Tow cars and trailers

Doug Hoffman wrote:
The Prius stickers at around $24,000. The full government rebate is
limited to the first 60,000 Prius per model year (about $3,000):

http://hybridcars.about.com/od/news/...dtaxcredit.htm

The credit for Toyota hybrids will phase out completely as of October 1,
2007, and will not return for future model years. All Toyota/Lexus
hybrid rebates are limited to a few hundred dollars at this point:

http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/...162562,00.html

Ford, GM, Honda, and Nissan hybrids aren't scheduled for the phase out
at the moment, as they've yet to hit their 60000 hybrid thresholds.
Some of these companies started building hybrids somewhat later than
Toyota, but many don't sell well for good reasons. Hybrids are not a
silver bullet, as you state. And, most can't tow a glider trailer. The
Escape and Mariner hybrids, for example, have a towing capacity of only
1000 lbs.

I will again remind everyone that hybrids provide the bulk of their
improvement in local stop and go driving. On the highway, there are
comparable gasoline and diesel engined vehicles that provide better
mileage (hybrids will generally have better controlled emissions).

(Going a bit further OT):
If we truly believe what Al Gore is saying, then we would all
immediately stop using anything that creates CO2 and other greenhouse
gases (I guess we should still allow ourselves to breath as our bodies
do create CO2 and water vapor, both GHGs). Park all cars and trucks
permanently. Ground all airplanes and so forth. As far as
inconvenience to daily life, so what? We are talking about saving the
planet, right (at least according to Gore and some others)? Maybe
even if Gore believed what he is saying he would stop living in a huge
house that consumes many times the energy of the average US house. Or
is that four houses he owns?

You are confusing the message with the messenger. If Al Gore lived in
one 500 sq ft house and traveled around only by bicycle, many would this
frugal lifestyle further reason for ridicule.

The point is that, if the message is correct (and I personally find the
"qualifications" of the dissenters rather unconvincing), we will all
suffer the consequences. There are many good reasons to communally
reduce our energy footprint, beyond concerns about greenhouse gases.

Or, we can collectively bury our heads, and wonder why the whole dung
heap is collapsing on top of us 20 or 30 years down the line...

Marc