Rush Limbaugh vs. Hybrid Powertrains

[HashiriyaS14]

This is a dumb, unimportant topic.....just so no one makes the mistake of taking this too seriously. It only BARELY belongs in Politics.

That said, I'm not sure what the Rush-ster is getting at here:

http://www.autoblog.com/2009/0...ment/

This is what he apparently had to say about hybrids:

"Nobody's buying 'em. Nobody wants them! The manufacturers are making them in droves to satisfy Obama! Sorry for yelling. Nobody wants them!"

Now, granted, I don't own a hybrid and I have no plans to purchase one. I'd rather drive an old Civic hatch (or my Miata), my Ruckus (120mpg), or the subway and get Prius-like MPGs for 1/10th the price or less.

That said, I think he's just slowly going nuts. I know he doesn't believe half the things he says, he can't possibly believe this one, but can't he find something more sensical to rant on? Does factual credibility mean this little to his supporters that he feels he isn't going to alienate them by saying stuff like this?

On a busy commuting day (back when I used to drive, I take the subway now), I would literally see 50+ hybrid vehicles each and every day. Probably 25 Priuses and the balance would be other stuff. It's likely even higher now. People ARE buying these things, there PLAINLY is enormous demand for them. I don't want one and I'm not going to buy one, but that doesn't mean other people aren't buying thousands of them.

A little while back, before the recession hit, there was a HUGE waiting list for Priuses in the DC area. Used cars were going for $2500 over new MSRP because new cars were simply unavailable. Other hybrids were selling like crazy too. There are six that park on my street out of maybe 20 cars total, that's a pretty high ratio.

I just don't get why railing against a powertrain technology makes sense for a political commentator. Is it just because his listeners will jump at anything attacking "political correctness" whether it's factually accurate or not?

[BusyBadger]

DC Metro is a pretty large area with a large population...

What's 50+ Hybrids in a confined space like that with a pop. density like that? My commute is 65 miles each way and I see fewer than 10 hybrids out of anywhere between 150 - 200 cars. Not that the comparison is a very good one, a metro commuter will see far more benefit from a hybrid than someone in my area would.

Anyway, my point - overall percentage of hybrids vs conventional and not a raw number is what really matters.

I'm still waiting for Doc Brown and the Mr. Fusion powered car.

[HashiriyaS14]

DC Metro is a pretty large area with a large population...

What's 50+ Hybrids in a confined space like that with a pop. density like that? My commute is 65 miles each way and I see fewer than 10 hybrids out of anywhere between 150 - 200 cars. Not that the comparison is a very good one, a metro commuter will see far more benefit from a hybrid than someone in my area would.

Anyway, my point - overall percentage of hybrids vs conventional and not a raw number is what really matters.

I'm still waiting for Doc Brown and the Mr. Fusion powered car.

Okay, my commute was only about 7-8 miles, so 50 cars out of the 250 or so total I'd see on the drive would be a lot.

I'd never commute 65 f**king miles each way to the office.

And yes, I'm sure that in DC, in an urban environment, we see a lot more hybrids than people in more spread-out areas where they are less efficient.

[dusred]

How often to you listen to Rush, Hash?

[marlin29311]

DC Metro is a pretty large area with a large population...

What's 50+ Hybrids in a confined space like that with a pop. density like that? My commute is 65 miles each way and I see fewer than 10 hybrids out of anywhere between 150 - 200 cars. Not that the comparison is a very good one, a metro commuter will see far more benefit from a hybrid than someone in my area would.

Anyway, my point - overall percentage of hybrids vs conventional and not a raw number is what really matters.

I'm still waiting for Doc Brown and the Mr. Fusion powered car.

I don't think hybrids are the answer either - people were lining up to get them because of the gas mileage, not because of the "enviro friendly" nature or what not...

The car that is going to matter is the electric car - Aka the Chevy Volt and the like...these are cars that people will more likely get excited over, simply because it can remove gas from the equation for people that drive under 40 miles per day...and it will significantly lower the bills for those that drive in the under 150 miles per day boat...

As for Rush....yea, we all know he's losing a few screws here and there...

[HashiriyaS14]

How often to you listen to Rush, Hash?

Never.

Obviously, I realize that some of what he says gets quoted out of context, and I also realize that he often says things that make perfect sense.

This thread isn't intended to be a general indictment of Rush Limbaugh, it's intended to be analysis of the particular comment above.

