From the LA Times–
The Ford and Honda hybrids due out this month are among dozens planned for the coming years as automakers try to meet new fuel-efficiency standards and please politicians overseeing the industry’s multibillion-dollar bailout.
Unfortunately for the automakers, hybrids are a tough sell these days.
Americans have cut back on buying vehicles of all types as the economy continues its slide. But the slowdown has been particularly brutal for hybrids, which use electricity and gasoline as power sources. They were the industry’s darling just last summer, but sales have collapsed as consumers refuse to pay a premium for a fuel-efficient vehicle now that the average price of a gallon of gasoline nationally has slipped below $2.
“When gas prices came down, the priority of buying a hybrid fell off quite quickly,” said Wes Brown, a partner at Los Angeles-based market research firm Iceology. “Yet even as consumer interest declined, the manufacturers have continued to pump them out.” (more…)
Gee, why are they continuing to build these cars if folks aren’t buying them?
Because politicians want them to.
I’ve been saying this over and over again on this site. The Green movement is a complete joke. Why? Because there is no real demand out there on Main street for “Green” products unless it is priced competitively.
The government is going to figure out real quick that the only way they can increase the sales on Green products like hybrid cars is to tax the heck out of all other options. California just tried to pass a 12 cent tax hike on gasoline, but fortunately it was pulled out of the recent bill at the last minute. Keep an eye on your state governments, because they will try to pull the same thing.
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