Are hybrid drivers driving more?
According to an article in Forbes, the record oil prices that we're seeing now are resulting in a lot of weird, counter-intuitive responses from drivers. For the most part, our driving habits have remained astonishingly unchanged in the face of $3.50 a gallon gas -- some of us are even driving more. According to David Littman, an economist from the Mackinac Center for Public Policy:"There's no doubt that hybrid owners end up spending just as much on gasoline as before because the added efficiency allows them to rationalize driving more miles."
I find the information about hybrid drivers believable, if not a little dubious. No numbers were offered to support the claim that hybrid drivers are driving more miles -- but if you can afford to, you probably will. Not to mention, a lot of the hybrids out there don't get very good fuel economy in the first place. Does this mean people should go around vandalizing hybrids on their lunch hour? No.
It's a common misconception that hybrid drivers are all staunch environmentalists in the first place. Maybe they just bought a hybrid to save on gas, or because they like new technology. Either way, they're still putting out less emission per mile that non-hybrids.
Overall miles driven in the US did decline in 2007, barely. Gas prices are having an effect on drivers, it's just not one that's proportionate to the level of whining that goes on. Seriously, if you're outraged by the price at the pump, don't make empty threats. Give your town's mass transit a try, or get out the old bike.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
5-06-2008 @ 4:43PM
esb said...
Which auto company is paying Mackinac for their opinion? Both my wife and I drive hybrids. We carefully plan the use of the cars to maximize our productivity and minmize the miles traveled. After all whats the sense of saving gas if you are going to waste it. Not all hybrid drivers are envromentalists, however, I would guess that the majority of hybrid drivers are more frugal than the average driver.
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5-06-2008 @ 9:36PM
Rick said...
What a tainted article. Everyone I know drives less, hates to drive more than they need and are trying to sell their trucks but can't because there is no value. People still NEED to drive, that won't change. However, SUV and truck sales are down and small cars, hybrids, etc sales are up. So if people sold and bought a completely different car to drive based soley on gas prices, I'd say affirmative that people have changed their driving habits.
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