markatty Posted December 1, 2005 Share Posted December 1, 2005 Holman Jenkins, the WSJ's most conservative columnist, goes on a rant against Toyota hybrids as you can read here if have subscription to wsj.com http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1133320754...days_us_opinion My reply to this drivel: Subject: Hybrid illogic Date: Nov 30, 2005 6:06 PM Mr. Jenkins: Your tongue in cheek position in writing your column "Dear Valued Hybrid Customer..." seems to also have affected your logic. You write, "Toyota applauds your willingness to spend $9,500 over the price of any comparable vehicle for the privilege of saving, at current gasoline prices, approximately $580 a year." Edmunds has the MSRP of the Prius as $21,725 http://www.edmunds.com/new/2006/toyota/pri...s.html?action=1. That would mean that the comparable vehicle would be $12,275. What vehicle are you talking about? Comparable cars such as the Honda Civic are in the $18,000 to $20,000 range. The hybrid premium is more like $2,000 to $3,000 not $9,500. Of course you don't mention the $2,000 tax deduction that you get with a hybrid. You also make a big deal out of the fact that the Prius doesn't match the EPA fuel economy numbers, but you fail to mention that the majority of cars do not match these numbers. Even the EPA admits that their decades old testing procedures do not match real world conditions and are working on a new procedure as reported by the WSJ. Your statement, "petroleum not consumed by Prius owners is not "saved." It does not remain in the ground. It is consumed by someone else." is sophistry. Suppose everyone drove a Prius except for one guy with a Hummer, that driver is not going to use all the gas "saved" by the Prius drivers. I must say I was shocked to see a WSJ columnist quoting a New York Times reporter, but you did manage to find the worst bashing of hybrid technology prior to your article. What the NYT article showed was that if you go out of your way to find the least favorable conditions for testing a hybrid, high speeds, flat roads, hot weather, and a lead foot, you can get as bad mileage as non-hybrid vehicle. Hybrids are a system of technology, information feedback to the driver and driver behaviour modifications based on this information. The end result saves a lot of gas. You say, "Hybrid technology is not "green" technology.", but don't mention that both the Prius and the RX-400 meet the EPA standard for Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicles (SULEVs). If you are going to just make up numbers you might try to be a little more subtle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thesaintjim Posted December 1, 2005 Share Posted December 1, 2005 Holman Jenkins, the WSJ's most conservative columnist, goes on a rant against Toyota hybrids as you can read here if have subscription to wsj.comhttp://online.wsj.com/article/SB1133320754...days_us_opinion My reply to this drivel: Subject: Hybrid illogic Date: Nov 30, 2005 6:06 PM Mr. Jenkins: Your tongue in cheek position in writing your column "Dear Valued Hybrid Customer..." seems to also have affected your logic. You write, "Toyota applauds your willingness to spend $9,500 over the price of any comparable vehicle for the privilege of saving, at current gasoline prices, approximately $580 a year." Edmunds has the MSRP of the Prius as $21,725 http://www.edmunds.com/new/2006/toyota/pri...s.html?action=1. That would mean that the comparable vehicle would be $12,275. What vehicle are you talking about? Comparable cars such as the Honda Civic are in the $18,000 to $20,000 range. The hybrid premium is more like $2,000 to $3,000 not $9,500. Of course you don't mention the $2,000 tax deduction that you get with a hybrid. You also make a big deal out of the fact that the Prius doesn't match the EPA fuel economy numbers, but you fail to mention that the majority of cars do not match these numbers. Even the EPA admits that their decades old testing procedures do not match real world conditions and are working on a new procedure as reported by the WSJ. Your statement, "petroleum not consumed by Prius owners is not "saved." It does not remain in the ground. It is consumed by someone else." is sophistry. Suppose everyone drove a Prius except for one guy with a Hummer, that driver is not going to use all the gas "saved" by the Prius drivers. I must say I was shocked to see a WSJ columnist quoting a New York Times reporter, but you did manage to find the worst bashing of hybrid technology prior to your article. What the NYT article showed was that if you go out of your way to find the least favorable conditions for testing a hybrid, high speeds, flat roads, hot weather, and a lead foot, you can get as bad mileage as non-hybrid vehicle. Hybrids are a system of technology, information feedback to the driver and driver behaviour modifications based on this information. The end result saves a lot of gas. You say, "Hybrid technology is not "green" technology.", but don't mention that both the Prius and the RX-400 meet the EPA standard for Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicles (SULEVs). If you are going to just make up numbers you might try to be a little more subtle. ← I think he might have to change his underwear after reading that one. Good show! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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