Thinking Again About a Hybrid or Electric Car? You’re Not the Only One

May 8th, 2010

It seems like an eternity ago that decisions to purchase hybrid and electric vehicles hinged mainly on considerations like fuel economy, the price at the pump, and the age and condition of your existing car.

The Gulf oil spill disaster changed all that.

Nothing in recent memory has so powerfully seared into our collective consciousness the need to reduce our dependence on oil.

Wildlife is dying.

The ocean is suffering.

Read this moving blog post by Larry Schweiger, President of The National Wildlife Federation.

Nothing will ever be the same again.

With this as the backdrop, I hate to confess, I have my own oil addiction. I don’t own a hybrid. One of our Subarus is eleven-years-old, and still in excellent condition. Our other Subaru is newer, and we bought it out of brand loyalty – the first one kept us safe after a deer crashed into our windshield when I was pregnant with Boo.

Subaru, when are you introducing hybrids or electric vehicles?

I’m in the market for a hybrid or electric car now. (Guess I should have really made the Volt test drive that Chevy invited me to!)

What about you?

This is a post for the Green Moms Carnival on Transportation, hosted by Big Green Purse.

— Lynn

Copyright OrganicMania 2010


12 Responses to “Thinking Again About a Hybrid or Electric Car? You’re Not the Only One”

  1. Mindful Momma on May 8, 2010 3:05 pm

    Cars are a tough category for wanna-be greenies. It’s one thing to pay a bit more for recycled toilet paper and organic veggies but a car is a huge investment!! We just bought a used Toyota Highlander. We would have loved to have found a used hybrid version of the Highlander but they were out of our price range. Frustrating…but at least our new/used car gets better milage than our old one…a small win! :)

  2. Tweets that mention Organic and Green Mom Blog | Thinking Again About a Hybrid or Electric Car? You’re Not the Only One at Organic Mania -- Topsy.com on May 8, 2010 3:47 pm

    […] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Green Moms Carnival, Dr. Sarah Warren. Dr. Sarah Warren said: RT @Greenmoms: Thinking Again About a #Hybrid or Electric Car? You’re Not the Only One http://bit.ly/dtzZv5 #oilspill #moms #eco […]

  3. Lynn on May 8, 2010 5:15 pm

    That’s for sure, Micaela…same reason we don’t have one. BUT…I think the coverage of the oil spill and its ramifiications will really increase demand for alternative fuel vehicles, thus lowering prices for all of us! One of my cohorts at the Green Business Incubator is developing electric car charging stations – it is so cool to think that soon they will be ubiquitous! Another drives around in a van outfitted with solar panels. It’s amazing to think what is on the horizon.
    Oil and coal are so last century – we need to move on with the new, clean, green economy! Yea!

  4. Brenna on May 8, 2010 5:59 pm

    My son really wants to make a car that runs off of solar panels. He is very into solar panels lately. He’s 6.

    We are unable to afford a hybrid at this time. We do buy used cars and pay attention to mileage as best we can, but I know it isn’t enough. The best I can do for now is to reduce driving as much as possible…
    .-= Brenna´s last blog ..Happy Mother’s Day! =-.

  5. Joe on May 10, 2010 11:34 am

    If you’ve got an old car that isn’t completely driven into the ground – that might not be a bad thing. It may just mean you aren’t driving very much; the best of all actions.

    Are we driving less?
    http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/02/business/02metrics.html?scp=1&sq=vmt&st=cse
    Outstanding slightly geeky graphic for nerdy spouses
    http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2010/05/02/business/02metrics.html?ref=business

    Prevailing economics are keeping us from buying a new car, though we are always trying to drive less. Replacing a car has its own environmental impact and we aren’t really charging up those electric cars with green power, yet. (For now, one customer shifting wind and solar power means ‘everyone else’ is getting more coal)

    Any good recommendations for a greenhouse gas footprinting tool for families? I think it could help some of us see where our carbon hot spots really are.

  6. Patrick on May 14, 2010 7:10 am

    I currently have a Honda that is gas efficient, but it’s not a hybrid. Hybrids are nice, but electric cars are the ultimate answer to getting less dependent on oil. It’s good that electric cars are finally breaking through with the expected release of the Leaf and Tesla releasing their Model S next year sometime. I think the Leaf is around mid $20K, which is not too bad for a car. If they can continue to bring the price down and electric charge stations begin to pop up, EV’s could take over one day.
    .-= Patrick´s last blog ..Greener Hollywood Films =-.

  7. Julie on May 16, 2010 5:42 pm

    I just searched “Subaru and hybrid” into Google and found an old article on this subject. Looks like Subaru has been working on this project since at least 2006. Good news. Subaru’s are great cars. I called my first Loyale the “Wee Beasty” and it was an ol’ faithful! http://www.drive.subaru.com/Win06_HEV.htm

  8. Quick Green Reads For The Weekend Volume 167. | The Good Human on May 21, 2010 6:31 am

    […] It seems like an eternity ago that decisions to purchase hybrid and electric vehicles hinged mainly on considerations like fuel economy, the price at the pump, and the age and condition of your existing car. The Gulf oil spill disaster changed all that. […]

  9. Lynn on May 21, 2010 8:13 am

    Yes…I know they’re working on it…but c’mon! At this point, they should just license the technology and get moving so we Subaru lovers can buy Subarus when we switch to Hybrids! — Lynn

  10. Lynn on May 21, 2010 8:14 am

    Yes, Patrick, and I do think that will happen…one of my colleagues at the Green Incubator is working on an electric car vehicle charging business…it’s very cool. I would love a Tesla, but think I’m probably more in the market for something….less expensive! :)

  11. Lynn on May 21, 2010 8:17 am

    Thanks, Joe, always good to hear from a real energy expert on the site (and a guy too!) I do think that the perception of coal maybe being better than oil is strong now because of the graphic images we’re seeing from the Gulf. I think the real answer is not any one answer but a combination of things: walk, bike, mass transit, biofuels, etc, etc, etc. It will all add up and we’ll be in a much better place in a decade or so!

  12. Lynn on May 21, 2010 8:18 am

    So true, Brenna. But hilarious – I have a friend at the incubator who drives a car outfitted with solar panels! I’ll try to remember to post a picture sometime…(in my spare time…yeah, right!) :)

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