Sunday, October 19, 2008

Hybrid Cars

Ford Escape hybrid

When Earth Day arrives each year, everyone across the continent contributes their time to try and save the planet.  Although it's only one day in the year, that one day can and does go some way towards changing attitudes and opinions to the environment and to the way in which we can minimize our impact and our carbon footprint.In order to help reduce the amount of energy consumed, several companies give away environmentally friendly products that conserves energy. 

While these celebrations are occurring all around the world, people are looking for more ways to make a permanent impact for the good to save the planet.  Each year, millions of cars are manufactured.  These additional cars add more smog to the air, as they continue to use outdated petrol engines and burn fossil fuels.  With all of the additional cars that are produced each year, there is also a surge in the number of hybrid pickup trucks, which is leading to a revolution in the car market as more and more buyers turn to more environmentally appropriate methods of getting from A to B.

Each year this surge in new Honda Civic hybrid provides more drivers with the opportunity to do their part at cleaning up the environment.  While the ability to help reduce the amount of smog in the atmosphere is always a great incentive, the cost of the vehicles is also quite prohibitive for the average car purchaser. 

The mortgage industry is helped by the government by offering mortgages that are insured at reduced rates to assist families to qualify to own homes.  If the government branched this idea of thinking to the automotive industry imaging the results that could be realized in a few short years, with increased production capacities of these greener vehicles ultimately leading to less pollution and less damage to our environment.

For example, the way the government mortgages work now, the home purchased must be within a certain price range, and meet certain guidelines.  If a similar program was developed that offered special discounts in financing charges for those consumers looking to purchase a hybrid vehicle, it would inevitably make the purchase more affordable and more desirable for families on tight budgets and looking to improve the environment at the same time. 

Our government would be able to insure vehicle loans, and become more affordable for many drivers.  With programs looking to assist those in purchasing more environmentally friendly vehicles, it would make the dream of car ownership more affordable for many. 

By helping consumers purchase more energy efficient vehicles, there is a reduction in the amount of gasoline and oil consumed, as well as a decrease in the number of vehicles that are adding to the pollution problem.  To assist the program in starting it would be possible for the government to decide upon one specific day when the government subsidized loans for hybrid vehicles. 

The government should expand this successful program to assist consumers purchase energy saving cars helping to preserve the earth one car at a time.  Many people do not realize how long it takes to make up the difference in the expenses between a hybrid car, and the price of gas.  If often takes driving a hybrid car for 5 years or more in order to be able to break-even on the expense of the hybrid car, but by using subsidies we can help what is already a dire situation and start to actually improve the environment in which we live. By using government-sponsored programs to help reduce interest rates, it would be possible to realize savings sooner.

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