Hybrid Technologies slashes prices for 2008!
If you've had a hankering for a full battery electric version of a MINI, PT Cruiser, Smart ForTwo or Toyota Yaris, the price tag just got a little more manageable. Lost Wages-based Hybrid Technologies has been doing EV conversions for a while now and apparently the cost of their lithium ion batteries has come down significantly so they are passing on the savings to the customer. Of course, this is no way meant to imply that any of their cars are inexpensive or affordable to the average consumer. The lineup now starts with an electrified Yaris at a mere $39,500. The battery-powered PT Cruiser has been slashed by $10,000 to a slightly less ridiculous $55,000. The MINI Cooper tops out the lineup at $57,500. If those price tags have not dissuaded you, you can check out the company and even place your order at the company's website.
[Source: Hybrid Technologies, thanks to Nick for the tip]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Dave 8:22AM (2/12/2008)
Any client testimonials?
DO THEY WORK? NUMBER OF RECHARGES? ANYONE?
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CJ 9:05AM (2/12/2008)
Dave, check the website for the answer to the charge question. As for testimonials, there do not seem to be any. However, if you contact the company, they might be able to connect you with buyers.
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yabun 1:21PM (2/12/2008)
Don't see the Yaris on their site. But the Mini would be a great car (still out of my price-range, though)
Does anyone know if the Mini still has back seats or if they're still pulled to make room for batteries?
PT Cruiser? Crossfire? Seem like odd choices. I know Chrysler is on hard times, are they selling gliders now?
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Yanquetino 3:05PM (2/12/2008)
Because my wife loves Mini Coopers, several weeks ago I sent an e-mail to Hybrid Technologies to inquire further. After several days I finally got a response from them that waffled on my direct questions, and only stated that they could build and ship one to our state easily. Naturally, I reiterated my questions to them, and added some more, as I insist upon definitive answers before I invest that much money in a product --especially "sight unseen." It has now been a couple of months, with NO follow-up response.
I draw two possible conclusions. The first one is that Hybrid Technologies is still mired in its checkered past of scamming customers. The second is that they have managed to put all that behind them, but have a truly lousy marketing staff.
For example, just consider their Mini Cooper EV. In their ad and their main home page they claim it has a range of 100+ miles. Yet on the order page for the vehicle it says "70 mile range." Uh... which is it? Does it sound to you like the marketing right hand knows what the left is doing? Or is it simply that the vehicle has yet to be built, let alone test the vehicle, to determine its true range...?
The order page itself is anything but clear. It provides radio buttons to select "Packages":
None
Convenience ($1,800)
Cold Weather ($600)
Premium ($1,800)
Sports ($1,800)
Yet only the Premium package has a description of what it includes: "Electric sunroof with twin glass front/back, auto AC with cabin air-filtration and HiFi sound system."
Even if you could find out what the other packages include, what if you wanted several of them, say, "Cold Weather" and "Premium"? Well, you CAN'T select more than one: the radio buttons cancel each other out. It sure doesn't look like they have thought out what kind of interface will truly please customers and sell bona fide vehicles.
Nor have they thought what would inform customers, for the specs are practically non-existent. There is nothing about the type of lithium ion battery pack, its size, kW, let alone a diagram of where it is installed in the vehicle. What kind of motor is used? What size and power? How about the regenerative braking? Does it have it? Can it be adjusted or is it "one-regen-fits-all"? And how about the warranty? Obviously, BMW isn't going to cover the vehicle once Hybrid Technologies has gutted the ICE. Are they going to supplant the original warranty with an equivalent guarantee?
So... either they need to get their marketing, sales, and service people to get their act together and clean up the company's public appearance... or they're only out to pocket some quick deposits --with no reassurance that the vehicles will ever appear.
Listen: if ANYONE here has purchased one of their EVs, has actually taken delivery of it, and can provide the rest of us a testimonial, PLEASE POST SOMETHING! We'd all like to know how legitimate these vehicles really are.
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sunny beach 3:58AM (7/06/2008)
These are some of the cheapest electric cars i've found. And some really cool cars are being converted, like the mini cooper. the yaris comes in at a decent price of 40,000. no need to wait 4 years for tesla's 40k car now! if it seems like its still expensive, add up your fuel costs on your current car and loan amount, and then compare that to this. i spend over $320 a month in gas in a civic, vs $48 per month in an electric yaris!
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