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Good question. What is your expectation? I found a link that seems to suggest that people do want them (at about 2% of cars sold), maybe just not at the level y

Good question. What is your expectation? I found a link that seems to suggest that people do want them (at about 2% of cars sold), maybe just not at the level you expect? They are typically more expensive to buy. People aren't good with long term cost benefit analysis. https://www.hybridcars.com/june-2018-hybrid-cars-sales-dashboard/ https://www.hybridcars.com/june-2018-hybrid-cars-sales-dashb...

drb91 8y ago
It seems absurd in retrospect, but I was envisioning something like 20-30% of cars. Possibly this is due to commuting with rich people in SF where priuses are every other car. 2% makes it seem like we have no hope for addressing global warming--nobody seems to care.
- briandear 8y ago
  When the market is ready for hybrids and electrics, hybrids and electrics will become more plentiful. People seem to forget that individuals have to look out for themselves first. Not everyone is willing to make the financial sacrifice to solve a nebulous problem. As long as China and India have little incentive to fix their pollution issues, the impact of even the entire state of California is literally a drop in the bucket. The thinking is “why should I suffer” when the developing world pretty much does whatever they want. A bunch of Bay Area techies driving electric has about as much impact on climate as a whale farting in the ocean. The sky might be falling, but it isn’t going to be stopped by Americans driving electric.
  - drb91 8y ago
    > People seem to forget that individuals have to look out for themselves first. Why do you say that? I can understand people need to look after themselves, but I can have my own hopes at the same time. Why would you want me to not hope to address this problem? The market certainly isn't going to provide any hope; that's why emissions are considered an externality, because people don't approach the problem rationally (as a society). Tragedy of the commons should be a descriptive trait, not a justification.
  - Animats 8y ago
    Shenzhen just went to 100% electric buses. 16,000 of them. China is going electric faster than the US is.

drb91 8y ago

It seems absurd in retrospect, but I was envisioning something like 20-30% of cars. Possibly this is due to commuting with rich people in SF where priuses are every other car. 2% makes it seem like we have no hope for addressing global warming--nobody seems to care.

briandear 8y ago
When the market is ready for hybrids and electrics, hybrids and electrics will become more plentiful. People seem to forget that individuals have to look out for themselves first. Not everyone is willing to make the financial sacrifice to solve a nebulous problem. As long as China and India have little incentive to fix their pollution issues, the impact of even the entire state of California is literally a drop in the bucket. The thinking is “why should I suffer” when the developing world pretty much does whatever they want. A bunch of Bay Area techies driving electric has about as much impact on climate as a whale farting in the ocean. The sky might be falling, but it isn’t going to be stopped by Americans driving electric.
- drb91 8y ago
  > People seem to forget that individuals have to look out for themselves first. Why do you say that? I can understand people need to look after themselves, but I can have my own hopes at the same time. Why would you want me to not hope to address this problem? The market certainly isn't going to provide any hope; that's why emissions are considered an externality, because people don't approach the problem rationally (as a society). Tragedy of the commons should be a descriptive trait, not a justification.
- Animats 8y ago
  Shenzhen just went to 100% electric buses. 16,000 of them. China is going electric faster than the US is.