tax bonus for hybrid owners

Yeah...so lets burn coal to make electricity to power our cars..smart...how does this help the environment?

kpaxx asks how ... because it's much easier to regulate pollution from ~20,000 coal fired powerplants than it is to regulate it from 500 million cars (not that EPA regulations are well enforced by the current administration). We can only hope that Congress will close the loopholes on energy producer's taxes and start mandating stricter pollution enforcement.

No driver should be upset that hybrid car owners get a small tax break when the current administration significantly increased the tax breaks for oil companies SEVERAL TIMES in the last 6 years. It's about time some consumer gets a kickback instead of the well-connected corporations.

The fact is, the tax games played by lobbyists in Washington primarily serve the largest corporations, and it has always been this way in the USA. Tiny tax breaks for consumers -- like those for using "Energy Star" efficient appliances and hybrid cars -- are small peanuts compared to what Halliburton and Exxon get away with. Before you bitch about hybrid owners getting a tax break, do a little research and see who ISN'T paying taxes at all. Hint: start by reading the 10K statements filed by the Fortune 500 corporations. www.sec.gov

I'm not trying to start an argument here or anything but when manufacturers start quoting ranges of plug in electrics being in the 120 mile area, are they taking into account the use of A/C, lighting systems, I guess now heating systems as well since there's no internal combustion engine to take heat from, and hilly terrain? In other words, are these "best case" range quotes or "real world"?

Let's say an average commute in the US is 25 miles one way. It may still take 45 minutes to make that commute or longer if your in CA. All that time your listening to the radio and have the A/C or heat on. It could be anywhere from -10 to +110 degress F outside. How long do the batteries last at those temp extremes? What if your in someplace really hilly like Seattle or San Fran?

I question these range quotes as much as EPA mileage figures. Is there a standard in place for these claims yet?

"your mileage may vary" only HINTS at the extreme variability people will actually get.

consider that the mileage maniacs who utilize the "pulse and glide" technique can already get 109+ mpg with the CURRENT, STOCK prius.

convert those stock priuses to plug-ins, and even ORDINARY guys, driving normally, would easily match and beat that figure.

now, if an overnite charge is good for say 50 miles of all electric distance, and your commute is say 48 miles, you could go for YEARS without actually having to put gas in the tank. how do you EVEN COMPUTE the miles per GALLON?

if your commute distance is 60 miles, you'd actually have to burn SOME gas. and still, your mpg would be what, 200 mpg? 300? 500?

(true, your electric bill will be higher. but it'd have to be REALLY high to exceed the cost of all the gas you DON'T have to buy.)

i say, SURE, GIVE THEM subsidies! all the gas they DON'T burn leaves more for the rest of us. and helps keep the prices down. so EVEN NON-OWNERS benefit too!

it's a win-win no brainer.

good post Alex!

I never understood why GM spent $1 billion developing the EV1 then destroyed them all for some stupid reason!!!!!!!!!! car had a 120 mile range in its final version I believe.

thanks, bagwell.

if you haven't seen the film, Who Killed the Electric Car, you MUST see it! it can be rent.most anywhere.

rented