[cube]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Starvid', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'I') lost count how many people claim electricity is supposedly "cheaper" then gasoline. I'll save that for another debate.

[Starvid]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('cube', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Starvid', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'I') lost count how many people claim electricity is supposedly "cheaper" then gasoline. I'll save that for another debate.

[yesplease]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('cube', 'S')hort answer yes. The long answer is that technically speaking an ICE engine runs most efficiently at a high load. As is the case with most things in life the most ideal situation is impossible. The 2nd best scenario is to NOT make rapid changes in engine load but instead cycle it on and off in order to maximize load and efficiency.

[joe1347]

In addition to a Toyota 'factory' installed 8 mile range plug-in battery, how about a Toyota 'factory' (option package) conformal and very lightweight roof module covered with a solar cell (photovoltaic) array? If anyone is familar with a typical silicon solar cell module, they typically consist of a several square meter aluminum panel with an array of solar cells bonded to the Aluminum surface. So instead of the conventional square (and flat panel) solar cell module, you would instead build a solar cell panel identical to the current Prius roof. Of course, there is the complication of how to encapsulate high efficiency silicon solar cells on the side exposed to sunlight. Glass is typically used in a conventional panel which would likely be too fragile as well as heavy for a rooftop application. Plus the silicon-based solar cells themselves are fragile. Also, I don't know if there's a robust enough (and lightweight) plastic encapsulant (yet!) that would work for automotive rooftop applications to encapsulate fragile silicon solar cells? Alternatively, possibly a lower efficiency thin-film solar cell technology (CdTe) would make more sense for car rooftop recharging since thin-film cells may work better for a curved surface (car) application.

Some rough calculations suggest that a roof top solar cell array could provide about 5 miles of range (battery charging) for a Prius parked out in the Sun most of the day - which gives about 13 miles total daily range on batteries only. I seem to remember that most daily commutes average around 20 miles. So a 100mpg Prius that only costs a few thousand dollars more seems surprisingly reasonable using technology almost available TODAY. Lets see, how about a choice between a Navigation with leather option for $3000 or a 100mpg option package for the same price, I wonder which one consumers will choose?

As consumers, we've been pre-conditioned to associate additional cost options when buying a car with luxury (leather, Nav, bigger engine/wheels, etc.). Instead, why can't a somewhat high priced option package be associated with providing much better fuel efficiency?

[oiless]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Starvid', '
')
State income from gas taxes are several times the amount of money spent on roads, and they are not in any way linked. Gas tax is just a revenue stream among many entering the public purse, and roads are just one of many streams leaving it.

[cube]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Starvid', 'S')tate income from gas taxes are several times the amount of money spent on roads, and they are not in any way linked. Gas tax is just a revenue stream among many entering the public purse, and roads are just one of many streams leaving it.

You might just as well say that gas will never be cheap, because how then are we to pay for healthcare or policemen?

[Starvid]

Indeed.

And it's a good thing. I'd love to see higher taxes on consumption in general and on fossil fuels in particular, offset by a higher income tax discount (that is, the initial income that is tax exempt).

[lawnchair]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('yesplease', ' ')Ime, usually trips at the gas station take ~15 minutes depending on how crowded it is, assuming the gas station is right on my commute, so I don't think there's much difference in total time spent.

[yesplease]

Occasionally I'll go to the ones that have the boxes that'll take cash right next to the pump, but for the most part, I go to stations where I end up paying cash in the storefront, then going back for change after I'm done. There is usually a person or two in front of me, so that takes a couple minutes. When all is said and done, it usually takes anywhere from ~5 minutes when there's no one there to ~15 minutes when it's crowded. I'm also including the time it takes me to brake and enter the station and the time it takes to merge and accelerate into traffic compared to just passing the station, which is usually only a minute or so, but sometimes more.

[joe1347]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', '[')urk=http://www.greencarcongress.com/2008/03/report-toyota-t.html]link[/url]
Report: Toyota To Boost Japan Output Of Prius Hybrid 60% By Next Year 27 March 2008:
The Nikkei reports that Toyota Motor Corp. plans to boost domestic output of the Prius by 60% to 450,000 a year by 2009.
Toyota manufactured about 280,000 Priuses worldwide in 2007, up 33% on the year. Excluding some Chinese production, the car is assembled mainly at two major plants in Japan. Output capacity will be boosted at these facilities as the Prius gears up for a major redesign as early as next year

[gnm]

Whoopeedoo... A Pius uses more energy in its construction than it saves in gas over maintaining a thrifty old junker...

-G

[emersonbiggins]

This isn't 1982. There isn't the political will to roll back the clock on globalization and nationalism, and the few in the populace that would never consider a "foreign" brand are an anachronism amongst themselves. Moreover, Detroit doesn't carry the economic clout that it once did, what with "foreign" brands locating their manufacturing plants all across the southern part of the U.S.

Simply put, the Big Three are irrelevant. The people employed there and in associated industries might think otherwise, but those are the facts. The economics of energy will trump even the largest V8 engine that Detroit has to offer.

[frankthetank]

Government better buy me one, because i'm not plunking down that much dough to get a few more to the mile.

[strider3700]

Isn't the third gen rumored to be a plug-in hybrid? If it gets 40 miles of pure electric and then goes into hybrid mode I could see wanting a little longer in the testing and it would be worth it to me to consider getting a different vehicle. Even if it isn't a huge change the current model is selling very very well. No need to rush in a replacement if things are going great.

[Tyler_JC]

GM is working on the Chevy Volt, a plug-in electric hybrid that revolutions the idea of a personal transport vehicle. A plug in hybrid that virtually eliminates the need to consume gasoline for the vast majority of drivers is a game changer

Toyota has its own game changer. The plug-in Prius. If they can figure out how to get a 60+ mile range on the batteries and expand the longevity of the battery packs, they can stay ahead of GM.

I doubt Ford is going to sit on the sidelines. It has already developed a way to turn the Ford Escape Hybrid into a plug-in hybrid. Expect to see those on dealer's lots in the next couple of years.
Ford and Southern California Edison Join Forces

An SUV regardless of how it's powered is a waste but for now Ford thinks there is a market. Fortunately for consumers, the competition is great news. It pushes down prices, forces innovation, and ultimately provides a better product than would have existed in a world without competition.

The race is on to provide consumers with an alternative to unaffordable gasoline-powered cars.

[frankthetank]

Ford/Chevy/Dodge might as well join forces and stick to building trucks/suvs. When i drive past a Dodge dealership i cringe when i look at their new cars.
Let the Japs build the cars. I'd buy one of these, but not sure where i'd put the trailer hitch.

125mpg

[gnm]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Tyler_JC', 'T')he race is on to provide consumers with an alternative to unaffordable gasoline-powered cars.

[heroineworshipper]

Can't wait for that "major redesign". It won't be higher MPG. More likely the Silicon Valley Limited Edition, because that's the only place U see these.

[eastbay]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('heroineworshipper', 'C')an't wait for that "major redesign". It won't be higher MPG. More likely the Silicon Valley Limited Edition, because that's the only place U see these.

[dohboi]

Zenn