Will Hybrids Fail Or Succeed In Sri Lanka?

[Californikan]

So as i know 1st Gen Prius came to sri lanka way before this Tax cut So I wonder how come Hybrids going to fail in SriLanka as if they manage to keep & run those 1st Gen prius (specially those day without support from Toyota Lanka or no other companies like HybridLanka etc to rapair the places and now we do have..) in SriLanka..

Don't know if you are aware of this....

How does a 1st Gen Prius hold up after 333,000 kms?

Edited March 21, 2012 by Californikan

[whatever]

http://www.southparkstudios.com/full-episodes/s10e02-smug-alert

[JadeyBlitzen]

mounting is straight forward, but the electrics was the challenge according to him. Imagine the feeling of seeing a prius with an ignition barrel i got that shock of my life

I think our electricians will have no problems replacing the dashboard and engine room harnesses with 121 units. while they are at it they can join the two dashboard harnesses together to make most of the electrics work. the hardest part will be mounting the ignition barrel I guess. why bother? just drop in a 121 steering column and you got proper fully functioning Frankenstein in your hands thats a damn sight more fun than these celary-mobiles

[Reckless]

disposed battery packs accordingly? hell yeah, that must be with the fellows paying you for the kilo's of lead in a battery AKA 'botal pattara karaya'

lol true they take away just about anything. Reminds me of some e-waste management companies, they say they recycle them accordingly to save the environment and blah blah, but some say they actually export them to another poor country, or take the copper parts etc and throw the rest away.

Edited March 22, 2012 by Reckless

[harshansenadhir]

I think our electricians will have no problems replacing the dashboard and engine room harnesses with 121 units. while they are at it they can join the two dashboard harnesses together to make most of the electrics work. the hardest part will be mounting the ignition barrel I guess. why bother? just drop in a 121 steering column and you got proper fully functioning Frankenstein in your hands thats a damn sight more fun than these celary-mobiles

next time you see a gen I prius, go peeping to the driver's window to locate the ignition barrel.. and yeah they have dropped a steering column of some another car (was it vios or 121 i can't remember)

lol true they take away just about anything. Reminds me of some e-waste management companies, they say they recycle them accordingly to save the environment and blah blah, but some say they actually export them to another poor country, or take the copper parts etc and throw the rest away.

we have become the land of garbage in that very same context, even this very same prius context the same is applicable. We will end up having quite a lot of lead wastage in our country thanks to hybrid batteries

Edited March 22, 2012 by harshansenadhir

[The Don]

Well all the more reason for somebody to start a proper business/service offering environmentally friendly recycling particularly for batteries and the government to offer some incentive to those businesses to start. Way too much stuff goes in to land fill in Sri Lanka.

[Californikan]

We will end up having quite a lot of lead wastage in our country thanks to hybrid batteries

Well all the more reason for somebody to start a proper business/service offering environmentally friendly recycling particularly for batteries

Hybrid batteries are made of nickel metal hydride which is recyclable. The normal protocol for hybrid batteries is to recycle them and not dispose of them, and all hybrid manufacturers have hybrid battery recycling programs. Even Hybrid Motors Lanka policy is to ship any problematic batteries to Singapore for recycling.

This battery recycling/disposal thing is not an issue now and probably won't be an issue in SL in this decade because the vast majority of hybrids on the road are relatively new and the yearly average mileage Sri Lankans put on their cars is relatively small. When it does become an issue 10 or more years from now, there'll be some kind of recycling system in place.

[JadeyBlitzen]

I heard from a neighbor today that most people prefer to buy hybrids unregistered cos they don't have much faith in secondhand and possibly problematic ones. as preposterous as it may sound is there any truth behind this? sounds stupid enough to be true coming from our people.

[The Don]

Hybrid batteries are made of nickel metal hydride which is recyclable. The normal protocol for hybrid batteries is to recycle them and not dispose of them, and all hybrid manufacturers have hybrid battery recycling programs. Even Hybrid Motors Lanka policy is to ship any problematic batteries to Singapore for recycling.

