Toyota Prius
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Hybrid sales jumped nearly 32 percent from July 2008 to July 2009, driven largely by sales of the Toyota Prius and Ford hybrids. Hybrid vehicles accounted for a little more than 3.5 percent of U.S. auto sales market in July 2009.
The industry, already wide open with the advent of luxury hybrid sport-utility vehicles, promises to offer consumers even more choices in 2010. Chevrolet will roll out its Volt, an electric vehicle capable of driving 40 miles solely on battery power. A gas-powered generator will provide electricity for the motor for longer trips.
Owners of hybrid vehicles in the Central Valley follow the national trend, purchasing the Prius over other vehicles.
Isela Bingham purchased a used 2004 Prius almost six months ago. Although she previously drove a Honda Accord from her home in Stockton to various work sites in San Joaquin County, the savings in fuel cost have been substantial, she said.
“I have saved a tremendous amount of money,” Bingham said. “I’m now spending $13 a week on gas, where I was spending $30 to $40 per week before.”
While the Honda Accord is no slouch when it comes to fuel efficiency, Bingham said she is so satisfied with her Prius, she is selling her Accord. “I have two kids and it’s very sturdy,” said Bingham. “I’m able to do sports programs, shop for groceries and head to the dry cleaners in comfort.”
Mark Bitgood and Michael Gallagher live in Stockton; each owns a Toyota Prius. “We wanted a car with excellent gas mileage,” Bitgood said of their first purchase, a 2005 Prius. Bitgood, a physician at Kaiser Permanente – Modesto Medical Center, drives about 500 miles per week to work. Gallagher, director of business intelligence at El Camino Hospital in Mountain View, spends much of his week at their apartment in Oakland but still manages to drive 500 miles per week on the second Prius.
“We really got the (first) Prius because we believed that, ethically, it was the right thing to do, but we have been very happy with it,” Bitgood said. “I admit to being a mileage junkie, and have altered my driving habits as a result of the constant mileage feedback that I get from the car.”
The industry, already wide open with the advent of luxury hybrid sport-utility vehicles, promises to offer consumers even more choices in 2010. Chevrolet will roll out its Volt, an electric vehicle capable of driving 40 miles solely on battery power. A gas-powered generator will provide electricity for the motor for longer trips.
Owners of hybrid vehicles in the Central Valley follow the national trend, purchasing the Prius over other vehicles.
Isela Bingham purchased a used 2004 Prius almost six months ago. Although she previously drove a Honda Accord from her home in Stockton to various work sites in San Joaquin County, the savings in fuel cost have been substantial, she said.
“I have saved a tremendous amount of money,” Bingham said. “I’m now spending $13 a week on gas, where I was spending $30 to $40 per week before.”
While the Honda Accord is no slouch when it comes to fuel efficiency, Bingham said she is so satisfied with her Prius, she is selling her Accord. “I have two kids and it’s very sturdy,” said Bingham. “I’m able to do sports programs, shop for groceries and head to the dry cleaners in comfort.”
Mark Bitgood and Michael Gallagher live in Stockton; each owns a Toyota Prius. “We wanted a car with excellent gas mileage,” Bitgood said of their first purchase, a 2005 Prius. Bitgood, a physician at Kaiser Permanente – Modesto Medical Center, drives about 500 miles per week to work. Gallagher, director of business intelligence at El Camino Hospital in Mountain View, spends much of his week at their apartment in Oakland but still manages to drive 500 miles per week on the second Prius.
“We really got the (first) Prius because we believed that, ethically, it was the right thing to do, but we have been very happy with it,” Bitgood said. “I admit to being a mileage junkie, and have altered my driving habits as a result of the constant mileage feedback that I get from the car.”