commentary by Michael L. Bromley
copyright 2005

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... of Automobiles

Dec 9/ 05: Green is good, or too much green?

How much for your taxpayer's conscience? The AP puts it at from three to five thousand dollars per hybrid purchased by Philadelphia city managers:

Cities Question Cost of Hybrid Cars
By gradually adding hybrids to this city's vehicle fleet, James Muller knows he's helping to save the environment. What he doesn't know is whether switching to the more expensive "green" vehicles will save taxpayers money.

The city just bought 20 new hybrid Ford Escapes to add to the six Toyota Priuses already in its 6,000-vehicle fleet. Muller, Philadelphia's fleet manager, said officials are doing it to improve air quality, but that the upfront costs definitely take a bigger hit on city coffers. "That's what we're finding with the initial cost ... it doesn't wash out," he said. "You're actually paying more money."

Well, makers of hybrids don't think it's a problem. They're making green off green. Listen to this from an industry apologist -- erh, promotor::

"Yes, there is a premium associated with buying a hybrid vehicle at this point," said Wynne [president of the Electric Drive Transportation Association], whose group's members include vehicle and equipment manufacturers and energy suppliers. "I don't think there's hesitancy, I think there's diligence."

Wynne said prices will go down as production increases, and that government incentives such as tax credits will help defray the cost.

Nice. If the prices don't come down, just reach into the Capitol dome for that $5,000 premium for another uselessly expensive automobile. Does the average recipient of Philadelphia city largess really care that some social service automobile used1/3rd less of a gallon to deliver the SUV-sized load of rent subsidies? (And, btw, what is Philadelphia doing buying SUVs? Vile machines!) For those 26 hybrids so far, at the conservative $5,000 premium I estimated each Hybrid costs (entry 3/11/05) up front, Philadelphia paid an extra $130,000. Drop in the bucket? Or six or seven more automobiles?

"Diligence"? No. Just good old fashioned politics. Recipients of Philadelphia city services don't give a damn about hybrids. It's the taxpaying population that does, and to sooth their broken, bleeding souls, their city is spending their money wisely. $130,000 is nothing. Cleansing a city's collective guilt is priceless.

Hybrids never will take over from the straight combustion engine. No matter how much they drop in price, to compete makers of all-gasoline engined cars will drop their prices even lower. It's all good for consumers. I'll love forever those anxious fools who pay the huge premium for the latest thing. They're getting their money's worth, and the rest of us are getting a little ride.

Then again, some ideas just never pan out. During the darkest days of the Great War, this guy had an awesome solution to the British ban on gasoline use:

Yep: that's the "gas car," running on God's own cow-produced methanol.

Dinosaur fuel is still the best there is. And, sorry greenies, we're no where close to running out of "fossil fuels," especially since they never came from dinosaurs in the first place.

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