Posts Tagged ‘Hybrid Car’
Car Guru asked:
As we await the results of the biggest US Presidential Election we have ever seen, I have found an interesting article on how car choice reflects how Americans vote.
Kelley Blue Book Market Research surveyed almost 12,000 US car owners and how they planned to vote in the election. They found that owners of larger trucks and traditional luxury cars are more likely to vote for John McCain, while owners of hybrids and station wagons are more likely to vote for Barack Obama.
Backers of Arizona senator McCain typically own American brands – GMC (61%), Chevrolet (60%), Buick and Dodge (58%). McCain voters are also more likely to drive luxury brands like Lexus and BMW.
Barack Obama followers prefer imported vehicles, with the most popular being the Mini with 70%, Subaru (61%) and Saab (59%).
McCain supporters are most likely to drive full size trucks and SUVs, while Obama voters drive station wagons, hatchbacks and hybrids.
Rick Wainschel from Kelley Blue Book said “Car ownership says a lot about a person, and can even be an indicator who they are likely to vote for”. I do agree with this to an extent. While all this data may seem like a sweeping generalisation, some of it does make sense.
Sales of domestic and large trucks (McCain) are higher in traditionally Republican ‘red’ states whilst import and hybrid owners are predominantly located in Democratic ‘blue’ states.
Wired Blog claims all American brands like GMC and Chevrolet, as favoured by McCain followers, represent a blue collar ethic and fit with McCain’s image as a war hero with years of experience.
Throughout the campaign, Obama has stressed the importance of renewable energy, so it’s not surprising that eco-conscious hybrid car owners would vote for him.
So while some of it makes sense, I’m sure there are a lot of exceptions to the rule. I imagine a lot of American car choices reflect personal budgets and need for space rather than their voting preference.
As we await the results of the biggest US Presidential Election we have ever seen, I have found an interesting article on how car choice reflects how Americans vote.
Kelley Blue Book Market Research surveyed almost 12,000 US car owners and how they planned to vote in the election. They found that owners of larger trucks and traditional luxury cars are more likely to vote for John McCain, while owners of hybrids and station wagons are more likely to vote for Barack Obama.
Backers of Arizona senator McCain typically own American brands – GMC (61%), Chevrolet (60%), Buick and Dodge (58%). McCain voters are also more likely to drive luxury brands like Lexus and BMW.
Barack Obama followers prefer imported vehicles, with the most popular being the Mini with 70%, Subaru (61%) and Saab (59%).
McCain supporters are most likely to drive full size trucks and SUVs, while Obama voters drive station wagons, hatchbacks and hybrids.
Rick Wainschel from Kelley Blue Book said “Car ownership says a lot about a person, and can even be an indicator who they are likely to vote for”. I do agree with this to an extent. While all this data may seem like a sweeping generalisation, some of it does make sense.
Sales of domestic and large trucks (McCain) are higher in traditionally Republican ‘red’ states whilst import and hybrid owners are predominantly located in Democratic ‘blue’ states.
Wired Blog claims all American brands like GMC and Chevrolet, as favoured by McCain followers, represent a blue collar ethic and fit with McCain’s image as a war hero with years of experience.
Throughout the campaign, Obama has stressed the importance of renewable energy, so it’s not surprising that eco-conscious hybrid car owners would vote for him.
So while some of it makes sense, I’m sure there are a lot of exceptions to the rule. I imagine a lot of American car choices reflect personal budgets and need for space rather than their voting preference.
Ernest Jarquio asked:
With the popularity that hybrid vehicles are enjoying in the media and with all the attention they have been getting from environmentalist groups and advocates, one wonders how sales of these hybrid cars are going. Let us look at some secondary data provided to get a glimpse at just how marketable these hybrid cars are.
As of the first quarter of 2007, data from Forbes show that in the US alone, hybrids garnered a combined sale of more than 17,000 units, a remarkable 10% increase from the same period in 2006. The demand is definitely rising, and this demand is translating into actual sales. Sale of hybrid vehicles vis-à-vis the total number of light-duty vehicles sold also increased by as much as 1.4% compared to previous year levels. This only means more and more buyers prefer hybrids to conventional-fuel models.
Why the Rush to the Hybrid Section?
As fuel prices soar, more and more car buyers are prompted to go for hybrid cars. Since 2003, hybrid car-makers have been raking in profits from hybrid car sales. In 2004 in the US alone, hybrid car sales were almost 88,000 units. And with the increasing awareness about climate change and global warming, hybrid car sales are yet again expected to surge.
