How U.S. policy undermines hybrid cars

NEW YORK – Some of my favorite people drive a Prius. They bought the car, obviously, because they were worried about the planet. But the fringe benefits are pretty nice, too.

In the United States, Prius drivers can use a carpool lane in some places even when no one else is in the car. No matter where they’re driving, they coast down the road in a whisper-quiet hum unlike anything else. Best of all, even if no one likes admitting it, they get to enjoy the cool-kid cachet that comes with being an early adopter of a fad. No other vehicle has had a recurring role on the TV show “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”

Now President George W. Bush has taken the hybrid craze to a whole new level.

To cure the U.S. addiction to oil, he said last week, Americans must invest in hybrid cars, hydrogen cars, even cars that run on wood chips and grass. Energy technology is having its big moment.

Too bad the benefits of the new cult car have been so exaggerated.

New York Times