Why aren’t Hybrid SUVs Selling Like Hotcakes?

The hybrid car industry is booming right now. High gas prices and a rising environmental consciousness have consumers lining up to buy the fuel efficient little things. Good luck finding a new Prius or Green Civic. At the same time, the General Motors dealership across the street still has hybrid Tahoes and Yukons that aren’t seeing much action. Sales of hybrid SUVs have been much slimmer than anticipated. GM predicted that it would sell between 8,000 and 12,000 of its hybrid SUVs this year and to date – sales linger around 1,540 combined for both the Tahoe and the Yukon. What’s up with that?  Read more...

Besides cost, what are the major issues and concerns people have with hybrid cars and SUVs?

Like any technological advancement, hybrid technology has its detractors. Like the cell-phone-induced brain tumors that everyone feared in the early 90s or carpal tunnel from excessive typing, critics can even find fault with hybrids. Arguably the biggest leap forward in transportation in the past 15 years, the hybrid technology that is used in today’s SUVs and cars has given birth to three main fears among critics:

1. Magnetic fields that cause cancer and other ailments
2. Electric shock from a battery
3. Toxic battery materials that can harm the environment, erasing any good the battery did while still in the car  Read more...

Review of the 2009 Ford Escape Hybrid

The 2008 model year brought significant cosmetic changes to the Ford Escape – adding sharper lines and a more rugged exterior. For 2009, Ford has turned its attention under the hood and revamped the 2009 Ford Escape hybrid’s mechanics. By bringing the SUV’s inner-workings up to speed, the auto giant is hoping to see sales even higher than it did during a record-breaking ’08.  Read more...