With great expectations for hybrid car sales to reach record highs in 2007, carmakers are rushing to put into the market new models, packed with all the environmental protection and fuel efficiency features that they could muster, not to mention the technological come-ons. New models are also widening the array of offerings, from compact to mid-sized sedans, to SUVs and minivans, even to pickups and trucks.
Car buyers can afford to be choosy with the broad range of hybrid units being offered in the market today. Moreover, fuel-efficiency and environmental friendliness features of these hybrids are reaching new heights, captivating a new kind of socially conscious and responsible breed of buyers.
Prices are reasonable enough to guarantee a following. Moreover, tax incentives and breaks are given to buyers of these eco-friendly hybrid units. Doing the math, the hybrid buyer is aware that he can easily recoup the few thousand dollars difference of a hybrid model over that of a conventional one, through reduced fuel consumption.
And these hybrids come safe for the buyer and his family, too. In addition to fuel efficiency, hybrid safety features are bringing in more buyers. Open the windows and the low emissions of your hybrid ensure that your kids are breathing fresher and cleaner air inside and outside the hybrid van. Navigation and stability systems for the hybrids are also a notch higher, adding to the safety factor more. A hybrid car buyer is assured of efficiency not only fuel-wise, but overall car performance-wise.
As buyers become more fuel-price conscious and more aware of climate change and the effects of greenhouse gases; as they realize that safety is paramount, and begin to expect comfort and enjoyment from riding safe and eco-friendly vehicles, hybrid car sales will continue to rise. Car makers are thus capitalizing on this trend and are coming up with one innovative hybrid model after another. Every car dealer will surely have one hybrid in his stable.
With the popularity that hybrid vehicles are enjoying in the media and with all the attention they have been getting from environmentalist groups and advocates, one wonders how sales of these hybrid cars are going. Let us look at some secondary data provided to get a glimpse at just how marketable these hybrid cars are.
As of the first quarter of 2007, data from Forbes show that in the US alone, hybrids garnered a combined sale of more than 17,000 units, a remarkable 10% increase from the same period in 2006. The demand is definitely rising, and this demand is translating into actual sales. Sale of hybrid vehicles vis-à-vis the total number of light-duty vehicles sold also increased by as much as 1.4% compared to previous year levels. This only means more and more buyers prefer hybrids to conventional-fuel models.
Why the Rush to the Hybrid Section?
As fuel prices soar, more and more car buyers are prompted to go for hybrid cars. Since 2003, hybrid car-makers have been raking in profits from hybrid car sales. In 2004 in the US alone, hybrid car sales were almost 88,000 units. And with the increasing awareness about climate change and global warming, hybrid car sales are yet again expected to surge.
With great expectations for hybrid car sales to reach record highs in 2007, carmakers are rushing to put into the market new models, packed with all the environmental protection and fuel efficiency features that they could muster, not to mention the technological come-ons. New models are also widening the array of offerings, from compact to mid-sized sedans, to SUVs and minivans, even to pickups and trucks.
Car buyers can afford to be choosy with the broad range of hybrid units being offered in the market today. Moreover, fuel-efficiency and environmental friendliness features of these hybrids are reaching new heights, captivating a new kind of socially conscious and responsible breed of buyers.
Prices are reasonable enough to guarantee a following. Moreover, tax incentives and breaks are given to buyers of these eco-friendly hybrid units. Doing the math, the hybrid buyer is aware that he can easily recoup the few thousand dollars difference of a hybrid model over that of a conventional one, through reduced fuel consumption.
And these hybrids come safe for the buyer and his family, too. In addition to fuel efficiency, hybrid safety features are bringing in more buyers. Open the windows and the low emissions of your hybrid ensure that your kids are breathing fresher and cleaner air inside and outside the hybrid van. Navigation and stability systems for the hybrids are also a notch higher, adding to the safety factor more. A hybrid car buyer is assured of efficiency not only fuel-wise, but overall car performance-wise.
As buyers become more fuel-price conscious and more aware of climate change and the effects of greenhouse gases; as they realize that safety is paramount, and begin to expect comfort and enjoyment from riding safe and eco-friendly vehicles, hybrid car sales will continue to rise. Car makers are thus capitalizing on this trend and are coming up with one innovative hybrid model after another. Every car dealer will surely have one hybrid in his stable.