Hybrid vehicles are becoming sound investments for businesses, according to a new report from ABI Research.
"Along with price reductions from economies of scale due to an increase in orders, hybrid vehicles for certain commercial markets are reaching that tipping point at which they become the economical choice, not merely the environmental one," according to the Commercial Hybrid Vehicles report from ABI Research.
And the much higher cost of repairs and maintenance that many analysts factor into hybrid ownership seems to be untrue. ABI Research analysts interviewed companies using hybrid trucks and buses and found that "reliability is equal to, or better than, conventional equipment."
Although the hybrid components used in buses and trucks can be different than those in SUVs and cars, the same arguments can be made for consumers to buy hybrids. The crapshoot for potential hybrid owners is estimating the price of gasoline. While at $2.50 a gallon the payback may not be satisfactory, at $3 or $4, the economics can swing clearly in favor of hybrids.
