Eric Powers is out to destroy myths about energy-efficient cars.
And as the event manager and founder of Madison’s Green Drive Expo, perhaps the first myth that he’d like to topple is that people who are serious about protecting the environment are required to shake their fists with patchouli-infused rage at any privately owned vehicle capable of going from zero to 30 in less time than it takes to compost a Twinkie.
Indeed, the Green Drive Expo, which is scheduled for July 23-24 at the Alliant Energy Center, is really about embracing the automobile – and encouraging people to educate themselves about ways to make their transportation choices a bit more environmentally friendly.
“At heart, I’m just a car guy,” said Powers. “I love cars, so it’s really just about transportation, and the goal is really to talk about the options that are out there and dispel the myths that people have.”
While the Green Drive Expo touts everything from biodiesel and electric cars to compressed natural gas vehicles, it’s the hybrid that really captures most people’s fancy – especially in the Madison area, which has consistently been a hot market for hybrids (in fact, Madison’s Smart Motors is currently one of the largest Prius dealers in the country). But since hybrids are relative newcomers on the scene, consumers still face a fairly steep learning curve.
That’s where Powers comes in.
“Six years ago [when the expo started], there was just a lot of misinformation, not only misinformation, but disinformation out there about vehicles, and so we’ve seen the same questions – a lot of them come up every year,” said Powers. “It’s always good to reinforce the fact that my work isn’t done, because the last 10 years, I’ve heard the same question over and over … it’s always, ‘Well, what about the battery?’
“Everything from ‘how long is it going to last?’ to ‘well, my friend said you have to replace it every two years and it costs $6,000.’ Whatever. Put your year number and dollar number in there, it doesn’t matter. I’ve heard it all.
“Whereas the reality is if my battery died in my hybrid today, I could get it refurbished for $1,000 probably, which with a 10-year, 150,000-mile warranty, that wouldn’t be a big deal to me.”
Thinking long-term
Then again, if gas prices continue to rise, people may make it a point to educate themselves sooner rather than later. Anyone who has ever bought an automobile knows that the avalanche of information on various cars’ features can be overwhelming. But when it comes to hybrids, perhaps the two key facts most important to consumers are that you’ll pay more up front than you would for a smaller fuel-efficient vehicle but will be rewarded down the line with vastly improved fuel economy – and perhaps a sense of satisfaction in knowing that you’re shrinking your carbon footprint.
For example, according to figures at FuelEconomy.gov, the Toyota Prius gets 51 miles per gallon in the city and 48 on the highway – which is far better mileage than your average energy-efficient car. Its annual fuel costs, based on 15,000 miles driven, are just $1,014.
But for people who are simply looking for the most inexpensive way to get on the road, the Prius and other hybrids may not be the best option. For example, Kiplinger recently ran a list of the cheapest cars to own for five years – based on fuel, maintenance, and insurance costs and other factors – and the Prius didn’t crack the top 10 (though the Insight, a hybrid manufactured by Honda, did). The list was dominated by conventional compact and subcompact cars with low sticker prices.
But according to Allen Foster, vice president and general manager of Smart Motors in Madison, for folks who don’t want to sacrifice safety and creature comforts, the Prius’ cost is now in line with that of comparably equipped cars.
“When it first came out, I would say that was the case [that the Prius was costlier than comparable cars],” said Foster. “I wouldn’t say so much now. First of all, the cost to produce the vehicle has come down; battery technology was the real expensive part. … [The Prius is] still cheaper than a comparably equipped Camry, and interior space, people are surprised to learn, is less than 1 square foot less inside a Prius than a Camry.”
As for the battery bugaboo, Foster’s years of experience with the Prius tell him that it’s much ado about nothing.
“Consumers have always thought of batteries to be temporary, having a life that will expend at some point and you have to replace them,” said Foster. “This battery technology is different. It is made for the life of the vehicle. We have been selling these vehicles since 1999 and have yet to replace a battery other than [for a car] that was in a collision.”
Getting gassed
Of course, humans are practical animals, and the bottom line often dictates consumers’ decisions more than anything else. If the unrest in the Middle East continues to metastasize and drastically higher fuel prices ensue, people are sure to explore alternative vehicles.
According to John Marks, who has worked as a sales consultant for Zimbrick Honda for the past 21 years, it’s happened before and could very well happen again.
“There are always factors in big-ticket items, whether it’s the economy or the possibility of layoffs or gasoline prices,” said Marks. “A couple years ago when gas hit $4 a gallon, we completely sold out of hybrids and Civics that summer. I mean, it was crazy, and I think that overall, all things being equal, you’ll continually see the hybrid market build just because more manufacturers are offering them.”
That could be a slow build or it could be more like a big bang, depending on whether we continue to see a ’60s-style consciousness-raising or eventually face a full-blown ’70s-style energy panic. Indeed, the latter could be the only thing that will ultimately bridge the chasm between what people say they want to do and what they actually do – a disparity that was never more evident than in an October Consumer Reports story that reported that 39% of people contacted in a telephone survey are considering buying a hybrid or plug-in for their next car, even though hybrids and plug-ins currently make up less than 3% of the cars on the road.
“The funny thing is, at $3.25 or $3.28 or whatever [the gas price] currently is up the street at SuperAmerica or Mobil or BP, people gripe and grumble about it, but not many people are ready to give up their Suburbans or minivans for a small fuel-efficient car yet,” said Marks. “When gas hits $3.50 or 4 bucks a gallon, look out.”
So, whither the hybrid? That, of course, depends.
“I think we’re still a bit at the beginning,” said Powers. “We’ve sort of gone through 10 years of hybrids being on the road now, but I think we’re still at the point where there’s plenty of people who don’t really know much about them, but those will become just another drive-train option. … I sort of see this continuing on, with different options being out there because there really isn’t going to be a single solution that fits everybody’s needs, just as they say there’s never really any magic bullet.”
“It’s a strange market because there’s so many unknowns, and there’s stuff that’s coming that people are going to go ‘wow,'” said Marks. “But at the same time, I remember sitting here in 2000, 2001 and being interviewed by somebody about the hybrid we had then … and the question was, ‘Where do you think the technology is going to be, do you see 50% of [hybrids] on the road by the end of the decade?’ and I didn’t know. Who knows? It certainly isn’t even close to that.”
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