Being interested in saving money would be a precursor to any interest in reducing their carbon footprint.
People who buy Hummers aren't interested in saving money.
'Saving money' isn't the only reason to go low-carbon. Demand for GMC's two new
electric Hummer models is so high that they are sold out for the next 2 years.
Nobody's buying one of these to save money. Some might be buying it partly to assuage their guilt over being big carbon emitters, but most are buying it for the incredible performance and handling. This is a good thing.
It has been argued that electric Hummers aren't doing much to save the planet because they are much less efficient than lighter vehicles. But this misses the point. People will still buy Hummers whether they are fossil fueled or electric. By buying electric they are doing two things:-
1. producing a lot less less carbon than they would otherwise.
2. Making electric cars in general more acceptable.
When even frickin'
Hummers are electric, it's a lot harder for the average Joe to argue that electric cars don't have what it takes. How this will change the general public's
attitude to electric vehicles is far more important than the minuscule amount of reduced carbon emissions.
Some people buy Hummers as a status symbol. Others buy them because they
need a vehicle with its capabilities. In both cases convincing them to buy electric is a major win for the planet. Not because it reduces their carbon footprint (which is very low because very few people drive one) but because it helps persuade people buying 'ordinary' cars to go electric too. It's the billions of mainstream SUV owners that we really need to win over.
People who buy electric Hummers have far more influence than they might think. They might not think they are saving money either, but they probably are. Electricity is a lot cheaper than gas in most places, and the gap will widen even further in the future. When driving off-road electric can be even more efficient (as well as quieter and more controllable). So electric Hummer owners can expect to save a lot in fuel costs. They also need much less maintenance, saving even more money.
You are right to say that (in general) people who buy Hummers aren't interested in saving money. But that doesn't mean they won't buy electric because they don't have saving money as a 'precursor'. If they calculated it they would find that they could indeed save quite a bit, which even rich people don't necessarily ignore (they didn't usually get there by not being careful with their money). In most cases though the savings would just be bonus - not the main reason they bought a Hummer, but perhaps a
factor.
Saving money is just one possible reason out of many for reducing your carbon footprint. It's an important one though, because most people consider saving money to be imporatant. Even rich people still take it into consideration. Very few people are so rich that cost is unimportant to them. An electric Hummer costs US$100,000. If you are in the top 10% that might be affordable, especially when the ongoing savings are factored in. The gas version might not.