Frankly, I don't much care for him, as I don't much care for certain incendiary liberal "commentators". My major issue with Rush in particular is that at the moment he seems to be wielding outsize influence on the image of the Republican party, and it worries me that if it continues, all conservatives in America will be associated with Rush. This is not a good thing, as Rush (just like any other entertainer) cares far more about his own career than about the survival and advancement of the Republican cause.

[dusred]

The reason I ask is because I listen to him on my way to work and sometimes when I travel. I did happen to be listening to him when he said "Nobody's buying 'em. Nobody wants them! The manufacturers are making them in droves to satisfy Obama! Sorry for yelling. Nobody wants them!".

Is why he said that is because a few days earlier there were a few stories about Ford not being able to sell their Hybrids because fuel was so cheap and they were asking the Government to put a fuel tax that would float the fuel price at $4.00 a gallon so they could sell the hybrids or something like that. There were a few similar stories about lots of dealers with dozens of hybrids that they couldn't sell. That's why he said "nobody's buying them they are making them to please Obama". Obama has been pushing hybrids as we all know.

I may not have all the details exact but that's what I remember right off the top of my head.

[HashiriyaS14]

Is why he said that is because a few days earlier there were a few stories about Ford not being able to sell their Hybrids because fuel was so cheap and they were asking the Government to put a fuel tax that would float the fuel price at $4.00 a gallon so they could sell the hybrids or something like that.

That's interesting.

There's a HUGE reserve list for the new Honda Insight at dealers across the DC region, anyone who wants one now will have to wait like 7 months for one, and the new Prius wait list is almost as long.

I wonder why Ford is having trouble selling their hybrids. They make GREAT hybrid vehicles, most notably the new hybrid Fusion. Ford in general really has their head on straight right now, they're bringing out some great product. Not always EXCITING product, but IMO just the product the market wants.

I can definitely see that demand would have decreased with fuel prices, but it doesn't seem to have impacted the demand for the Insight/Prius very much.

[dusred]

That's what I was thinking. The Insight and the Prius both look the same to me I wouldn't own either. But the Ford Fusion looks pretty decent I thought .

Honda and Toyota are both Japanese makes. . . maybe that's why?

Oh, and Rush was reading that report from some newspaper (don't remember which one off the top of my head). He didn't make it up. . . somebody else did .

[BusyBadger]

50 out of 250 is quite a few, throw in the distance of that commute and its a bundle!

How often to you listen to Rush, Hash?

Now that is a more important stat than hybrid ownership numbers!

I see a few hybrids here and there...certainly more in Asheville, NC (where I work) than I do in TN. But I have been seeing considerably more gas sippers and flex fuel vehicles taking to the road. What's odd is that heavy duty truck numbers seem to be about the same as they were when I moved here (4 yrs). There are plenty of people here that actually use their trucks for work though. SUV numbers seem to be down though.

[themadscientist]

I know I don't want one. I would expect many people would be receptive to owing one though if purchase and long-term costs made sense and they saved on gas. One of the reasons I paid more to get a 4WD version of my little truck was so if I chose to I could bolt an electric motor to the transfer case and convert it to a home made hybrid. After a few weeks though the 660 3 banger was so good on gas the hybrid idea was no longer the best option.

[Bubs daddy]

Quote »There's a HUGE reserve list for the new Honda Insight at dealers across the DC region, anyone who wants one now will have to wait like 7 months for one, and the new Prius wait list is almost as long.

[/quote]Well, that may be true in DC but a lot of the country is in a hybrid sales slump. Don't assume DC represents the rest of the country. 80 day supplies elsewhere.

"In July, U.S. Toyota dealers didn't have enough Prius models in stock to last two days, and many were charging thousands of dollars above sticker price for the few they had.

Today there are about 80 days' worth on hand, and dealers are working much harder -- even with the help of $500 factory rebates -- to move the egg-shaped gas-savers off lots from Santa Monica to Miami."

http://www.latimes.com/busines...story

[HashiriyaS14]

I know I don't want one. I would expect many people would be receptive to owing one though if purchase and long-term costs made sense and they saved on gas. One of the reasons I paid more to get a 4WD version of my little truck was so if I chose to I could bolt an electric motor to the transfer case and convert it to a home made hybrid. After a few weeks though the 660 3 banger was so good on gas the hybrid idea was no longer the best option.

Well, if we could get 660cc 3cyl Kei vehicles in the states, I'd definitely expect fewer hybrid sales. Unfortunately, the only true "city car" we have is the Smart, otherwise every compact comes over here with the biggest engine available and nothing smaller.

Anyway, yes, I'm sure DC is not representative of the rest of the country in regards to the number of hybrids.

