Information on Hybrid cars

CNY Business Journal (1996+) - Hybrid cars going fast at CNY dealerships

SYRACUSE - High gas prices have you worried? Thinking about getting a hybrid car that uses electric power to help cut down on gas guzzling? Well, you better move fast.

"Honda and Toyota dealers across Central New York say that hybrid vehicles are disappearing from their showrooms faster than they can order them from the factory. And, waiting lists are getting longer by the day.

A hybrid combines a gasoline engine and an electric motor to obtain higher gas mileage and lower emissions. Honda and Toyota are the only two auto manufacturers with hybrids currently available in U.S. showrooms.

At Fox Honda in Auburn, the 2004 Honda Civic hybrid was a slowmover when it first arrived last fall, but customer interest in the part-gas, part-electric car soared this spring along with gas prices.

"All of a sudden, they've taken off. With gas prices going up, people are getting more interested in them, and I don't have enough," says George Mayorga, sales manager at Fox Honda, adding that he's out of the hybrid but has six on order. In all, the dealer has sold around 20 to 25 Civic hybrids since last fall. Honda Motor Co. reports that it's sold 9,023 Civic hybrids in the U.S. retail market through the first four months of this year, an I I -percent increase over the, year ago period. The base price of a Civic hybrid is just under $20,000.

Bill Cooke Toyota in Ithaca has a waiting list of about 40 customers and a wait time of one year for the popular Toyota Prius hybrid car. "They're selling real well," says Edward Szymanski, sales manager, adding that the dealership has sold 20 hybrids so far.

Ithaca consumers are especially attracted to the hybrid Toyota's lower emissions. "There's a lot of people in the Ithaca area that are environmentally conscious," says Szymanski.

The Toyota Prius, which was named the 2004 Car of the Year by Motor Trend magazine, generates up to 89 percent fewer smog-forming emissions than the average new car and gets about 55 miles to the gallon. The 2004 model is larger and more powerful than the first two versions of the Prius-2002 and 2003 models. The base price for the Toyota Prius is just under $20,000.

Demand is also picking up for hybrid vehicles that are still months away from the showroom.

Romano Toyota in Syracuse already has a "half-dozen" orders for the Highlander SUV hybrid, which isn't scheduled to arrive until early next year. "People really want to get on the [waiting] list," says Michael Abbey, sales manager. A price has not yet been set for the Highlander SUV hybrid. Bill Cooke Toyota has also received four orders for the Highlander.

Area dealers say tax incentives for hybrid vehicles haven't been a big factor in the rise in sales. "I rarely hear [taxes] as an issue. Customers are really concerned about the environment and gas prices," says Szymanski.

The federal tax deduction for purchasing a hybrid vehicle is $1,500 in 2004, down from $2,000 in 2003, according to hybridcars.com, a news and information site devoted to hybrids. The deduction will drop further to $1,000 in 2005, and $500 in 2006.