Hybrid cars the go as fuel price rockets

Josh Dowling
June 10, 2007

AS petrol heads towards $1.50 a litre, and the consumer watchdog renews its focus on fuel pricing, Australians are buying hybrid cars in record numbers.

Last month the petrol-electric Toyota Prius recorded its best monthly sales since its release six years ago.

And year-to-date figures show sales have almost doubled compared with the same period last year. Its competition, the Honda Civic Hybrid, at $32,990, the cheapest petrol-electric car in Australia, has a two-month waiting list.

Conrad and Jane Silvester, husband and wife operators of the East Orange post office, liked the Prius so much they bought two.

"I can tell you why they're selling - ours has nearly paid for itself in fuel savings alone," Mr Silvester said.

The couple's first Prius, a 2002 model, has travelled 130,000kilometres and, by his calculations, has saved them about $32,000 in fuel - almost the cost of the car. Their cars each sip about 4.5litres in petrol per 100 kilometres - about half as much as an average small car. They were so impressed they also bought a new Prius in 2004, which has travelled 90,000kilometres.

The couple's previous car was a V6 Avalon, Toyota's rival to the Holden Commodore. Sales of big Australian sedans are at a 16-year low while sales of small cars have increased by 67.5 per cent over the past 10 years.

Toyota Australia estimates Prius drivers travel more than the annual average distance of 15,000 kilometres because the fuel savings are greater for those with long daily commutes.

"A lot of people on the Central Coast and the outer suburbs of Sydney use the car to commute," Toyota's Prius specialist Vic Johnstone said.

As with most petrol-electric hybrids, the Prius is powered by a conventional petrol engine that switches off when the car is coasting or stationary. The electric motor moves the car from rest; the petrol engine restarts automatically at cruising speeds.


* First Toyota Prius on sale in Australia in 2001 - 137 sold.

* In 2006 - 2000 sold.

* First five months of 2007, 1300 sold. May tally of 380 sales is monthly record.

* Costs $37,400 to $46,900.

* Honda Civic Hybrid costs $32,990, but regularly sells out its 80 cars a month allocation.

Source: Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries.

Source: The Sun-Herald

