If you are like me, you have probably wondered why hybrid cars are so ugly. Although some companies have started to produce decent looking models, it is still a question that haunts me. Why would car companies be producing ugly ducklings that people are not likely to buy? Would it not make sense to offer cars that look more like existing models? After thinking about it, I believe the reasons might involve pressures from governments and the impact of sales on their other fossil-fuel powered vehicles.
So what kind of pressures are car companies facing from various governments? What impact do hybrid car sales have on their existing business? Will they really be making money from selling such type of cars? All these questions need to be kept in mind to really see what is going on. Some have a greater impact on their business than others.
Impact of hybrid car sales on the business
One of the possible reasons car companies do not make attractive looking hybrid cars is because they might not want them to sell. Or at the very least, not outsell their other gas powered models.
This makes perfect sense because too much money has been poured into research and development by businesses to simply move on to hybrid technology. Businesses are willing to pour in enormous amounts of money into developing technologies because they assume that over time, they will make a profit. If their hybrid cars looked just as good as other models, people would choose the option that is more environmentally friendly. They would also need to put in gas less often and our dependence on fossil fuels would reduce.
Not only would car companies sink all the money they have spent on researching and developing fossil fuel powered vehicles, this would also decrease our dependence on fossil fuels directly. Governments, especially the United States Government, would not be pleased if people moved away from fuel that comes from the ground.
Governmental pressures to stay dependent on fossil fuels
Despite what the politicians say, we pay a whole lot of money in gas taxes that the United States Government profits from. This includes federal and state specific taxes.
Gas stations usually do not show the proportions of money that goes to taxes, but I saw a sticker at the local gas station close to my residence. Of the approximately three dollars per gallon that you spend these days, almost half of it for taxes.
Yes, this is a big amount and goes directly in the pockets of local and federal politicians. With the amount of cars we have in the United States, it is no small change. Naturally, politicians do not want this source of revenue to disappear. Despite what they claim about becoming independent from fossil fuels, politicians want people to keep driving cars that are powered by it.
It is plausible that car companies face political pressure from the United States Government to keep people hooked on fossil fueled cars.
There are some companies that have started to make decent looking hybrid cars. Some of these companies have been in financial trouble and are trying to embrace new technologies to bring them back in the race. I truly believe that they will be the ones really pushing the envelope and making others follow because their old business models have failed them. It is time to change up the game and give people better fuel efficiency cars at an affordable price, all while reducing emissions by not burning so much fossil fuel.