Quote:
Originally Posted by Stew
You do realize a new Camry hybrid starts at $100 CHEAPER than a 13 malibu Eco, is rated for better MPG, and hits 60 MPH 1.5 seconds sooner. Another point of interest, Car and Driver tested an EAssist regal and it only 26 MPG average, given the base 4 cylinder only got 24, the bigger though is that they got 27 MPG from the turbo. I am sorry, but using Eassist in lieu of a full hybrid system is a joke.
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Toyota's full hybrid system is more expensive than GM's mild hybrid system. The batteries alone are a fortune. The price difference in the cars is in trim levels, content, and other areas.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Stew
I don't honestly see this. hybrids are big right now. Toyota sold more Prius Cs in 3 days that GM does in a month for the Volt. Cars like the Volt and pure EVs are very cost prohibitive right now. IMHO by not offering a true Hybrid in their midsizers and something akin to the standard Prius GM is missing a lot iof sales. If hybrids are obsolete Ford would not be making a new Fusion Hybrid, Toyota would not be mking a Camry hybrid and the Altima and Accord would not be coming out with hybrid vrsions next year. The Eassist is a lam duck system. the only reason they made ANY sense before was that they were cheaper than everyone elses conventional hybrids, that just isn't the case now. Eould I buy a Hybrid? probably not. Do i see the business sense in making a TRUE Hybrid powertrain available? ABSOLUTELY!!!!!!
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Hybrids really aren't as big as you think. They make up a small percentage of total vehicle sales. Toyota individually has good sales numbers, because for a lot of years, they had the entire market, and today, still have most of it. That still doesn't mean the overall market for hybrids is that big, and every other company that is not Toyota has struggled in the segment, and with more and more companies than ever trying to compete for that limited market, it is only going to get harder.