See, that is the problem with this nation. We don't think about the nation as a whole. We don't say, hey, I'll pay a little extra if it means we don't need to support the Middle East. People don't say, okay, that flex fuel vehicle is going to cost me a couple thousand more now, HOWEVER, I'll recoup some over the years and even if I don't recoup all of my additional money, I'll support American farmers. Again, everybody is thinking short term. Everybody is worried about today. That is why the average savings for Americans is NEGATIVE. That means that on average, Americans are spending more than they make. Eventually, we will all have to pay for this short term thinking.
Here is a savings calculator.
http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-10845_7-6212348-1.html
I agree, that right now, it doesn't really make financial sense to buy a hybrid when gas is $3 a gallon. However, I would hate to buy a gasoline powered car and then find gas at $5 a gallon like it is in Europe and Canada because hybrids will make a lot of sense then. How much would it cost a person to trade in that gasoline vehicle on a hybrid. Kind of like working at a dealership right now and trying to sell a SUV.
My wife and I are hoping that our current vehicles will last another 10 years, but if they don't, we will buy a hybrid, and I am kicking myself for not buying a flex fuel Taurus when I bought my car back in 1998. Thing is, I didn't even know what that badge on those cars meant. See, as everybody was getting 3/1, 5/1 arms, and interest only loans a couple of years ago, I locked into a 30 year loan at 5 3/4%. Now, all those arms are being readjusted and those people are crying. They used these ARMS to buy a house they could barely afford. Now, with the interest rate increasing and their rate going up 2% per year at most, they really cannot afford their house. What will that lead to? Lots of foreclosures and the decrease of real estate prices. Instead, my wife and I bought a townhouse even though we wanted a single family house. That put us in the middle. These people with the ARMS and interest only loans figured that house prices would continue to go up and they would get huge amounts of equity from their homes. They are crying now in my area as homes are taking months to sell. This example is a good reason to buy a flex fuel vehicle. If they find more oil, great, use gas. If they don't and the price of gas continues to go up, use ethanol. I would hate to buy a big SUV and see gas at $5, or how about $6.
Yes, everybody is scared of buying a hybrid or a flex fuel vehicle because the technology is unknown, but eventually it will get better. I almost didn't buy a diesel truck because I have never worked on a diesel, but then figured if I could learn how to work on regular motors, I can learn how to work on diesels. Since I am not too old yet to learn new tricks, I figure I can learn how to work on a hybrid and/or flex fuel vehicle.
Last I checked, GMC was offering the Denali and a full size pickup with a flex fuel motor. So, for those of you crying about towing, look into it. People in agriculture won't even support farmers by buying a flex fuel vehicle.
Eventually, we will all have to pay for our folly. The only question is if fossil fuels will be depleted before the ozone layer is gone. Will the economy come to a screeching halt or will the Earth be scorched before that. What is really ironic is that the warmer the Earth gets, the more fuel we will use to cool our homes. We worry about saving waterfowl, big game, bluefin tuna, billfish, etc., but we are destroying the entire Earth with our pollution. Don't get me wrong, I am not a tree hugger and I eat plenty of animals, but look what has happened over the last 100 years and how things have changed. 100 years ago, how many cars were on the road? Probably none. In another 50 years, how many cars do you think will be on the road then?
We don't pollute while in the field because we want to preserve the wilderness for our kids and grandkids, but we don't think twice about cranking that motor up and polluting the air for our kids and grandkids. If somebody told me I could donate $3,000 to a charitable organization and the environment would definitely be cleaned up significantly, you can bet I would make that donation, even if it wasn't tax deductible.