Prius

Has anyone any idea as to ongoing maintenance costs of the prius?

The biggest "maintenance" cost to be be concerned about with ANY
hybrid is the four to five thousand dollar cost of replacing the
battery pack at some point and the cost effect on resale value at
that point. Hybrids simply do not make sense if one intent is to
save anything but the environment. They certainly are not a
money saver in the case of fuel costs. Several source, including
CR and the buff mags have reported that the premium price one
must pay to purchase a hybrid, compared to a similar non hybrid,
will buy ALL OF THE FUEL to run a conventionally powered vehicle
for four years. If you only consider the difference in fuel
cost, even at $2.50 a gallon, it will take eight to ten years,
depending on ones average annual mileage, before one saves ANY
money on fuel. At that point the battery pack will need to be
changed. When one considers that the average new car buyer
replaces their vehicle every three to four years the hybrids are
a big looser. Hybrids should be left to the rich environuts to
save fuel for the rest of us, they are not for the average guy,
IMO


mike hunt



Ray wrote:[color=blue]
>
> Has anyone any idea as to ongoing maintenance costs of the prius?[/color]

In article <JDvbe.14630$u5.9674@newsfe2-gui.ntli.net>
[email]ray.guess@ntl.com[/email] "Ray" writes:
[color=blue]
> Has anyone any idea as to ongoing maintenance costs of the
> prius?[/color]

Which country?
--
Andrew Stephenson

Then WHY is Ford intending to power one or more of its SUVs with a hybrid
powertrain?

Yeah ... it they'll buy it, we'll build it.

A friend of ours with a 2002 Prius just took a trip from Anaheim CA to
Phoenix AZ to Flagstaff AZ, and back. The display on the dash shows a
overall fuel economy of 44 mpg. This was largely Interstate driving at 75
mph. You could do as well if not a little BETTER with a Volkswagen Jetta
TDI (diesel) and have MORE power on the hills.

[email]MelvinGibson@mailcity.com[/email] wrote:[color=blue]
> The biggest "maintenance" cost to be be concerned about with ANY
> hybrid is the four to five thousand dollar cost of replacing the
> battery pack at some point and the cost effect on resale value at
> that point. Hybrids simply do not make sense if one intent is to
> save anything but the environment. They certainly are not a
> money saver in the case of fuel costs. Several source, including
> CR and the buff mags have reported that the premium price one
> must pay to purchase a hybrid, compared to a similar non hybrid,
> will buy ALL OF THE FUEL to run a conventionally powered vehicle
> for four years. If you only consider the difference in fuel
> cost, even at $2.50 a gallon, it will take eight to ten years,
> depending on ones average annual mileage, before one saves ANY
> money on fuel. At that point the battery pack will need to be
> changed. When one considers that the average new car buyer
> replaces their vehicle every three to four years the hybrids are
> a big looser. Hybrids should be left to the rich environuts to
> save fuel for the rest of us, they are not for the average guy,
> IMO
>
>
> mike hunt
>
>
>
> Ray wrote:[color=green]
>>
>> Has anyone any idea as to ongoing maintenance costs of the prius?[/color][/color]

On Wed, 27 Apr 2005 03:42:27 +0000, Philip wrote:
[color=blue]
> Then WHY is Ford intending to power one or more of its SUVs with a hybrid
> powertrain?
>
> Yeah ... it they'll buy it, we'll build it.
>
> A friend of ours with a 2002 Prius just took a trip from Anaheim CA to
> Phoenix AZ to Flagstaff AZ, and back. The display on the dash shows a
> overall fuel economy of 44 mpg. This was largely Interstate driving at 75
> mph. You could do as well if not a little BETTER with a Volkswagen Jetta
> TDI (diesel) and have MORE power on the hills.
>
> [email]MelvinGibson@mailcity.com[/email] wrote:[color=green]
>> The biggest "maintenance" cost to be be concerned about with ANY
>> hybrid is the four to five thousand dollar cost of replacing the
>> battery pack at some point and the cost effect on resale value at
>> that point. Hybrids simply do not make sense if one intent is to
>> save anything but the environment. They certainly are not a
>> money saver in the case of fuel costs. Several source, including
>> CR and the buff mags have reported that the premium price one
>> must pay to purchase a hybrid, compared to a similar non hybrid,
>> will buy ALL OF THE FUEL to run a conventionally powered vehicle
>> for four years. If you only consider the difference in fuel
>> cost, even at $2.50 a gallon, it will take eight to ten years,
>> depending on ones average annual mileage, before one saves ANY
>> money on fuel. At that point the battery pack will need to be
>> changed. When one considers that the average new car buyer
>> replaces their vehicle every three to four years the hybrids are
>> a big looser. Hybrids should be left to the rich environuts to
>> save fuel for the rest of us, they are not for the average guy,
>> IMO
>>
>>
>> mike hunt
>>
>>
>>
>> Ray wrote:[color=darkred]
>>>
>>> Has anyone any idea as to ongoing maintenance costs of the prius?[/color][/color][/color]


The Jetta is a safer car too, You'll never leave the service bay with it!

