Hybris: n. Excessive pride based solely on one’s hybrid car.
It isn’t technically a word yet, but the folks at a trendy online newsletter thought the hybrid phenomenon was too big to ignore.
There they are, with names like Prius, Insight and RX 400h, parked in the prime spots at restaurants–right next to the Bentleys, Jaguars and Rovers.
“It’s superficial, but those are the cars that are parked in front,” said Crystal Meers, an editor for dailycandy.com. “Cars are a status symbol. It’s obvious to see the cult that’s sprung up around hybrids.”
Hybrids, vehicles that run on a combination of gasoline and electricity, are morphing from tree-hugger leftymobiles to cool chic. You’ll find Jack Nicholson and Cameron Diaz getting more per miles per gallon in a hybrid, but more and more, hybrids are being found in the garages of the mainstream.
Janelle Alvstad-Mattson, office manager of a Sacramento, Calif., computer-repair company, says she feels like a star in her Toyota Prius. “To be quite honest, one of the reasons I wanted one was because it looked really cool,” she said.
Alvstad-Mattson, 27, wanted a hybrid for years and last year convinced her husband that they should trade in their two cars for one. Problem was, the new car didn’t come in for six months–demand at times has exceeded supply.
But now her Prius boasts a sticker declaring, “Plant seeds and sing songs.”
“I think that she–I call her a ‘she’–that she’s really at one with the Earth in the best way that she can be,” said Alvstad-Mattson, who claims she is not a “hippie granola chick.” “I think it’s good to be at peace with Mother Nature.”
While still a small fraction of total car sales–half a percent in 2004–hybrids have moved beyond simply being a technological curiosity. By 2010, hybrids will be 3 1/2 percent of the auto market, according to J.D. Power and Associates.
“It’s not a passing trend,” said Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of the Green Car Journal. “We’ve passed that point of no return.”
Paving the way
Hybrid cars are still relatively new on the market, but the Big Three U.S. and Japanese automakers are planning to introduce more in the coming years. Currently, these gas/electric vehicles account for about 1 percent of all auto sales in the U.S.
Honda
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Model Debut
Accord 2004
Civic 2002
Insight 1999
Toyota
Model Debut
Lexus RX400H April
Prius 2000
General Motors
Model Debut
Chevy Silverado 2004
GMC Sierra 2004
Ford
Model Debut
Escape 2004
DaimlerChrysler
Model Debut
Dodge Ram 2004
SOURCES: THE AUTOMAKERS; POWER INFORMATION NETWORK
TRIBUNE.
Numbers don’t lie
About 87,000 hybrid cars were sold last year, and industry analysts expect that number to grow to 222,000 this year, even though hybrids still cost thousands of dollars more than the similar gasoline-only versions, said Anthony Pratt, a senior manager at J.D. Power and Associates.
The expansion of hybrids into models such as the Toyota Highlander, Chevrolet Malibu, Nissan Altima and even a Toyota Sienna mini-van means that the cross between gasoline-powered and electric vehicles is here to stay.–SACRAMENTO BEE.
The hike
Here are some comparisons of gas/hybrid models, according to J.D. Power:
Honda Civic
Gas-powered: about $15,800
Hybrid: about $20,200
Honda Accord
Gas-powered: $21,600
Hybrid: $30,800
Lexus RX 400h
Gas-powered: $39,500
Hybrid: $51,100
–SACRAMENTO BEE
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Edited by Curt Wagner (cwwagner@tribune.com) and Chris Courtney (cdcourtney@tribune.com)
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