Have you hugged your Hummer Today?

[javacontour]

Dan,

Essential points is a judgment call. Agreeing or disagreeing with the article and what points it may make is also a judgment.

What you might call essential points may not match what I call an essential point, not to mention that what someone would characterize as an essential point can be determined by how the article influenced or failed to influence the reader.

I believe many got the point that it is possible (not a fact, merely possible) that the hybrid vehicle may not be the most energy efficient choice from dust to dust.

However, many, like myself, took exception with the "accounting" aspects of it, and this weakened the credibiity and usefulness of the article, changing what I find are the essential points.

I didn't need a study to tell me that for me to buy an already produced used car uses less energy than buying a brand new car, shipped from the factory.

From my point of entry into the lifecycle of the car (which is really all that matters to me, an essential point to me

) the energy used to design, build, deliver, drive and maintain the vehicle prior to my ownership really doesn't matter.

So I don't know if I got an A, a C, or failed the "test."

What I do know is that my answers, so far, have been working for me in the real life, pass fail exam called life.

 

[obbop]

I'd really like a hummer.

 

[JHZR2]

quote:

---

Originally posted by javacontour:
Dan,

Essential points is a judgment call. Agreeing or disagreeing with the article and what points it may make is also a judgment.

What you might call essential points may not match what I call an essential point, not to mention that what someone would characterize as an essential point can be determined by how the article influenced or failed to influence the reader.

I believe many got the point that it is possible (not a fact, merely possible) that the hybrid vehicle may not be the most energy efficient choice from dust to dust.

However, many, like myself, took exception with the "accounting" aspects of it, and this weakened the credibiity and usefulness of the article, changing what I find are the essential points.

I didn't need a study to tell me that for me to buy an already produced used car uses less energy than buying a brand new car, shipped from the factory.

From my point of entry into the lifecycle of the car (which is really all that matters to me, an essential point to me

) the energy used to design, build, deliver, drive and maintain the vehicle prior to my ownership really doesn't matter.

So I don't know if I got an A, a C, or failed the "test."

What I do know is that my answers, so far, have been working for me in the real life, pass fail exam called life.

---

Well said! IMO, you hit the nail on the head!

When we come onto a site like this, sure, theoretically were in an 'auto mindset', but what is important or stands out to one may not be the same as to another - if for no other reason than because we might not be in the particular mindset to note certain points and analyze an article with respect to same. It is the G&OT subforum, after all... people come in here to talk about running dehumidifiers, investing, why their antivirus doesnt work right and to get the best recipe for apple pie. If you want real insight into an article, post it in the interesting articles topic, where people DO take time to fully read, digest, research, analyse and review articles.

And afterall, just a short time on the G&OT yields a wealth of insight on what kind of agenda Dan has, and whaty kind of polarizing articles he posts, semi-regularly. Maybe theyre all tests!

Perhaps your little reading comprehension and psychology test is about as useful as the article you first posted...

JMH

 

[labman]

I have to agree about the fashion content of Hummers and hybrids. I once got to know a guy that was office manager at the local Chevy dealer. At first, he seemed to be the accountant you would expect in the position. As I got to know him better, I learned his gimpy leg was due to an accident that cut short his career in the rodeo and circus. He once said he went into the auto business because it had a strong element of the circus in it.

Note, fashion is creeping up into larger and larger trucks.

 

[1sttruck]

Hummer vs Prius still misses the mark if 'cost to society' is the concern, as both still have a very high 'fashion' content. The automotive industry, like most others selling consumer products, needs to constantly change designs to accomodate fickle consumer tastes, and one ends up with high profit product lines, due either to margins and/or volume, subsidizing new product development and less profitable lines. Domestic makes relied upon high margins in pickups and SUVs.

Looking at vehicles with less fashion and high utility content, like medium and heavy duty trucks, one tends to see vehicels designed with durability and low cost of ownership in mind, low cost at least for the task at hand. Here we see primarily diesels, small engines relative to potential load, and transmissions with lots of gears to handle the load with the relatively small engines.

One would initially assume that consumer vehicles with small diesels and transmissions with lots of gears would also provide overall lowest cost of ownership and perhaps lowest cost to society as well.