[at-l] Hybrid cars.

[stephensadams at hotmail.com (Steve Adams)]

Walt,

Reference your post, dated 11-10-04, under the Subject Heading ?red, white 
and blue.?

I changed the Subject heading since the topic seems to have drifted from 
that wretched political stuff.  Heh, heh, heh.   ; - )   Wink, wink, nudge, 
nudge.  At long last, we are back "On Topic."

I know a woman (not in a Biblical sense) who drives a Toyota hybrid (I?ve 
forgotten the model name).  She describes herself as a living commercial for 
hybrids.  She has had no problem with her car.  She loves it.  Her husband 
loves it.  Her children love it.  She has every intention to buy another.

I drive a car until it?s junk.  I bought a Volvo new, and have driven it 
320,000 miles.  The paint has developed ?leopard spots? on the hood and 
trunk lid.   The rubber and plastic parts have become brittle and are 
breaking off.  The interior light hangs by its wiring, swinging back and 
forth as I drive.  The radio doesn?t work.  The radio antenna no longer goes 
up and down.  It leaks.  The sun roof no longer closes reliably.  IT DRIVES 
GREAT.  I have even driven it off-road for miles at a time (this is not a 
good idea).  If I had purchased an American car instead of this one, I would 
have spent an additional $100,000 on replacement American cars by now, not 
including repair bills (which I have had very little of) and mechanical 
difficulty (one broken fan belt, one loose hose clamp).

My question is, what is the replacement battery going to cost for the hybrid 
car?  No one has revealed the answer.  I would not feel responsible, given 
my driving habit, purchasing a hybrid without some understanding of what I 
would need to pay (or how much depreciation I would have to withstand) when 
the battery reaches a certain age.

Steve

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