I asked my friend Gene if I should buy a Toyota Corolla or a Honda Civic, and he didn't want me to buy either. "You want a hybrid," he told me.
At first, the idea of putting the same amount of fuel into my vehicle and going a longer distance was very enticing. It is like getting something for nothing -- buying the "25% more free" bottle of shampoo instead of the regular 16oz bottle. I'd be able to drive farther without stopping for gas, and feel good about myself for reducing my carbon footprint.
Unfortunately, the Civic hybrid costs about $5600 more than a comparable non-hybrid Civic. How long would it take to get my investment back in fuel savings? The car salesman answered my question right away.
"Forever," he told me. "You don't buy a hybrid to save money."
Consumer Reports made a similar conclusion. Even after tax rebates and incentives for hybrid vehicles, the cost of the investment is never recovered in gasoline savings. The car that comes closest is indeed the Civic, which after 5 years (75,000 miles) still puts you $3700 in the hole. Part of the problem is that the hybrids do not deliver as high of a gas mileage as is quoted by the EPA's outdated measurement system.
In terms of carbon pollution, the hybrid does indeed protect the environment. But not very much, considering the investment. In the entire lifespan of a Civic hybrid (assuming150, 000 miles), about 9.9 tonnes of carbon dioxide are saved from the atmosphere, a quantity that would cost only $49.50 to sequester with Planktos carbon credits. If you're not into sequestration, you would be better off buying compact fluorescent bulbs, which return their minimal investment in about a year, and prevent about 400 pounds of CO2 pollution over their 5-year lifespan.
For me, this analysis (and my lowly salary) ended with the purchase of a regular Civic, which has a very respectable efficiency rating even without the hybrid technology. Of course, for those of us who can spare a couple grand to save the planet, investing in a hybrid certainly helps the environment, and as a bonus, also decreases our dependence on oil.
3 comments:
The hybrid saving the environment thing isn't all that true. You have to consider the battery life (not that long) and what happens with the battery after it dies (recycling doesn't come to mind).
Good choice with the regular Civic. You can't go wrong with that car.
I stand corrected. I guess they are recyclable. http://www.treehugger.com/files/2005/06/should_we_be_wo_1.php
Hybrids are a good technology, they are just going to take time to get economical. This could happen if hybrids get cheaper or if gas prices keep rising.
According to my calculations, today's hybid would return its investment in 10 years if gas prices were $4.80/gallon.
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