I always bought gas cars without thinking twice, but last month I picked a used plug-in hybrid instead

My 2008 F-150 finally died after 240,000 miles and I was all set to get another gas truck until my neighbor let me borrow his Chevy Volt for a weekend. Driving around town on electric only and barely using any gas for my 20 mile daily commute just made too much sense, especially with the local power company offering a $500 rebate for plug-in owners. Has anyone else been surprised by how little you spend on fuel after going hybrid or electric?

2 comments

2 Comments

blakem371d ago

That $500 rebate is cool and all but you're still paying a premium on the used hybrid vs a regular gas car. My buddy did the math on his Prius and it took him like 3 years to break even on the extra cost.

grace_bailey1d ago

Wait, does your buddy drive a Prius, or does he just run math problems on them for fun? I'm asking because I feel like I'd be that friend who buys the hybrid and then spends three years calculating my own loss. Honestly, my break even point would probably be just in time for the battery to die and cost me another few grand. I think a lot of us just buy hybrids because they make us feel like we're saving the planet one gas pump at a time, even if the math doesn't totally add up. Has your buddy ever factored in the smug satisfaction of getting 50 mpg?