If you guessed hybrid, the tequila shot is on me
Quite a few big-name auto insurers have been giving hybrid owners a discount on their premium. But those deals might not last much longer; as an insurance data-analysis firm points out, the insurance industry could be losing big because of this.
The surprising result: Hybrid drivers typically drive farther, get more tickets, and have significantly more expensive insurance claims.
San Francisco-based Quality Planning analyzed the driving habits of about 360,000 vehicle owners and found that hybrid owners drive up to 25 percent more than non-hybrid owners.
The firm looked at several common use categories used by insurers—including “pleasure use” (everyday driving) and “high commute” (commuting more than 15 miles a day). The long commuters traveled about the same distance whether they drove a hybrid or not, but the everyday drivers of hybrids drove about 25 percent (2,000 miles) farther than those of non-hybrids—largely offsetting any petroleum savings.
For some hybrid owners, the decreased guilt associated with improved fuel-efficiency might actually increase the number of pleasure trips. “High mileage drivers appear to be attracted to these vehicles, so insurers should take steps to verify the intended use of hybrids and validate actual miles driven whenever possible,” said Dr. Raj Bhat, the president of Quality Planning.
Which means that all these people who are in to “saving the planet from Mankind’s output of CO2 are still putting out their fair share, using more gas, and using more electricity. It is also considerably more expensive to repair a hybrid, and the drivers tend to get more moving violations, apparently thinking that because they are “saving Gaia, they are allowed to break the law.
Just to be clear, I’m not saying hybrids are bad, and, IMO, I think this is a way we should be moving, reducing our dependence on oil, and not increasing our dependence on ethanol, which, other than sugar based, is pretty much worthless (it also puts out more CO2 then gas.) But, I do wonder about what happens with the batteries and other components when the vehicle is done. Are they safe in landfills?
In other AGW news
Nature not man responsible for recent global warming
Three Australasian researchers have shown that natural forces are the dominant influence on climate, in a study just published in the highly-regarded Journal of Geophysical Research. According to this study little or none of the late 20th century global warming and cooling can be attributed to human activity.
Read the whole thing.
That’s too funny! So typical.
Kinda puts a whole new light on a good chunk of hybrid drivers, eh?