Philip wrote:
:: Then WHY is Ford intending to power one or more of its SUVs with a
:: hybrid powertrain?
::
:: Yeah ... it they'll buy it, we'll build it.

Exactly the same reason Toyota's building them.

:: A friend of ours with a 2002 Prius just took a trip from Anaheim CA
:: to Phoenix AZ to Flagstaff AZ, and back. The display on the dash
:: shows a overall fuel economy of 44 mpg. This was largely Interstate
:: driving at 75 mph. You could do as well if not a little BETTER with
:: a Volkswagen Jetta TDI (diesel) and have MORE power on the hills.

Do the math. There's no free lunch. ALL of the energy consumed by a hybrid
is derived from gasoline - same as 'regular' cars.

In article <DSDbe.13454$sp3.11695@newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net>
1chip-state1@earthlink.n0t writes:
[color=blue]
> Then WHY is Ford intending to power one or more of its SUVs
> with a hybrid powertrain?[/color]

A little OT but adding other insights on this hybrid subject...

General Electric (the USian company, not the UKian named-alike),
who make railway engines (erm, I suppose they'd be "locomotives"
as it's a USian company... whatever) in a serious way, are now
developing a standard-sized unit (one of those huge beggars you
see in teams hauling hundreds of wagons) that uses regenerative
braking to reduce energy needs by around 17%. And there we are
_not_ talking small numbers.

Of course, the railways have had hybrid units for decades: those
60s diesel-electric sets (in the UK at least) are hybrids, after
all. The new idea is regenerative braking; and that, I suspect,
only became feasible due to new technologies (batteries, compact
and efficient electric motor-generators, control systems &c).

Also, ISTR in the 1950s there was a short-lived idea to store the
kinetic energy of buses in flywheels whilst they paused at stops.

It seems like the genie is now out of its bottle.
--
Andrew Stephenson

The same reason every other manufacture is building hybrids,
pressure from the environuts and there are people willing to pay
the premium to buy them, I guess.

I hope more buyers will chose hybrids to help save the
gas for those of us that like to drive high powered vehicles.
The only problem i see is if we use less crude OPEC will raise
the price even more to maintain their profit margin ;)


mike hunt



Philip wrote:[color=blue]
>
> Then WHY is Ford intending to power one or more of its SUVs with a hybrid
> powertrain?
>
> Yeah ... it they'll buy it, we'll build it.[/color]
[color=blue]
> [email]MelvinGibson@mailcity.com[/email] wrote:[color=green]
> > The biggest "maintenance" cost to be be concerned about with ANY
> > hybrid is the four to five thousand dollar cost of replacing the
> > battery pack at some point and the cost effect on resale value at
> > that point. Hybrids simply do not make sense if one intent is to
> > save anything but the environment. They certainly are not a
> > money saver in the case of fuel costs. Several source, including
> > CR and the buff mags have reported that the premium price one
> > must pay to purchase a hybrid, compared to a similar non hybrid,
> > will buy ALL OF THE FUEL to run a conventionally powered vehicle
> > for four years. If you only consider the difference in fuel
> > cost, even at $2.50 a gallon, it will take eight to ten years,
> > depending on ones average annual mileage, before one saves ANY
> > money on fuel. At that point the battery pack will need to be
> > changed. When one considers that the average new car buyer
> > replaces their vehicle every three to four years the hybrids are
> > a big looser. Hybrids should be left to the rich environuts to
> > save fuel for the rest of us, they are not for the average guy,
> > IMO
> >
> >
> > mike hunt
> >
> >
> >
> > Ray wrote:[color=darkred]
> >>
> >> Has anyone any idea as to ongoing maintenance costs of the prius?[/color][/color][/color]

"FanJet" <FanJet27@hotmail.com> wrote:
snip[color=blue]
>Do the math. There's no free lunch. ALL of the energy consumed by a hybrid
>is derived from gasoline - same as 'regular' cars.
>[/color]

BUT...hybrids use some of the energy of the vehicle's inertia to
charge the battery instead of wasting it as heat in the brakes as
you decelerate. Therefore it uses the energy in the fuel more
efficiently...

-Gord.

"I'm trying to get as old as I can,
and it must be working 'cause I'm
the oldest now that I've ever been"

<MelvinGibson@mailcity.com> wrote in message
news:426FB4CC.AD61A30B@mailcity.com...[color=blue]
> The same reason every other manufacture is building hybrids,
> pressure from the environuts and there are people willing to pay
> the premium to buy them, I guess.
>
> I hope more buyers will chose hybrids to help save the
> gas for those of us that like to drive high powered vehicles.
> The only problem i see is if we use less crude OPEC will raise
> the price even more to maintain their profit margin ;)
>[/color]

One can design a high powered car without resorting to brute force engines,
a concept quite familiar to import car makers.

