09 May 2012

Little by little...

Written by Daniela Zanello. Posted in Environment

This year we happen to buy a new car. In any magazine, I saw a SUV hybrid model. Very excited, I thought: This is the vehicle for me! Of course, I saw the price and I realized that I could not access. It was worth as a small property.

But ... as a result of writing this article I did some research online to see if hybrid cars are still a dream or are accessible in Latin America. From what I understood, is that in the northern hemisphere countries, eg United States or European countries, hybrid cars are more affordable than in Latin America.

Why? I do not know, but comparing, I could see that the same car in Argentina costs 100% more than in the United States. That is why we still have a way to get to the accessibility of hybrid cars in general.

Still, Latin America is moving forward. For example, Colombia already has hybrid cars and SUVs on the market and provides incentives for importing or manufacturing as lower taxes. The same applies to Mexico, Panama, Bolivia.

Also, seen how many models are offering various brands such as Toyota and Ford, and realizing that they are being used in other countries, gives me hope. Hope that in a few years (maybe next time I have to change the car!) in Latin America also more people will be able to access this technology.

On the other hand, I think it is important to make the following clarification:

Many people believe that green or hybrid cars run on electric power only, but this is not true. Systems have greater fuel efficiency (such as lighter body or other technologies) and also supports with electricity. There's even a Prius that plugs in! Yes, just like a blender!.