Are hybrids really a better choice or just a 'socially acceptable' status symbol?
A recent article in the Globe about the virtues of hybrid cars and the kind of people who buy them reminds me of the logic we were forced to swallow just prior to being thrust into the Iraq war. (''Need car-buying advice?" Globe NorthWest, March 9.)
First, no mention is made about the cost of battery replacement at the 100,000-mile mark; a cost that will exceed $3,000 or more at today's rates. Add to this the extra cost of the hybrid over the standard version of the car and one wonders who did the math.
What really got my fur up was the comment made by George Grey, the auto dealer, saying that ''these cars appeal to the educated and affluent who really care about the environment" and who live in Lincoln, Concord, Carlisle, and Harvard. Talk about trying to appeal to the so-called rich and famous.
Well, Mr. Grey, have you bothered to count the number of extra-large SUVs owned by some of these so-called intelligent and affluent homeowners? I'm referring to the ones with the ''trophy houses." Have you bothered to count the number of households in these fine cities and towns who opt to burn wood or coal to heat their mansions because they think they are saving on oil and gas but are, in reality, doing more harm to the environment.
The bottom line is that most informed and intelligent car buyers steer clear of hybrid cars for now because the real cost savings aren't there. The affluent and intelligent ones in the cities mentioned above by Mr. Grey might think otherwise because they will probably never have to fork out money for replacement batteries. God forbid if they have to drive around in a car that isn't currently the ''socially acceptable" thing to be seen in.
Someday, the auto makers will get their act together and fund some serious research into hydrogen-fueled cars.
The day for the need for this type of fuel may come sooner than we think if we continue to meddle in the affairs of our Middle East neighbors.
Bill Matthews
Belmont 
