Tax Credit for hybrid cars

[Neil D]

While the World Affairs were debating [read that: complaining] about hybrid cars being expensive and the need for tax credit, I remember something I read a couple of weeks ago and thought I would post it here.

[:"blue"]There is some good news: This national-security way of thinking about hybrid and similar gas-saving vehicles (a case this column has been making for a decade) is being accepted at last by the government, in a way that is broad if not deep. And skyrocketing gasoline prices, coupled with skyrocketing oil company profits, have forced even an administration run by (and sympathetic to) oil men to begin addressing with new urgency the problem of America's dependence on imported oil.

Thus, the new energy bill, while providing bountiful incentives to oil companies, also provides a modest but significant one-time tax credit (up to $3,400) to a motorist who buys a hybrid or other vehicle with similar gas-saving capability. It doesn't fully pay for the added cost of the hybrid car, but it helps.

But we need do more. We need to be sure that we are using that government money to deploy our new and best national security weapon with the same urgency that we use for the deploying all the other high-tech missiles and bombers that keep us safe. [/]

So, any of you American citzens, or near border Canadians gonna rush out and get a hybred car?

I believe Shane, your tax credit is here... tax credit

[Dr. Shane]

I am too stingy to buy a new car but once they get into the used-car market I will choose a hybrid over its peer.

[Gregory Matthews]

I purchased a 2005, Civic Hybrid, on July 4. Withthe tax credit, the extra cost to me was about $1,000.00. I have more than doubled the MPG of the vehicle that it replaced. I will recover that $1,000 in less than 12 months.

[Michelle]

I'm with Shane--if they were available (I haven't seen any hybrids here), I would get one used (can't afford new). Just purchased a Saab 900S (don't remember the year). It won't get better efficiency than our dead Space Wagon, but we don't use it as much as we used a car in the US. It's rather breathtaking to pay over $500 to fill up the tank! (yes, that's HK money, but it still takes your breath away!)

M

[Neil D]

I saw a PBS program on hybrid cars. What look promising is the GM hydrogen car. Iceland is promoting it and changing thier dependance on oil. They have a lot of geothermal wells and are using them to create hydrogen.

Here, we could take our wind mills and turn them into hydrogen producing power plants. We could also take solar power to create the hydrogen as well.

Anyway, the Hydrogen Car from GM, would be able to change body and keep the same frames/chaisse. You could have a different colored car every day of the week.

[Gregory Matthews]

Re: ". . .once they [hybrids] get into the used-car market I will choose a hybrid over its peer."

Hybrids are in the used care market, but in short supply. In some cases, used hybrids are selling for more than what they were purchased new, or for the same as one can purchase a new one today.

NOTE: There is a new class of hybrids being sold today that is NOT engineered for gas milage, and does NOT get much better gas milage. This typical hybrid will give you about 2 miles a gallon better than a comperable non-hybrid. It has been engineered for greater accelleration, and will acceleate faster than a comperable car.

[Michelle]

Actually, after talking to my DH, I found out I'm in error--there are at least Prius's/prius' (plural Prius) available here.

Also, our gas bill has gone up (at least per tank, which we generally fill once a month or so). My DH took the new car to fill the empty tank and came out $760 HKD poorer. That is almost exactly $100 USD to fill an 18 gallon tank. This is a little Saab, not a gas-guzzler SUV. But it has a very large trunk, and we haul people to/from the airport a lot, so that was important to us. Not sure how large a Prius' trunk is, but most small cars wouldn't do us much good (well, we COULD stop offering to save people the bus/taxi/MTR money to the airport--then we could buy a smaller car with a smaller trunk).

But since we mostly use it for shopping, the gas price doesn't kill us. We walk to work, so that's an expense we don't have.

M

[Amelia]

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Hybrids are in the used care market, but in short supply

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In my area there are waiting lists for used hybrids. But I very much doubt they would ever get into my "affordable" category.