Toyota won't drop hybrid prices, as consumer interest wanes

another article that doesn't include the cost of gas in Canada. $4 US a US gallon. Re-run the numbers with that in the equation.

 

I give up. Who are these "CNW analysts" from Portland, Oregon? The only "CNW" in Portalnd I can find is a CNW Construction Company. They'll know more about drywalling than they will about consumer preferences.

CNW Group is a Canadian news agency, and they're not based in Portland. I seriously question whether or not Alex is using real numbers from a real research group. Sounds made-up to me.

*EDIT* Ah, found them. CNW Marketing Research is located in Bandon, Oregon, not Portland.

http://www.cnwmr.com/

I'm still working through the site, but have found some information regarding hybrid research.

http://cnwmr.com/nss-folder/automotiveener...y%20Segment.xls
See row #86 for Prius info.

I found the above XLS spreadsheet file from this page:

http://cnwmr.com/nss-folder/automotiveenergy/

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(brandon @ Jun 17 2006, 07:43 PM) [snapback]272823[/snapback]</div>

LOL. I've got to know where these people get their numbers from. I can safely say a Durango will not last 185K miles and 17+ years. Or at least not without several thousand dollars of maintenance.

The average Prius will be driven less than 10K miles a year?!? And last less than 12 years and less than 110K miles?!?

Those are great drugs whatever they are on.

 

Yeah, and the one set of statistics I can't find is the "consumer interest" part. Frustrating, because I think you have to pay for them.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Whitestar @ Jun 19 2006, 06:27 AM) [snapback]273369[/snapback]</div>

Can anyone make sense out of that spreadsheet?

Look at the last three columns. i.e., energy costs per mile.

I would assume the cost to make and market the car would be more than the energy costs in production.
Say $30,000 (that includes all non-energy costs), for example interest, sales tax and insurance.
If the Prius lasts 100,000 miles, and fuel costs $10.00 per gallon (I'm trying to make this as expensive as conceivably possible), it costs as much energy to dispose of the car ($30,000) as to make it. Oil changes at 5000 miles at $50 each, etc., assuming 40 miles/gallon average, the totals break down as follows:

$60,000 for production and elimination
$1000 for 20 oil changes
$25,000 for 2500 gallons of gas
$5000 for out of pocket (non-warantee) repairs

The above makes the absurd assumption that all above costs are in energy.

Total of $91,000 over 100,000 miles. This is all absurdly high, but comes down to $0.91 per mile.
How can they possibly come up with a minimum $3.249 Energy $ total per mile?

Does the Heading not mean what I interpret it to mean. If we are talking about real (rather than inflated) energy cost, except for oil change and fuel, the above numbers must be significantly reduced.

No one is going to manufacture and sell a car for less coss than the energy needed to produce it.

Dave