NYT: Volt take 27 years to break even

1/4 of oil production is definitely a problem. 1/4 or energy is not much of a problem if we are charging inefficient cars with wind and/or sun light. The US has 1/4 of the world's coal and is shipping some to china. Texas has enough hot air blowing that they could use it for 4x their energy consumption.

 

This might be so of the computers. The iProducts might even have a long useful life. But how people waiting in line for the just released iPod/Phone/Pad/Touch have the previous gen one, and even on them? The comment wasn't on the products performance, but the behavior of the buyers.

Flawed TCO comparisons are too passe for me to comment on.

 

Definitely the behavior of the buyers and how that behavior is encouraged by "planned obsolence". Also, the Apple Product is no 'better' than the alternative. In some cases, the apple product has less headaches, but like cars, and other things, the others are 'as good as' the more expensive one in some cases.

 

^ This (type of thing).

The only problem is that people expect and want cheap energy.

If as a nation the USA decided that it's OK to pay twice as much as now to reduce pollution and increase the domestic energy supply the nation wouldn't end up paying twice as much due to efficiencies and economies of scale.

 

Hey I want cheap energy too. I don't think inefficiently using oil is cheap Subsidizing it just makes us use it up quicker, which will make changes more expensive in the future. When analysis doesn't provide any bonus for using less oil, that analysis is deeply flawed.

 

Couple things ...

when naysayers bring up the Corolla vs. Prius debate .. just throw the Prius c at them, the base model, the cheapest one.

other thing is all these years to break even is just a setup to get people think of their car are a short term investment. They want people to 'save now' so they can turn around in 5 years and 'save again' on another new car....

what's wrong with keeping a car for 15 years? ... Everything according to those in car sales.

if you run through the life of a car, say 180k miles in 5 years, you will probably come out ahead with a Prius.

 

I've kept cars for 17 years, long enough for the dealers to go out of business. (It wasn't all my fault.)

 

We have to be realistic, $5.00 gas MAY get hybrids to a bigger % of cars sold if it lasts more than a few months. Plugins, not untill they come in under $30k without tax credits and have proven to be convenient and practical. But this is the time for all the car makers to invest in and perfect a few models for their lineup, even if they don't sell huge right now. This is the lesson to be learned from the original Prius, steadily improve and the customers will come!

 

That's a really good point.

We originally got a Prius for a reason nobody has mentioned. When we retired, we bought two patio homes. Each had a narrower garage than we'd had. They were uncomfortably tight with an RX350 and Sienna, okay with the RX and one Prius and perfect with two Prii. We really only realized and appreciated the gas savings, environmental benefits and fun of hypermiling after we bought the first Prius.

 

Yeah, now Applyboy can sell his new Ipad, and new Iphone because he is in Renal Failure, and guess what, he needs a new Kidney......
This story is just so wrong and so stupid in O so many ways.....

Now ...:focus: