ABC News Out of Gas

[NUKE209]

Out of Gas
[WORDS]
  ♧ hybrid : n. 혼종, 잡종, 혼성   -a. 혼성의, 잡종의
  ♧ buzz : n. 와글와글 하는 소리, 소문, 소란
  ♧ Toyota Prius
  ♧ Dean Reynolds.
  ♧ dealership : n. 판매점, 대리점
  ♧ odd : a. 이상한, 기묘한, 이상 야릇한
  ♧ rage : n. 격노; 일시적 대 유행
  ♧ be taken aback : v. 깜짝 놀라다
  ♧ glut : n. 차고 넘침, 공급 과잉
  ♧ sticker price : n. 자동차 등의 메이커 희망 소매가격
  ♧ flatten : v. 평평하게 하다, 납작하게 하다
  ♧ in the neighborhood of : ~의 근처에, 약~ 정도
  ♧ gallon : n. 3.7853 liter
  ♧ unheard-of : a. 전례가 없는, 금시 초문의
  ♧ lease : n. 임대
  ♧ niche : n. 틈새시장, 생태적 지위
  ♧ mainstream : n. 사회의 대세, 주류
  ♧ comparably : ad. 비교할 수 있을 만큼, 동등하게
  ♧ phase out : v. 단계적으로 제거하다, 없어지다
  ♧ dent : n. (자동차 등의) 옴폭 들어간 곳, 약화시키는 효과
  ♧ Kermit the Frog  
 

  Here in Chicago, the city's auto show has just opened, the largest in North America. The last couple of years, everyone at the auto show was talking about the hybrids - the fuel efficiency, the combined gas and electric power. No hybrid got more buzz than the Toyota Prius. But in recent days, well, things have changed. What's changed? Here's ABC's Dean Reynolds.
  Toyata dealerships have a rather odd look these days. Row upon row of unsold Prius models, the hybrid that was all the rage a year ago. "Man, leather is cool!"
  Jonathan Kyese was car shopping last weekend in Santa Monica and was taken aback by the Prius glut.
  "I was absolutely surprised. I thought that maybe I could just test-drive. But the car salesman who was helping me said, "you know, which one do you want?""
  A year ago, consumers were paying over sticker price and waiting up to six months for a Prius. But now, Prius sales have flattened, and you need only drive to your local service station to find out a reason why. All last summer, the price at the pump was in the neighborhood of 3 dollars a gallon. But today, it's about a dollar cheaper.
Add to that, Toyota's decision to boost production of the Prius, and you have a bit of a problem. But, Toyata says not to worry.
  "We are now in a more normal situation where demand and supply reflect reality, and that requires marketing."
  And on that point, Toyota is offering the unheard-of : incentives with the Prius, on loans, on leases plus sticker discounts. And, by making more of them, Toyota is hoping to broaden the Prius niche.
  "Obviously, what we are trying to do is to bridge from the vehicle that was attractive to environmentally conscious customers to the mainstream."
  It doesn't help Prius sales to have comparably gas-saving and less expensive conventional vehicles on the market now. And things will get even tougher for hybrids later this year when a federal tax credit for them is phased out. And, when the environmental protection agency recalculates fuel efficiency for 2008 models. The current Prius mileage - 60 per gallon in the city - will be lowered to the mid-40s, a bit dent. But then, as Kermit the Frog would say, it's not easy being green.
  Dean Reynolds, ABC News, Chicago.