GMC Hybrid Truck

[Jacob Dryer]

A step in the right direction for me.



I tow enough that I need a truck/suv but hate the unloaded gas milage. I'm excited for hybrids that will still be able to tow like a real truck.

 

[Kevin Lang]

So you'll get 10% more MPG for thousands of dollars more? Why?!?



Hybrids only have advantages in the city, and why the heck are you driving a truck through the city regularly? Especially when you're _towing_ something?!?



EDIT: I'll give this credit--out of all the proposed new models, this one looks the least queer.

 

[Jacob Dryer]

At some point I'm going to buy a new vehicle.. I'm not trading in to get something with better MPG, that doesn't make sense. When buying new you might as well get what you want.



Hybrids don't ONLY have advantages in the city, granted thats the most noticable difference but that isn't really the point anyways.



I use my truck daily for work in the city, not towing. My towing is on weekends when I play with my toys. So I have 1 vehicle for work and to tow for play. I drive roughly 80 miles per day in the city so the increase in mpg will be great.



And it's not a toy truck like half the crap that is being released (like you said not queer looking)

 

[Dale McMurry]

Search GOOGLE for FORD F150 DIESEL............... That would be better than hybrid.

 

[Kevin Lang]

Diesel costs an arm and a leg, so the gains would be negated by the increased cost at the pump.

 

[Jacob Dryer]

depends on which part of the country you are in.. around here 87 and diesel tend to be within pennies of each other..



Like I said though it's just a step in the right direction..

 

[Gerald Pierce]

I have not read anything about the GMC, but I thought the commercial last night said 50pct improvement in city mileage. I could be wrong, but it definitely got my attention. I have a friend with a Tahoe and his only complaint is city mileage. he gets 21-22 on the HWY, better than my ST.



If the mileage in town is that much better, I would consider one also....

 

[Tom Schindler]

Diesel costs an arm and a leg, so the gains would be negated by the increased cost at the pump.

Hybrid options cost 2 arms and one leg.



Buying a hybrid may look like a money saver, unfortunatly, usually thay are not. It is a mental state of savings.



With an initial investment of 3 to 5 thousand dollars, it will take alot of gas to make that money up. A larger system in a truck that big would cost more than that, I would guess closer to $6,000 or more. Lets say $6,000 for sake of argument.



If I have a truck that gets 13 MPG in the city. I drive an average of 300 miles a week of city traffic.



300*52=15,600 miles a year of city driving.

15,600/13=1200 gallons of fuel

Lets say an average of $3.50/gallon for fuel.

1200*3.50=$4200.00/year



Looks sickening...right?



A 40% improvement sounds awesome.



13*1.4=18.2 MPG

15,600/18.2=857.14 gallons for fuel

857.14*3.50=$3,000.00/year.



A savings of $1,200.00/year.



Last report I read says the average hybrid batteries last about 100,000 miles.



100,000/15,600=6.4 years.

6.4*1200=$7,692 over 100,000 miles.



In the end, your best bet total savings would be about $1,600 over 100,000 miles.



Provided you keep cars longer than 3 years.



No matter how you slice it, hybrids are hardly ever a way to cut costs.



You are better off buying a cheap POS truck to tow the toys on the weekend and buy a little car to drive whenever you are not using the toys.





Tom

 

[Thomas Rogers]

Caymen,



Though you are correct about not being able to save much now with hybrids I don't think we should look only at the initial cost and energy savings for todays buyers.



Most new, technologically-based products are costly at first. It's just the nature of the beast. Early adopters pay more, but they pave the way. Without the early adopters products wouldn't gain in popularity then one day become widespread. As popularity and sales increase, competition is created. Competition and the maturation of the technology and the market drives down prices.



So, when I see someone have both the extra money and the ideals to buy a hybrid, or photo-voltaic solar panels for their house, etc, I say GOOD FOR THEM, and THANKS, because I know they are trying to lead the way into lower cost alternatives for me.



Case-in-point, I did the research for what it would take for my home to be converted to solar electric (with the panels I spoke of before, and batteries for storage, connected to the grid so I could sell back excess to the power company). The cost could be close to $30K, if not more, with the max savings/earnings for me probably less than $1K/year. In order to save more, I would have to convert more of our home to electric, which would cost more. As you can see, it would never come close to paying for itself.



But, for a new home, and with if the cost were to go down...well, then we have possibilities.



Someone has to lead the way...



TJR

 

[Tom Schindler]

I will not be one of the people to pave the way for others. I work hard for my money and prefer to not throw it away.



Others can do that, but do not say it is to save money. You do if for either the "I am green" feeling, the look of getting 18 MPG in the city, or like all the fancy gadgets.



FWIW, Hybrids are not as green as we think they are. In many cases, they are worse for the environment. Battery disposal, mining for the Nickel to make the batteries, transportation to get the batteries to and from their various manufacturing facilities makes them very irresponsible to the environment.



In the end, it all falls back to how it makes you feel about yourself. If you think you are helping out the environment, I guess that is OK.



Whatever you do, do not criticize me for not being green. I may be greener than you are.





Tom

 

[Kevin Lang]

Caymen, I concur. The tree lovers have articles which claim that the batteries are not harmful to the environment, but I don't buy it. Indeed, it seems that there has to be some special disposal procedure to not kill the environment--special indicating costly--and they omit that from their "be green and save money" campaigns.



There is no way that nicad isn't toxic, and LiOn are pretty worthless after 3 years. I'll take my fossil fuel "greenhouse gas" pollution over water pollution. The far lesser of 2 evils.



If anyone tells me that my vehicle isn't green, they had _better_ be color blind, as every vehicle I have ever owned has been as green as the trees that these nuts seek to protect.



**Will solar power ever really work out? 1 HP per square yard, and unobstructed southern exposure for maximum effect. Too few locations, too little energy...and here we were hard pressed to mount the dirctv dish, let alone an array of solar cells.

 

[Thomas Rogers]

Kevin L,



Solar power does work, for home electricity, which is rated in KWH, not HP as I am sure you know. Most don't need that many HP to satisfy the average home's electrical needs.



If it weren't for the cost, my current home has the ideal setup for solar; but as I said, it's just too costly to refit at this time.



I agree with you and Caymen on one thing, and that is no one should be accused of not being green enough as very few can really claim they are "green".



Linked below is a very informative resource on the subject:

 

[Tom Schindler]

Solar power does work, for home electricity, which is rated in KWH, not HP as I am sure you know. Most don't need that many HP to satisfy the average home's electrical needs.

I read that a few years back, a certain President that was from Arkansas had solar panels installed on the roof of the Whitehouse.



A few years later the next guy, that will remain nameless, had them removed.



Sad, sad, sad.





Tom

 

[Jim Reeves]

I read that a few years back, a certain President that was from Arkansas had solar panels installed on the roof of the Whitehouse.



A few years later the next guy, that will remain nameless, had them removed.

Those solar panels were for a heating system to try and thaw out his ice-queen of a wife, but didn't work. The next guy didn't need them because his wife was a Librarian, and everybody knows that librarians are HOT!