Both hybrid cars and trucks, which get better mileage in city driving by operating on an assemblage of gas and electric power, are priced between $1,300 and $7,500 more than longstanding versions of the same vehicles, reported by www.Edmunds.com.
However a fuel economy report by Edmunds.com indicated that the scales were beginning to go in favor of hybrids. High gas prices and ample tax credits now counterbalance the high sales costs of many hybrids, taking for granted owners retain their hybrids for several years according to an analyst with Edmunds.com.
The change over is significant since analysts have claimed that higher sticker prices were restricting hybrid sales. Hybrids today amount to 1 % of new car sales in the United States. But Toyota, the hybrid market leader, envisions its yearly hybrid sales exceeding 1 million vehicles right after 2011.
Edmunds.com indicated that if vehicles were driven 15,000 miles per year and gas was priced at 3 dollars per gallon, owners of the Ford Motor's Escape Hybrid and Toyota Prius would break even inside three years. And that owners of the Toyota Camry, Saturn Vue Green Line from General Motors and the Civic Hybrid from Honda Motor would break even inside of 6 years.
Trouble is federal tax credits for hybrid owners are being terminated on the most popular ones. From a provision of the tax code, owners of a Toyota hybrid after Sept. 30, 2006 will just measure up for 1/2 of the tax credit for which they would have formerly qualified.
The tax credit on Toyota and Lexus hybrids is programed to dip to 25% about April 2007 and then be closed out in October 2007.
In another written report the auto industry tracking firm CSM Worldwide mentioned higher gas prices as one factor leading a shift in the direction of more efficient six-speed transmissions. CSM predict that automatic six-speed transmissions would be the sole or primary factor for 60% of the U.S. car and truck marketplace by 2013, that is up from just under 5% today. CSM claims three-quarters of the new cars from GM would possess the six-speed transmission by 2012.
General Motors has previously declared projects to change to a new group of six-speed transmissions for future models.
