Hybrid Work Van

[corey2444]

With gas prices soaring, it would be nice to see a Hybrid contractors van out there. I've been doing searches but haven't seen anything except economy cars. My guess is something within the next couple years will hit the market. The sooner the better.

[Eyes_Only]

Theres one person running around in a Honda Element turned into a mobile shop.

[Kaotik]

For a four cyclinder the Honda Element would get better gas milage, but to my knowledge the Element has not yet been turned into a hyrbid (e.g., 1/2 fuel - 1/2 electric) or even gone "Green". I think the only hybrid made by Honda is the Insight.

I could very well be wrong but I havent seen them advertised or seen one in person...yet.

[Eyes_Only]

Well no, you're right. Its not a hybrid but it'll probably be the vehicle with the best mileage you can get for something like this.

[WOT]

With gas prices soaring, it would be nice to see a Hybrid contractors van out there. I've been doing searches but haven't seen anything except economy cars. My guess is something within the next couple years will hit the market. The sooner the better.

IMHO it's better to use the available upfront credit line on other capital equipment.

There are hybrid and CNG buses used by transit authorities, but they're exceptions. They're public agencies that can't sustain themselves on commercial basis and are using them for publicity stunt to please those envirowhiners. The break-even time on a Prius is something like a decade at $4/gallon and 15,000 miles a year.

I'm guessing a hybrid option on a contractor type van is going to add $5-6K to price, because slick marketing BS walks. After you do the math for break even point, do you think you could have better the extra cost of $5-6k per van?

[vitti]

WOT has a point. If you are wanting to do something green then go for a hybrid. If you are wanting to save money it's not a realistic idea. You wont likely keep the vehicle long enough to recoup the extra cost in fuel savings.

Even if you put a lot of mileage on the vehicle you're not likely to do more than break even.

When it comes down to it with a hybrid you are pre-paying for a fuel savings and at the bottom line the number is the same.

[globallockytoo]

Perhaps it might be worthwile to look into those hybrid modules you can connect to the carby. Like the Hydrogenizer device. $150.00 to make and runs on water.....statistics reckon 25-70% increases in MPG.

[WOT]

WOT has a point. If you are wanting to do something green then go for a hybrid. If you are wanting to save money it's not a realistic idea. You wont likely keep the vehicle long enough to recoup the extra cost in fuel savings.

Even if you put a lot of mileage on the vehicle you're not likely to do more than break even.

When it comes down to it with a hybrid you are pre-paying for a fuel savings and at the bottom line the number is the same.

If you're in an ultra liberal city, then hybrid is a marketing technique letting you use "we care about the environment" or "green". There are pizza/food delivery places that use bicycles. I read that some customers(liberal tree hugger types) opt for bicycle delivery.

I'm not sure about the law in California now, but if they're still giving away HOV passes for hybrids, then even a used, dent up cheapest possible Prius could be a pass to competitive advantage in faster response time over competitors for getting to jobs that only require tools you can fit in a regular car i.e. responding to auto-lock out during rush hours.

If you can get bio-diesel in your area, a Sprinter running on bio-diesel might let you pull this "we care about the environment" BS and you might be able to get some tax credit for using alternative fuel.

[Kaotik]

I recollect hear something about those modules that can be added for fuel efficiency, don't recall the details of then though.

Thanks for reminding me, I was panning on looking them up for curiousity sake but never got around to it.

[corey2444]

I work for Discount Cab in Phoenix on weekends. On a 12 hour shift we're spending $55+ gas with the Crown Vics. Recently Discount has purchased 20 Toyota Prius's and plan on adding another 180 by the end of the year. I haven't had a chance to drive one becuase they go to weekly or 24 hour drivers and everyone there is fighting for the 20 they added.

The drivers say on a 24 hour shift they are spending anywhere from $18 to $25 in gas.. AMAZING!

If I was to go back to weekly driving a Crown Vic, I would easily spend $500.

