 4wds and trucks which are not as safe.
Unfortunately consumer perceive big cars to be safer - they are not.
I've been doing calculations on these sites Diesel /Flex-Fuel Calculator and Hybrid Savings Calculator. Sometimes, it takes a lot of miles to make up for the gas savings versus the higher price for hybrid cars.
so nice!! i like red
"Actually it's been shown many times that modern small cars are as safe as big cars - and safer in most cases than 4wds and trucks which are not as safe."
Really? Source? Looking at various lists of safest vehicles, it appears to me that the safest vehicles are the medium to large sedans. I don't see any compacts listed.
I CANT WAIT TO DRIVE
this news is not good news because it has nothing to do with people wanting to go green. it has to do with people wanting to save money on gas. i am a treehugger and it bothers me that these people would still be driving their self indulgent suv's if gas prices were not so high. let's be honest with ourselves the government has forced this on the people and being an american i will not support anything by force. i for one would not want anyone forcing me to read the bible by making it the only book in the bookstore or library. we are fooling ourselves here. this about an average person driving 50 miles a day to work in their suv spending $60-$80 a week in gas downsizing and keeping $40-$60 in their wallets. we want to believe eveyone is going green but very few are doing it for the right reason.