After wearing out the shoe leather around the vast halls of the Frankfurt motor show for a day and a half, I’ve been quite impressed by the way the car industry is embracing hybridisation and electric vehicles.
Manufacturers have been keen to show us their latest developments. I’ve had a ride in the Range Rover Hybrid around the streets of Frankfurt, Steve Cropley has been chauffeured about in a BMW i3 and Jim Holder has been amazed by Volkswagen’s Volkswagen e-up. The Tesla Model S, the car that’s been the subject of a full road test in this week’s Autocar magazine, has also been receiving plenty of attention on its show stand.
With several high-profile vehicles reaching production status, it feels as though the hybrid and alternatively powered vehicle market is really gathering momentum, which is a pleasing state of affairs.
Then, all of a sudden, you spy something that brings you back to reality with a sudden bump. Social media forum Twitter was awash with references to a story the Daily Mail has run on the new Porsche 918 Spyder, which has proved to be one of the highlights of the Frankfurt motor show.
I’m not going to link to it here, but the story is still featured on the paper’s home page. I went to take a look. The story has most likely been corrected, but originally it said the Spyder is ‘more fuel efficient than a Honda Prius” and “can do more than two miles to the gallon”.
To me, the inaccuracies in the story are a reality check. They suggest that although those inside the car industry might have embraced hybrids, there is still a long way to go before the ‘real world’ catches up in terms of understanding and education about alternatively powered cars. And perhaps we need new, more eloquent ways of communicating the merits.
Two miles per gallon indeed…
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Well said, artill
If hybrid and particularly electric cars are to catch on with the general public, rather than just molly-coddled motoring journalists with access to other cars when needed, the prices are going to have drop an awful lot, in my opinion. The VW e-UP looks like a good car but the price of more than double a decent petrol version (or even more if you go for a Skoda version) makes it just ridiculous. It will be interesting to see how well the Toyota Yaris Hybrid sells longterm, it would be my own preference now as the Prius I had for seven years was brilliant but, like everything else, is getting ridiculously pricey now for most normal private motorists to buy.
Is it just me, or have most 'cooking' hatchbacks gone up in price to an inordinate and unjustifiable level in recent times ? It seems that one needs to spend £20-25,000 to get a decent family hatch-back now whereas it was not long ago that £15-17,000 would have been more than enough.
I think there's a fair
I think there's a fair difference between the sort of hot hatch £15-17 got you five to ten years ago and what £20-25 will get you now. There's a fair bit more standard kit, there's a good chunk more "go"...
Plus as you get out towards that 10 year mark, £17k then is the equivalent of £22k now so you're not spending much more in real terms.
I'd like to see more medium hot cars - around the 200bhp mark. There's a bit much of a rush at the mo for the 300bhp mark.
I think you're hoping too
I think you're hoping too much with regard to the journalistic standards of the Daily Mail, Matt
@ Artill, I would consider a
@ Artill, I would consider a Honda CRZ Hybrid, but I need 5 doors, which leaves the latest Yaris Hybrid, which I consider a stupendous car. All the car companies have invested billions in the latest eco technologies, so even sceptics like us general public, will have to embrace the fact the IC engine is going to eventually die.