It's just a matter of time before the majority goes Green. There's really nowhere else to go. MR Hugo and Akmajina-yaba-daba-doo (the guy from Iran) have discussed $200 barrel of oil future. I WOULD STRONGLY SUGGEST you think twice about any 20 mpg or less vehicle you plan on purchasing.

[corey2444]

IMHO it's better to use the available upfront credit line on other capital equipment.

There are hybrid and CNG buses used by transit authorities, but they're exceptions. They're public agencies that can't sustain themselves on commercial basis and are using them for publicity stunt to please those envirowhiners. The break-even time on a Prius is something like a decade at $4/gallon and 15,000 miles a year.

I'm guessing a hybrid option on a contractor type van is going to add $5-6K to price, because slick marketing BS walks. After you do the math for break even point, do you think you could have better the extra cost of $5-6k per van?

New Toyota Prius goes for under 22k w/o the extras like floor mats, first aid kit and crap. I'm not sure what a new contractors van runs but usually you wont get out the door with less than 20k. You do make a good point on spending resources wisely by buying used.

Eventually by 2112, we're all going to be driving vehicles that require at least 35 MPG. People use to say the days of $1.00 gas are over. Now, it's "the days of $2.00 gas are over". Next they'll be saying $3.00. They are saying oil is going to hit $200 per barrel.

[WOT]

I work for Discount Cab in Phoenix on weekends. On a 12 hour shift we're spending $55+ gas with the Crown Vics. Recently Discount has purchased 20 Toyota Prius's and plan on adding another 180 by the end of the year. I haven't had a chance to drive one becuase they go to weekly or 24 hour drivers and everyone there is fighting for the 20 they added.

The drivers say on a 24 hour shift they are spending anywhere from $18 to $25 in gas.. AMAZING!

Ok, but this is not a fair comparison. You're comparing against a big, RWD V8 sedan to a medium-small sedan with a 4cyl.

How about comparing between two, alike, current replacements, such as a Scion xB or a Toyota Yaris? In the US, ex-police Caprice and Crown Vic dominate the cabs, but go to Vancouver Canada and Yaris hatchback cabs are everywhere.

The Yaris is at least $5,000 less than the Prius. Compare the avg daily fuel economy between a Toyota Yaris and a Prius. Then, you do the math to calculate the break even point where your fuel savings catch up with $5,000+cost of financing of extra $5k/vehicle +/- insurance cost difference. If the break even point is near the end of useful life of hybrid battery pack, then the four figure battery replacement is going to back pedal and you'll need a few more years before you break even again.

So putting environmental advertisements aside, is the purchase of a Prius fleet going to be able to meet the firm's payback period goa(relative to other traditional alternatives or status quo), which is typically 3 years or less?

[J-Hood]

What happened to Geo and their 45-50mpg cars?? Oh yeah GM bought them out and put the same cars out with a 35mpg engine... hmm.

Jason

[WOT]

What happened to Geo and their 45-50mpg cars?? Oh yeah GM bought them out and put the same cars out with a 35mpg engine... hmm.

Jason

A mid 80s Honda CRX HF got 52mpg hwy, but timing and fuel mixture has changed since then for optimal emissions performance. Today's cars don't achieve the maximum mpg technology has to offer. Meeting today's emissions standards is at some expense of mpg.

[J-Hood]

What happened to Geo and their 45-50mpg cars?? Oh yeah GM bought them out and put the same cars out with a 35mpg engine... hmm.

Jason

A mid 80s Honda CRX HF got 52mpg hwy, but timing and fuel mixture has changed since then for optimal emissions performance. Today's cars don't achieve the maximum mpg technology has to offer. Meeting today's emissions standards is at some expense of mpg.

Sounds like someone needs to do one of those deals like you did above with cost times savings to see if the emissions v/ MPG loss is really putting us in a "greener" place or just putting more green in the wallets of the big oil people. I am pretty sure I know the answer...

I would love to see where the electric cars were going. They put out an electric Ranger so a Econoline could have been down the line...

Jason