Message text written by INTERNET:Windoseat@aol.com
>Let's just call it development costs to capture a share of a new market.
The
more of these things they build the less the per unit cost. Honda isn't in
business to loose money and now that they are building the Civic Hybrid the
sales have moved from 5,000 units a year for the Insight to 5,000 a month
for
the Civic Hybrid.<
There are economies of scale to be had , it is true, but at the end of the
day it will still be more expensive to build a hybrid then a conventional
car.
Honda is building the Impact for two reasons: 1) establish themselves as
the technology leader (while Detroit are settign themselves to be the ROI
leader) and 2) to appease the emissions czars in the People's Republic of
California.
The $8,000 penalty quoted to 2000 will likely drop to $4000 in high
production. But this technology will scale up for an SUV with little
impact in the cost. And SUV's are better able to absorb the cost.
I guess the U of Alberta is showing us the way.
Or not.
Dave (still trying to apply logic and coming up short)
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