$4000 to buy an Electric Vehicle

[vsp]

Sounds interesting, but in the "big car == big penis" United States, it'll never sell well.

Electric/gas hybrids aren't doing badly here, as they look and run more like traditional cars, but right now hybrids are prohibitively expensive in the States.

Example: The Toyota Prius is probably the best-selling hybrid in the states, starting at around $21,500 and averaging a staggering 55 MPG. Compare this to Toyota's all-gas Corolla, a four-speed Automatic averaging around 34 MPG.

If I drive 15,000 miles per year (certainly within reason for typical suburban drivers like myself), which is the better bargain? The Prius will suck up about 272 gallons of gas, while the Corolla will suck up 441 gallons over the same year's driving. At current gas prices (which I'll put at around $2.50/gallon for simplicity's sake, as regions vary), that 169-gallon difference will cost the Corolla driver an additional $422 per year.

The catch? The Corolla starts at around $15,000. Even figuring in the smaller tax break for buying a hybrid, the hybrid engine may be cleaner-running but isn't paying for itself at the pump by any means.