This battery recycling/disposal thing is not an issue now and probably won't be an issue in SL in this decade because the vast majority of hybrids on the road are relatively new and the yearly average mileage Sri Lankans put on their cars is relatively small. When it does become an issue 10 or more years from now, there'll be some kind of recycling system in place.

If the batteries are being recycled properly that can only be a good thing though I will wait and see if it happens And we can't work on assumptions because quite a lot of what's been said here is such. There is a big difference between a prediction and a fact as well. You must also remember that we are also a very sunny country where solar panel usage is very low, and there are reasons for all of these things.

Second is I don't think you understand batteries Their life time is not only dependent on usage but on age. And batteries which are not properly power cycled regularly is likely die earlier than batteries power cycled more regularly.

[Pericles]

Even Hybrid Motors Lanka policy is to ship any problematic batteries to Singapore for recycling.

This policy stated anywhere we can check up on it? Like a website?

[Californikan]

This policy stated anywhere we can check up on it? Like a website?

I phoned Hybrid Motors last year, and asked them what they are going to do with dead batteries and they told me their policy is to ship them to Singapore to be recycled.

But here it is stated on a website too:

"Azli Ismail, Sales Director of Hybrid Motors Lanka Ltd, told Ceylon FT that the company has already made arrangements to ship dysfunctional batteries of hybrids to Singapore for recycling, allaying fears that discarded batteries of hybrids could cause environment pollution in Sri Lanka."

http://www.automotiv...king-time-bomb/

[Pericles]

I phoned Hybrid Motors last year, and asked them what they are going to do with dead batteries and they told me their policy is to ship them to Singapore to be recycled.

But here it is stated on a website too:

"Azli Ismail, Sales Director of Hybrid Motors Lanka Ltd, told Ceylon FT that the company has already made arrangements to ship dysfunctional batteries of hybrids to Singapore for recycling, allaying fears that discarded batteries of hybrids could cause environment pollution in Sri Lanka."

http://www.automotiv...king-time-bomb/

Ah. So its not a written policy statement, just something that they verbally pass on.

[Californikan]

April 2012 Vehicle Tax Revision

Hybrid below 2000cc - 51% >>> 60% ....(the tax this time last year was only 38%. Those early hybrid buyers must be laughing now.)

Hybrid 2000-3000cc - 75% >>> 100%

Hybrid above 3000cc - 100% >>> 125%

Petrol below 2000cc - 120+% >>> 200%

Petrol 2000-3000cc - 154% >>> 250%

Petrol above 3000cc - 189% >>> 275%

Diesel below 2000cc - 180% >>> 250%

Diesel 1600-2000cc - 250% >>> 275%

Diesel 2000-2500cc - 267% >>> 300%

Diesel above 3000cc - 291% >>> 350%

Source: http://www.treasury....es-20120331.pdf

Look for hybrids to make up an even larger percentage of vehicle imports going forward.

.

.

.

Edited March 31, 2012 by Californikan

[charitha19]

April 1 2012 Vehicle Tax Revision

Hybrid below 2000cc - 51% >>> 60% ....(this time last year the tax was only 38%. Those early buyers must be laughing now.)

Hybrid 2000-3000cc - 75% >>> 100%

Hybrid above 3000cc - 100% >>> 125%

Petrol below 2000cc - 120+% >>> 200%

Petrol 2000-3000cc - 154% >>> 250%

Petrol above 3000cc - 189% >>> 275%

Diesel below 2000cc - 180% >>> 250%

Diesel 1600-2000cc - 250% >>> 275%

Diesel 2000-2500cc - 267% >>> 300%

Diesel above 3000cc - 291% >>> 350%

Looks for hybrids to make up an even larger percentage of vehicle imports going forward.

yeah good now the cars we love will be sold for less.. hopefully

[NadriquE]

have anyone noticed that its 1st april?

[Watchman]

have anyone noticed that its 1st april?

I dont think the treasury ( as per the path for downloading the said notice) is in the practice of pulling April 1st pranks.

[Pericles]

have anyone noticed that its 1st april?

Cali doesn't need it to be April 1st to behave like a fool machang.

