SPECIAL REPORT: Hybrid shoppers balance gas savings, purchase price

The climbing cost of fuel in the United States has forced consumers to be creative to save money at the pump.

While prices are slightly lower this week, national averages remain near $4.10 a gallon. This is compared to a year ago, when prices averaged slightly more than $3.00 a gallon. Consumers feeling the pinch are looking for ways to reduce gasoline consumption and the number of customers interested in owning a hybrid vehicle continues to grow.

Toyota is considered a pioneer in hybrid technology, first offering the hybrid Pruis in August of 2000 to United States Consumers. Gas at this time averaged $1.46 a gallon. The Prius is a growing choice for current gas conscious consumers, getting approximately 46 mpg, according to the US Department of Energy’s website. But gas mileage isn’t the only factor on buyers’ minds. Sparks Toyota salesman Bart Rogers suggests the environment is a deciding issue as well. “I think people who are concerned about gas alone are now becoming concerned about ecology and the cleanliness of the air and the whole works,” Rogers explains to News13.

2008 is the first year GMC has offered a Hybrid Yukon to consumers. By increasing average gas mileage from 16 miles per gallon in the standard Yukon to 21 in the hybrid version, GMC offers a more efficient model to customers that need the size and power of a large SUV. Hadwin-White Sales Manager Jody Holder notices more people interested in saving money and the environment. “The biggest advantage is the gas mileage, but they also come in because they want to be environmentally friendly and they still want the room and comfort of the Yukon,” Holder says.

Hybrid vehicles get better gas mileage by combining an electric motor with the traditional gas engine. The electric motor provides primary power when driving at slow speeds, while idling, and for functions like air conditioning, using less gas than a standard vehicle. The gas engine takes over for acceleration and for holding a higher speed, such as on the highway. Rogers says this is confusing to some customers, who expect better gas mileage in the city. “Most people don't understand that how in the world does that happen- we don't get the good mileage on the open highway, we get the good mileage in the city. And the reason is its ability to stop, cut off the engine and start again,” he explains.

A downside to purchasing a hybrid vehicle is the initial cost. According to Rogers and Holder, a choosing a hybrid vehicle over a standard model will cost an additional $4,000-6,000. But with gas around $4.00/gal, they are paying for themselves in gasoline savings quicker than ever.

For a hybrid Camry, manufacturer’s retail price is $3500 more than a standard Camry. Average savings in gasoline is approximately $0.04 per mile. This means a driver would need to drive 39,000 miles to make up for the extra cost. With the average driver putting 15,000 miles a year on their vehicle, the price difference would even out in approximately 2.5 years.

For a hybrid Yukon, manufacturer’s retail price is $3560 more than a standard Yukon. Average savings in gasoline on the hybrid Yukon is nearly $0.06 per mile. After driving 59,333 miles, the savings in gasoline would equal the extra cost of the hybrid. With the average 15,000 miles driven per year, the cost would even out in just less than 4 years.

Although the initial cost is more expensive, Holder says the extra cost is worth it. “Environmentally, anything we can do for the environment is worth it,” he told News13.

And Rogers thinks you will continue to see more hybrids on the highways. “We see in the future people doing a certain grade of hybrid in almost everything.”

Unfortunately, with the growing interest, hybrid supplies are low on local car lots. Rogers says current wait for a Prius will put you at January or February. You also will need to special order a Hybrid Yukon, as Hadwin-White currently doesn’t have any available on the lot.