DOMINION

The Toyota Prius is the top-selling gasoline-electric hybrid vehicle in the country, with annual sales of more than 100,000.
Starting in 2006, there's a new reason to buy a brand-new gasoline-electric hybrid vehicle: A new tax credit that can cut your federal income tax bill by as much as $3,000-plus.
But be warned: Getting the maximum amount might, in some circumstances, be akin to winning a raffle.
Why? Federal lawmakers imposed complicated—some might say idiotic—limits on how many of the one-time tax credits can be handed out.
And although hybrids, as well as alternative-fuel vehicles that also qualify, are being purchased by consumers every day, it's still not clear how some consumers will know how much credit they'll get at the time they buy their new vehicles.

Read more here http://autos.msn.com/advice/article....rc=LP%20luxury

therm8

Here's interesting news on Prius and siblings...

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,184457,00.html

I dislike Hybrids very much. They're alot of hype and not much substance. This could turn out to be a serious slap for Toyota, and allow everyone else to catch up to them.

globi

Hype is usually something that does not exist or that doesn't make any profit. Neither is the case with the hybrids currently sold.
Especially the fact that Toyota actually makes a profit with its hybrid-line is pretty amazing, considering the fact that gasoline is still too cheap to make a purchase of a hybrid even worthwhile.

DOMINION

^I dont know about that but I think it depends on what State your in, IE: My Brother lives in LA he has a CNG car pays just under a $1 per gallon to fill his tank. I pay $2.65 a gallon right now. I live in Las Vegas Nevada.

DOMINION

If a CO. found that "you" or "me" where useing "there part" they would not try to sue us and get money from us. But!... If we where Ford Well lets just say thats another story.

globi

I'm not sure what you are talking about.
All I'm saying is, that the fact that Toyota makes money with a product that doesn't make much economical sense is pretty amazing substance.

A Prius gets about 15mpg more than a Corolla and costs about $7000 more than a Corolla. With $7000 a Corolla driver can buy 2641 Gallons of gasoline (at $2.65 per gallon).
If you do a quick math, you'll notice that the Prius needs to burn 6000 gallons of fuel until it can pass the Corolla with its 2641 galllons fuel advantage.

With 6000 gallons of fuel a Corolla drives over 200,000 miles.
Even at $5 a gallon a Corolla could still drive over 100,000 miles before the Prius starts to make economical sense!

Toyota makes profit based on the fact that there are enough people with environmental concerns or maybe simply because there are enough people that can't do simple math.

(This math does not take into account any potential tax credits but it also does not take into account any interest one gets on $7000 (which is about $300 per year).)