[CyRaX]

I heard from a neighbor today that most people prefer to buy hybrids unregistered cos they don't have much faith in secondhand and possibly problematic ones. as preposterous as it may sound is there any truth behind this? sounds stupid enough to be true coming from our people.

I think your right, this is exactly what Ive heard from a friend who is into buying and selling

[Californikan]

Toyota Lanka to begin officially importing Toyota hybrids in the second half of this year

Sri Lanka unit of Japanese car maker Toyota said it will bring down brand new hybrid vehicles to the country by the second half of 2012. The firm which currently provides repair services and spare parts, including batteries for hybrid vehicles, plans to retail brand new third generation Toyota Prius to the local market at a price ranging between Rs 5.5 to 6 mn.

“Customer orders can be placed from June 2012 onwards,” said Eshan Cooray, general manager, new vehicle sales at Toyota Lanka, which claims 47 percent share of the island’s Japanese vehicle market. He said a demonstration model of a third generation Prius produced last month is currently on show for customers at the car dealer’s main ‘Toyota Plaza’ showroom in Wattala, north of Colombo.

Cooray added that customers purchasing the vehicle from Toyota Lanka will be entitled to an agent’s warranty and roadside assistance.

http://lbr.lk/fullst...110101617048123

(slightly old news, but never reported in this forum afaik)

[terrabytetango]

http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-repeat-hybrid-car-buyers-20120409,0,416214.story

More proof that Hybrid cars are just a fad. And this is from Californikan's own backyard.

Edited April 10, 2012 by terrabytetango

[Pericles]

http://www.latimes.c...,0,416214.story

More proof that Hybrid cars are just a fad. And this is from Californikan's own backyard.

Mr Nikan doesn't live in California, despite the handle.

Funny thing is, my friend who owns the Insight I drove, now wants to sell it. He initially bought it coz he needed to drive a long distance every weekend to go home, so he decided he needed something extremely frugal on the fuel to keep costs down (now fake environmentalism). That hasn't changed, but he wants to change the car. Not sure to what, not sure why, but there it is.

Edited April 10, 2012 by Pericles

[dpbatagoda]

Does anybody has idea about Honda Insight fuel consumption in Colombo traffic?

I only managed 13Km/L.

The car is newly bought and no service is done yet.

I drove from Fort to Rajagiriya on traffic roads.

[Malaka2]

SL people mostly think about fuel economy that why they choose Bajaj over Honda. That makes nothing about money. Those who have and haven't money mostly think about fuel economy. So as long as its does over 30Km/L people buy hybrids. But I still like full time petrol cars.

[Watchman]

Does anybody has idea about Honda Insight fuel consumption in Colombo traffic?

I only managed 13Km/L.

The car is newly bought and no service is done yet.

I drove from Fort to Rajagiriya on traffic roads.

But isnt that almost double of what you would have gotten with a Honda Civic? Arent you happy about that?

[NPP]

Toyota Lanka to begin officially importing Toyota hybrids in the second half of this year

Sri Lanka unit of Japanese car maker Toyota said it will bring down brand new hybrid vehicles to the country by the second half of 2012. The firm which currently provides repair services and spare parts, including batteries for hybrid vehicles, plans to retail brand new third generation Toyota Prius to the local market at a price ranging between Rs 5.5 to 6 mn.

“Customer orders can be placed from June 2012 onwards,” said Eshan Cooray, general manager, new vehicle sales at Toyota Lanka, which claims 47 percent share of the island’s Japanese vehicle market. He said a demonstration model of a third generation Prius produced last month is currently on show for customers at the car dealer’s main ‘Toyota Plaza’ showroom in Wattala, north of Colombo.

Cooray added that customers purchasing the vehicle from Toyota Lanka will be entitled to an agent’s warranty and roadside assistance.

http://lbr.lk/fullst...110101617048123

(slightly old news, but never reported in this forum afaik)

what's their price after the tax hike?

on a different note,

people who really want to save money on fuel can buy a decent used car and put the balance money, which he could have afforded, in a FD. (depends on the amount of driving)