But in this case the car purchase would be more expensive for features that are not economically justified.
In the full size sedan market, a BMW 745 goes for ~$70,000, while a Chevrolet Impala goes for ~$25,000. Sure, the BMW has a few nifty features the Chevy doesn't, I'd wager, but $45,000 worth? I don't think so. In just about every market segment, you can find similar spreads (and those aren't even the most extreme). Yes, most hybrid cars have some 'social statement' cost to them, but compared to other examples, I don't think it's that much of a premium, particularly when it is offset by some economical utility (which will vary based on actual future gas costs).
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In the full size sedan market, a BMW 745 goes for ~$70,000, while a Chevrolet Impala goes for ~$25,000. Sure, the BMW has a few nifty features the Chevy doesn't, I'd wager, but $45,000 worth? I don't think so. In just about every market segment, you can find similar spreads (and those aren't even the most extreme). Yes, most hybrid cars have some 'social statement' cost to them, but compared to other examples, I don't think it's that much of a premium, particularly when it is offset by some economical utility (which will vary based on actual future gas costs).