xcel
03-28-2008, 09:40 PM
Local politicians blow it. (http://www.qctimes.com/articles/2008/03/13/news/local/doc47d8c40a2f942755111011.txt)
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/2008_US_based_Ford_Focus.jpgKurt Allemeier - Quad-City Times - March 13, 2008
2008 Ford Focus
The board in this case did not do even the basic homework or they would have come to a far different conclusion. See table below. -- Ed.
Deciding what is right for the environment or what is right for taxpayers is the question local government’s face when they take up the question of buying hybrid or flex-fuel vehicles.
The Scott County Board of Supervisors recently considered the purchase of a subcompact car for the health department. David Donovan, the county’s facility and support services director, provided prices for four subcompacts and three hybrid vehicles. The car was to be mostly used for in-town driving.
The hybrids — Toyota Prius, Honda Civic and Ford Escape — were priced about $10,000-$12,000 more than the subcompacts — Toyota Yaris, Ford Focus SE, Chevrolet Cobalt and Ford Focus. Also included were gas mileage ratings for the cars. The subcompacts averaged about 25 mpg in the city, compared to 39 mpg for the hybrids.
The board voted to purchase the Ford Focus because of the $12,215.97 price tag, although Supervisor Larry Minard thought a hybrid should be considered as a test case.
“My initial thought was that we should purchase one and see how it performs — vis-a-vis the rest of the car fleet — so we would have a true track record on maintenance and all the other things,” Minard said. “It may not be that a hybrid is right for everything, but I think their real advantage is in-town driving.”
Donovan also calculated maintenance and fuel costs over 80,000 miles for the vehicles and the cost gap closed to within $5,000, but that wasn’t enough to sway the board… http://www.qctimes.com/articles/2008/03/13/news/local/doc47d8c40a2f942755111011.txt
04 Prius vs. 04 Focus
Year|Make|Model|Initial cost|*Wholesale (80k miles)|Depreciation|**Fuel Costs (80K miles)|***Total Cost
04|Ford|Focus|$12,000|$3,230|$8,770|$10,560|$19,330
04|Toyota|Prius|$20,500|$10,375|$10,125|$5,739|$15,864
* KBB 4 years, 80k miles – Good Condition – TIV (Trade-in-Value)
** Fuel costs calculated at $3.30 per gallon at 08 EPA combined (Focus w/ Auto - 25 mpg, Prius - 46 mpg) over 80k miles.
*** Does not include TTL, maintenance and repair, financing or insurance.
This short sighted Township made a $3,466 mistake let alone the Prius containing far more amenities, lower cost of repairs and maintenance on top of the overall savings from fuel and much lower depreciation. As the price of a gallon of gasoline continues to go higher, the costly mistake compounds upon itself.
End result, the local taxpayers received the shaft with this poorly thought out decision.
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/2008_US_based_Ford_Focus.jpgKurt Allemeier - Quad-City Times - March 13, 2008
2008 Ford Focus
The board in this case did not do even the basic homework or they would have come to a far different conclusion. See table below. -- Ed.
Deciding what is right for the environment or what is right for taxpayers is the question local government’s face when they take up the question of buying hybrid or flex-fuel vehicles.
The Scott County Board of Supervisors recently considered the purchase of a subcompact car for the health department. David Donovan, the county’s facility and support services director, provided prices for four subcompacts and three hybrid vehicles. The car was to be mostly used for in-town driving.
The hybrids — Toyota Prius, Honda Civic and Ford Escape — were priced about $10,000-$12,000 more than the subcompacts — Toyota Yaris, Ford Focus SE, Chevrolet Cobalt and Ford Focus. Also included were gas mileage ratings for the cars. The subcompacts averaged about 25 mpg in the city, compared to 39 mpg for the hybrids.
The board voted to purchase the Ford Focus because of the $12,215.97 price tag, although Supervisor Larry Minard thought a hybrid should be considered as a test case.
“My initial thought was that we should purchase one and see how it performs — vis-a-vis the rest of the car fleet — so we would have a true track record on maintenance and all the other things,” Minard said. “It may not be that a hybrid is right for everything, but I think their real advantage is in-town driving.”
Donovan also calculated maintenance and fuel costs over 80,000 miles for the vehicles and the cost gap closed to within $5,000, but that wasn’t enough to sway the board… http://www.qctimes.com/articles/2008/03/13/news/local/doc47d8c40a2f942755111011.txt
04 Prius vs. 04 Focus
Year|Make|Model|Initial cost|*Wholesale (80k miles)|Depreciation|**Fuel Costs (80K miles)|***Total Cost
04|Ford|Focus|$12,000|$3,230|$8,770|$10,560|$19,330
04|Toyota|Prius|$20,500|$10,375|$10,125|$5,739|$15,864
* KBB 4 years, 80k miles – Good Condition – TIV (Trade-in-Value)
** Fuel costs calculated at $3.30 per gallon at 08 EPA combined (Focus w/ Auto - 25 mpg, Prius - 46 mpg) over 80k miles.
*** Does not include TTL, maintenance and repair, financing or insurance.
This short sighted Township made a $3,466 mistake let alone the Prius containing far more amenities, lower cost of repairs and maintenance on top of the overall savings from fuel and much lower depreciation. As the price of a gallon of gasoline continues to go higher, the costly mistake compounds upon itself.
End result, the local taxpayers received the shaft with this poorly thought out decision.