[480sx]

I live in NOVA, ~30 miles outa DC. There are hybrids everywhere.. Id say at least 20 percent of every car i see is some form of hybrid.

As its been brought up in this thread, the city and urban environments support electric powered cars because they are quite efficient for short ranges.

Bleh, smart cars.. Dumbest car EVER. My freaken 94 integra got better gas mileage by far than the 'smart car' and if i got into an accident with it i wouldnt be pulled out of it in pieces.

Listening to Rush ftl.

[themadscientist]

The smart is built like a little tank.

http://wot.motortrend.com/6245....html

Quote »http://wot.motortrend.com/6245564/auto- ... index.html[/quote]Now a J-spec k-car is a deathtrap, no argument there.

I just got done listening to Alan Colmes, he's quite a rude jerk.

[HashiriyaS14]

Bleh, smart cars.. Dumbest car EVER. My freaken 94 integra got better gas mileage by far than the 'smart car' and if i got into an accident with it i wouldnt be pulled out of it in pieces.

Yeah, Smart cars suck.

They're like $15-16k here. I can get a Fit for that, and a Fit is a "real" car, unlike the Smart, which is a glorified golf cart.

I want to smack the owners and go "Coulda had a Fit!" (i.e. "Coulda had a V8!")

[C-Kwik]

Well, that may be true in DC but a lot of the country is in a hybrid sales slump. Don't assume DC represents the rest of the country. 80 day supplies elsewhere.

"In July, U.S. Toyota dealers didn't have enough Prius models in stock to last two days, and many were charging thousands of dollars above sticker price for the few they had.

Today there are about 80 days' worth on hand, and dealers are working much harder -- even with the help of $500 factory rebates -- to move the egg-shaped gas-savers off lots from Santa Monica to Miami."

http://www.latimes.com/busines...story

I'd imagine that there is a lot more to those statistics than the article suggests. Gas prices coming down to more reasonable levels would have a pretty big impact on hybrid sales as this is the most quantifiable aspect of owning one. But car sales in general are down quite a bit due to the recession. When the high gas prices and the recession were both occuring concurrently, then I'd imagine, the need to seek cost saving alternatives would be higher. But with only one factor being out of the picture at the moment, many might simply be reluctant about buying any new car. WE would need to see a many more statistics to draw any kind of conclusion either way...

[Cold_Zero]

With all the attention that you all are pouring on Rush Limbaugh, you would have thought that he won the 2008 Presidential Elections and not Barack Obama. Awe, what's wrong guys? Don't have GW Bush to kick around now, that you have to come up with a straw man in order to continue the Bush Derangement Syndrome and ‘defeat’ conservatism?

[audtatious]

The car that is going to matter is the electric car - Aka the Chevy Volt and the like...these are cars that people will more likely get excited over, simply because it can remove gas from the equation for people that drive under 40 miles per day...and it will significantly lower the bills for those that drive in the under 150 miles per day boat...

Not necessarily. Obama is going to actively penalize electric power plants as part of his carbon credit plan which will increase the cost of electric power to the population. Other manufacturing will also be penalized which will raise the cost of batteries and the like for these vehicles as well. End result will not be a cost savings as the vehicles will cost more to purchase and be a "wash" to operate. Maint and repair will be higher too.

[audtatious]

With all the attention that you all are pouring on Rush Limbaugh, you would have thought that he won the 2008 Presidential Elections and not Barack Obama. Awe, what's wrong guys? Don't have GW Bush to kick around now, that you have to come up with a straw man in order to continue the Bush Derangement Syndrome and ‘defeat’ conservatism?

Hush you. We don't need to hear form any right-wing bible thumpers

[themadscientist]

trickle down,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[HashiriyaS14]

With all the attention that you all are pouring on Rush Limbaugh, you would have thought that he won the 2008 Presidential Elections and not Barack Obama. Awe, what's wrong guys? Don't have GW Bush to kick around now, that you have to come up with a straw man in order to continue the Bush Derangement Syndrome and ‘defeat’ conservatism?

LOL, did you just paste this in here from the "anal poisoning" thread, or vice versa?

[Cold_Zero]

Yup..

[audtatious]

Rush should be less of an issue now that Air America has been injected with cash and is now opening up more stations nation wide........Nah, still gonna focus on him

[Cold_Zero]

That is the same Air America Radio that went bankrupt, isnt it? Any bets on the next time they will have to file bankruptcy again? Wonder if Rush, Hannity and Beck have the same financial problems?

[themadscientist]

This time around they will be subsidized by our tax dollars in the interest of "fairness".