Jul. 17, 2005 - 20:44 MDT

NO MATTER WHAT

An article of interest in this morning's The Denver Post which points up intelligence and greed. Greed for money and greed for speed. By Matthew L. Wald of The New York Times . . . . In full :

New hybrid cars adding zip, not reducing guzzle

Same IRS credit

MANY MODELS ARE NO MORE FUEL-EFFICIENT THAN THEIR NONHYBRID COUNTERPARTS BUT CAN ACCELERATE FASTER

WASHINGTON -- "Mark Buford is happy with the Honda Accord hybrid that he bought six months ago, and he has already driven it 13,000 miles. He was determined to buy a hybrid electric car, h e said, and this one is clean and "green" and accelerates faster than the non-hybrid version. He just cannot count on it to save much gasolline."

"Many people concerned with oil consumption, including President Bush and members of Congress, are pointing to hybrids -- vehicles with electric motors as well as internal-combustion engines -- as a way to reduce fuel use and dependence on imported oil. The first ones to reach the market did that; the two-seat Honda Insight, introduced in December 1999, was rated at 70 miles a gallon, and it was followed by the five-seat Toyota Prius, also built for reduced fuel consumption. Those cars have no non-hybrid equivalents."

"Then came the Honda Civic hybrid, designed to perform almost as well as the orilgilnal, only using a lot less gasoline."

"But the pendulum has swung. The 2005 Honda Accord hybrid gets about the same gas mileage as the basic four-cylinder model, according to a review by Consumer Reports, and it saves only about 2 mpg compared with the V-6 model on which it is based. Thanks to the hybrid technology, though, it accelerates better."

"Hybrid technology, it seems, is being used in much the same way as earlier under-the-hood innovations that increased gasoline efficiency: to satisfy the American appetite for acceleration and bulk."

"Despite the use of hybrids to achieve better performance with about the same fuel economy, consumers who buy the cars continue to get a tax credit that the Internal Revenue Service allows under a "clean fuels" program that does not take fuel savings into account."

And the image of hybrids as fuel-stingy workhorses persists. In a June 15 speech at an energy forum, Bush proposed a tax credit of up to $4,000 to "encourage people to make right choices in the marketplace that will make us less dependent on foreign sources of oil and to help improve our environment."

"But some hybrids save hardly any fuel, energy-efficiency advocates say."

"The new ones are all being used for power, said Kateri Callahan, president of the Alliance to Save Energy, a nonprofit group based in Washington."

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Possibly most American men have the macho built in that they "must be off first from the traffic light," and keep ahead of everybody. The car manufacturers seem to have catered and fostered that type of addiction by the cars they produce.

The last I remember any sense being used was during the OPEC diet we were put on, when ? 1970s ? Highway speed limit was 55mph. Cars were becoming smaller and lighter, smaller foreign cars were being bought.

Now the big manufacturers are pushing the SUV gas guzzlers and even producing the civilian Humvee, GAD what a monster that one is on the streets. I guess the only thing missing now is those ridiculous, towering tail fins that cars used to have.

It looks to me that we men are guilty of being wastrels not giving a damn about reducing the amount of fuel being used and the car manufacturers are like a crack dealer de luxe, supplying the craving for more speed, faster acceleration, and behemoth vehicles. Seems we are in trouble, now with hybrids causing the increasing use of fuel.

A ridiculous tax credit for buying a hybrid. Heh, doesn't matter if it performs as intended in the first place and doesn't really save any fuel. And dear, " Mr. Bush proposed tax credit of up to $4,000 "to encourage people to make right choices in the marketplace that wlll make us less dependent on foreign sources of oil and to help improve our environment," what did they call guys like that in the old days ? Snake Oil salesmen I think it was.

Gotta remember Bastion, Mr. Bush is an oilman and a tool of industry and big money - - - at least that is how it appears to me.

The hulk and the bulk and the super speedy acceleration are A-OK to go - - - NO MATTER WHAT . . . . . . . . . .

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