"Ray" <ray.guess@ntl.com> wrote in message
news:JDvbe.14630$u5.9674@newsfe2-gui.ntli.net...[color=blue]
> Has anyone any idea as to ongoing maintenance costs of the prius?
>
>[/color]

The usual maintenance as any ICE vehicle for the first 10 years or so.

"Philip" <1chip-state1@earthlink.n0t> wrote in message
news:DSDbe.13454$sp3.11695@newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net...[color=blue]
> Then WHY is Ford intending to power one or more of its SUVs with a hybrid
> powertrain?
>
> Yeah ... it they'll buy it, we'll build it.
>
> A friend of ours with a 2002 Prius just took a trip from Anaheim CA to
> Phoenix AZ to Flagstaff AZ, and back. The display on the dash shows a
> overall fuel economy of 44 mpg. This was largely Interstate driving at 75
> mph. You could do as well if not a little BETTER with a Volkswagen Jetta
> TDI (diesel) and have MORE power on the hills.[/color]

We did a trip from SF Bay area to Utah, Grand Canyon etc and we averaged
close to 46-47mpg (up to 85 mph at times). A Jetta (gasoline) that came
along with us averaged about 30-35mpg for the same trip. The TDI should
definitely do better but doubt it would have got the same as the Prius.
Driving in urban areas our mpg is closer to 52mpg average.

S Narayan wrote:[color=blue]
> <MelvinGibson@mailcity.com> wrote in message
> news:426FB4CC.AD61A30B@mailcity.com...[color=green]
>> The same reason every other manufacture is building hybrids,
>> pressure from the environuts and there are people willing to pay
>> the premium to buy them, I guess.
>>
>> I hope more buyers will chose hybrids to help save the
>> gas for those of us that like to drive high powered vehicles.
>> The only problem i see is if we use less crude OPEC will raise
>> the price even more to maintain their profit margin ;)
>>[/color]
>
> One can design a high powered car without resorting to brute force
> engines, a concept quite familiar to import car makers.[/color]

One can ... but when nobody brings cash to buy ... you're gonna go out of
business.

"FanJet" <FanJet27@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:lHMbe.2292$Cz3.325398@monger.newsread.com...[color=blue]
> Philip wrote:
> :: Then WHY is Ford intending to power one or more of its SUVs with a
> :: hybrid powertrain?
> ::
> :: Yeah ... it they'll buy it, we'll build it.
>
> Exactly the same reason Toyota's building them.
>
> :: A friend of ours with a 2002 Prius just took a trip from Anaheim CA
> :: to Phoenix AZ to Flagstaff AZ, and back. The display on the dash
> :: shows a overall fuel economy of 44 mpg. This was largely Interstate
> :: driving at 75 mph. You could do as well if not a little BETTER with
> :: a Volkswagen Jetta TDI (diesel) and have MORE power on the hills.
>
> Do the math. There's no free lunch. ALL of the energy consumed by a hybrid
> is derived from gasoline - same as 'regular' cars.[/color]

Yeah, but it uses the energy more efficiently. The Prius gets away with a
smaller engine than what would be needed for the same power because of the
electric motor contribution. Sitting in traffic I am not burning fuel by the
hour. Going downhill for short distances helps recharge the batteries.

Gee if you go down hill often enough you may not even need the
gas engine ;)


mike hunt


S Narayan wrote:[color=blue]
>
> "FanJet" <FanJet27@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:lHMbe.2292$Cz3.325398@monger.newsread.com...[color=green]
> > Philip wrote:
> > :: Then WHY is Ford intending to power one or more of its SUVs with a
> > :: hybrid powertrain?
> > ::
> > :: Yeah ... it they'll buy it, we'll build it.
> >
> > Exactly the same reason Toyota's building them.
> >
> > :: A friend of ours with a 2002 Prius just took a trip from Anaheim CA
> > :: to Phoenix AZ to Flagstaff AZ, and back. The display on the dash
> > :: shows a overall fuel economy of 44 mpg. This was largely Interstate
> > :: driving at 75 mph. You could do as well if not a little BETTER with
> > :: a Volkswagen Jetta TDI (diesel) and have MORE power on the hills.
> >
> > Do the math. There's no free lunch. ALL of the energy consumed by a hybrid
> > is derived from gasoline - same as 'regular' cars.[/color]
>
> Yeah, but it uses the energy more efficiently. The Prius gets away with a
> smaller engine than what would be needed for the same power because of the
> electric motor contribution. Sitting in traffic I am not burning fuel by the
> hour. Going downhill for short distances helps recharge the batteries.[/color]