Green Cars According to Limbaugh

Seems Rush Limbaugh is back on his soap box again and this time it is about green cars, mainly hybrids. Edmunds.com recently published an article that spawned from one of Mr. Limbaugh's commentaries (link). Apparently Mr. Limbaugh thinks that no one buys hybrids and they are only built to keep Congress and California off the auto industry's back. He also claims that Washington and California killed the automotive industry. While I think there might be some truth in what he is saying I still think he missed the mark as usual. 

Over a ten year period there have been about 1.3 million hybrids sold in the United States. I agree that isn't many vehicles sold when you think that between 10 and 12 million vehicles are sold annually. However people who tend to through out numbers like this fail to look at the big picture. At the end of 1999 the average price of a gallon of petrol was $1.30, hardly expensive. We didn't even really get into the over $2.00 range until around 2004 and even then that wasn't expensive enough to keep people from buying Tahoe's. 

The Honda Insight, which was released to the US market in December of 1999, was only followed by the Toyota Prius a few months later and that was it. You had a choice between two hybrid models, both expensive in a time when fuel economy wasn't on everyone's mind. I'm guessing that probably has something to do with the fact that such a low number has sold over the years. The Honda Civic Hybrid came along in 2003, the Honda Accord in 2004, and the Ford Escape in 2005. So as you can see in proportion to how many models there were to choose from these cars actually sold decently well all things considered. 

These manufactures also saw a niche to be filled, there are clientele out there that want green vehicles, so why not build something for them? All it's going to do is increase your brand awareness and help you sell vehicles. Let's think about it this way, a pro-green person is in the market for a new car and like most consumers they don't know much about cars. They would like a Prius because it's economical and green however they are unable to afford it. They are still going to think of Toyota as a green company though and be more likely to look at their vehicles, which would probably result in the sale of a Yaris or a Corolla. So it's not all about getting the government off your back, it's about marketing your brand...which correct me if I'm wrong, is something they should be doing.   

Now to address what he said about politics killing the auto industry. I can agree with this to a point, especially when concerning the speed a vehicle can travel, but for the most part the government has to put regulations in because people are idiots and need someone to keep them safe. Also companies need protection against these idiots so they can't sue them even though whatever happened was a result of their stupidity. Look at stability control, it's mandated that it's put into every vehicle now because some half-wit was on the road and not paying attention. They had to swerve at the last second to avoid it (whatever it is, a dog, little kid, alien, pothole) and the vehicle flipped over because of their stupidity. Now they go an sue the car maker for millions because they now have a life altering injuries and the worst part is they win. This is why the government mandates things, to protect idiots from themselves. 

And if Rush can't find a vehicle he likes then he's not trying hard enough, there are thousands of vehicles to choose from and there is at least one that makes you go "ya I want that". 

So really Mr. Limbaugh, I still state that you, along with every other commentator need to shut up.