Is it true that hybrid vehicles save the owner only about $200 a year in fuel costs?

That is true. But a better way to think about it is the good that you’re doing for the environment which in the long scheme of things, is worth far more than $200/year, right?

They don’t save the owner anything. when you factor in the additional cost to purchase the vehicle, you end up losing money.

I’m not convinced on the environmental benefits – what studies have been done on the environmental impact of creating and disposing of the batteries. Even a simple AA batteries contains some very dangerous materials when disposed of incorrectly.

no. not sure where you heard that from. maybe $200 a month.

Maybe comparison are to v4 cars like the focus and in that case you are comparing apples to oranges. In that scenerio if you only want a small car and do not care about lack of power and pick up then you are better off with a small economical car

It depends what car you’re moving from, if you’re changing from a small car, then the difference will be about 3-5 miles on the gallon. Changing from an SUV though and you’ll easily get an extra 10-12 miles out.

It also depends on your driving style; if you’re in a crowded city with traffic problems then you’ll save hugely.

200.00 ????

if that, anyone who says they save more – dont drive.

For the amount you pay for the cheap little deathbox, you should be saving 500 per month.

Actually, they end up costing the owner MORE over the life of the vehicle.

That is probably right. Toyota Prius averages around 41 to 50 mpg a much lighter Nissan Sentra with CVT transmission gets 36 realistic mpg. And will out handle and accelerate the heavy dual propulsion system cars. And what do the batterys cost to replace when the wear out where and who will service the high energy systems? Higher inital cost, electrical gizmos that only a electrician can work on I am not sold on Hybrid propulsion systems

that’s still a high estimate… studies have shown that the extra expense in building the hybrid is much greater than any fuel savings…. plus don’t forget about the cost to recycle those batteries which everyone seams to forget about

About $30 for every 1,000 miles of driving. So if you drive 15,000 miles a year, $30 x 15 = $450.

Depends on the driving requirements of the person. If someone spends $2000 a year on a 30mpg car (which is probably what I do), but gets 60mpg on a hybrid then that is $1000 savings. But you reduce emissions also. In certain cities, the smog is pretty bad to look at. Other advantages are getting to use the carpool lane in certain states with only 1 person in the car, this can save a lot of time.