Hybrids - hard to afford, but easy to park

While we’re on the subject of hybrids, it seems like a lot of cities have caught the fever. A lawmaker in Long Island, NY recently suggested that the city “set aside 2 percent of the spaces at some 800 county buildings for certain hybrid cars.” We can’t guarantee that commuters would take this well if it passes - parking anywhere within spitting distance of New York City is like playing an especially vicious last round of musical chairs - but it’s a noble effort all the same.

They’re not the only ones showing favor to hybrids, either. As we’ve mentioned before, some businesses are joining in - IKEA, Home Depot, and Office Depot are setting aside parking for hybrid vehicles in cities like Chicago and Houston. In fact, New York City officials have considered considered letting hybrids park free at city meters, something that hybrid owners in L.A. have been able to do for three years. The outreach towards these cars, and the fuel economy they represent, is nothing short of amazing.

One thing news articles about hybrid favoritism never get into is why so many bottom-line-driven entities have gone out of their way to reward hybrid ownership. We have our reasons, and we’ll list them in a future post - hint: they might involve Al Gore.