Where Are The Hybrids/EVs Being Sold?

[jyl]

This probably makes sense to most of us. Incomes, gas prices, environmental consciousness, and car interest are all relatively higher on the West Coast, and so are hybrid/EV sales. Traffic is pretty bad too, and cars in general are smaller, which might also be a factor.

So when some of us seem amazed that anyone would buy a hybrid, and others think it is perfectly normal, that's why - it is a regional difference. Kind of like good wine - we have it, you don't :-)

Who Buys The Most Hybrid Cars? Northern Californians, Report Says - Forbes

in San Francisco, where almost one out of 10 vehicles purchased is a hybrid, highest in the country. California, not surprisingly, leads the nation in hybrid sales, with nine of the top 15 hybrid-happy markets in the U.S. These markets, along with four cities in Oregon, plus Seattle and Tuscon, account for about 30 percent of all hybrid sales in the nation. These same metro areas accounted for 41 percent of all electric vehicle registrations, according to Polk. In fact, San Francisco and Los Angeles together accounted for about one-quarter of all EV registrations.

[VaSteve]

Why Tuscon?

[mikesride]

My father lives in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. Google map it. He is on year five with his Camry Hybrid and loves it! No issues yet with anything including the serious cold weather up here. Did I think he was nuts for buying it....YES, but that car is proving itself to me more and more every day.

[sammyg2]

[gtc]

There are a crap ton of priuses up here also. It's not unusual to get stuck behind a row of 4 priuses driving down the freeway together... all doing 58mph.

[aigel]

They make perfect sense for people who love 1 hour each way stop and go commutes. This type of commuting is very common in L.A. and the Bay Area. Of course living like that makes no sense to me to start with, but it is a reality and does not appear to affect these individuals.

Other metro areas may involve long commutes also, i.e. from satellite suburban areas to the centers, but here the traffic still flows considerably well and a regular gas saver car will be sufficient. Also, gas will be 20% less in these areas, so many may care less abut fuel mileage.

I really think the average person nowadays buys a hybrid in CA. It isn't at all about smugness, the environment etc. It is a decent mid size commuter car with the best mileage. Just an appliance like any other Japanese mid size car.

G

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by aigel

They make perfect sense for people who love 1 hour each way stop and go commutes. This type of commuting is very common in L.A. and the Bay Area. Of course living like that makes no sense to me to start with, but it is a reality and does not appear to affect these individuals.

Other metro areas may involve long commutes also, i.e. from satellite suburban areas to the centers, but here the traffic still flows considerably well and a regular gas saver car will be sufficient. Also, gas will be 20% less in these areas, so many may care less abut fuel mileage.

I really think the average person nowadays buys a hybrid in CA. It isn't at all about smugness, the environment etc. It is a decent mid size commuter car with the best mileage. Just an appliance like any other Japanese mid size car.

G

The area you live makes a big impact. Stop and go traffic is very rare here, and we have a good highway system that makes getting across town at 65 MPH easy. The ROI on hybrids rarely adds up, but even less so if you don't live in a highly urban area.

[RWebb]

looks like sammy is unhappy that fuel efficient cars are cutting into his business


I'd also expect a north-south gradient maybe - very cold areas make battery efficiency decline

[jyl]

If you're sitting parked on the 405 in L.A. or the 5 in Seattle, there is no conventional car that can hold a candle to a hybrid for fuel economy. Because the hybrid's ICE is not running.

I don't find that cold weather has too much impact on a hybrid. The hybrid's battery doesn't need to store a lot of energy, it just takes in the regenerated energy from braking and uses it for accelerating a few minutes later. I am, however, a bit skeptical about a plug-in or EV in really cold weather.

[RWebb]

I don't mean PNW cold, I mean Mini-soda cold.