U.S. sees more hybrid models than ever

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The evolving engine

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Hybrids: Sales of gas-electric models like the Prius will triple by the end of the decade. But high prices will keep them from going mainstream.

Hybrid payback?
Want to buy a hybrid, but concerned about the cost? Check out these models and comparisons.

The price difference
To be sure, there is an initial hurdle for shoppers on a budget. Because of the additional technology needed to manage the dual engine/electric powertrain, hybrids tend to be higher priced than comparable gas-only models.

For example, with a manufacturer’s suggested retail price, including destination charge, of $27,515, the 2006 Escape Hybrid is $4,365 more than a similarly-equipped, gas-only Escape XLT SUV. It would take the average driver who travels 15,000 miles a year more than five years to recoup this extra cost, even if gas were $3.50 a gallon.

And this assumes the hybrid delivers the fuel economy that’s on the window sticker. While some hybrid drivers attest that through careful driving and good vehicle maintenance they do get top mileage, many drivers of both hybrid and non-hybrid vehicles do not. The reason stems from how the government fuel mileage ratings are compiled — in a laboratory, not in the real world.

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Another issue for hybrids — the fear among some emergency workers that they could be injured by electricity flowing in the vehicles’ power lines — is abating, according to automakers, who have distributed technical briefing materials to rescue personnel around the country. The vehicles have automatic power shutdowns, such as when airbags deploy, they said.

In addition, Hideharu Takemoto, principal engineer for the 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid, said hybrid developers make sure electric cables and parts are “apt to be near the center of the vehicle so emergency people are very unlikely to cut into them.”

That still didn’t stop the nation’s largest auto insurer, State Farm, from running a program this summer to educate first responders about how to spot a hybrid that has crashed and what to do.

Battery replacement issue
Other concerns about hybrids center on the cost of replacing their large nickel metal hydride battery packs, where electric power is stored, and how long they last. Cost estimates range upwards from $2,000, leaving some consumers planning to trade cars before the battery warranty expires, typically after eight to 10 years.

But Honda’s Takemoto said no American consumer has yet to pay for a battery replacement on Honda’s oldest hybrid, the Insight. Some Insights have traveled 200,000 miles now, he said, and all batteries that have been replaced have been covered by warranty.

For his part, Miller, who has driven his hybrid SUV cross country, said he isn’t worried.

The technology “is here and now,” he said. “I’m willing to be a little bit of a guinea pig.”

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