TeeCee asks, "So you completely missed the much trumpeted (here and elsewhere) recent launch of the Prius PHEV then?"
I have been watching the progress of plug-in vehicles with much anticipation - but just because a plug-in vehicle can start test drives in a country does not mean that it will be sold or go mainstream any time soon in the same country or another country.
In the United States, there have been individuals as well as companies who would take the Prius and turn them into plug-in hybrids for some time. Toyota should have offered plug-in, from the very beginning, with their hybrids - it would have given the consumer a real choice (to quickly stop using oil) when oil prices jumped, to stabilize the market prices!
I think we all need to be aware of what the end-goal is:
- If petrol usage was the sole goal - my old Dodge Colt achieved 40MPG highway mileage at a much lower cost than a Prius. Plenty of diesel cars in Europe are achieving prius-like efficiency in highway driving conditions using conventional technology.
- If elimination of petrol is the sole goal - a plug-in petrol based hybrid brings us much closer to realizing this goal. A plug-in natural gas or natural-gas hybrid is would help to achieve this, as well.
- If reduction of emissions is the sole goal, plug-in natural gas or natural-gas hybrid are much
better option.
Plug-in petrol based hybrids are an excellent option today, once the manufacturing costs can be reduced to cost less than burning the fuel. For city driving, this line is much clearer than for long-distance driving. For city driving, however, a plug-in electric vehicle would probably meet that requirement.
The value of hybrids to be reasonable, when petrol prices are very high and driving is primarily city driving. The manufacturing costs needed to come down on them, to increase their value. The plug-in hybrids will have a much higher value, since the use of electricity can help consumers tackle the problem of high petrol costs.
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@TeeCee - Prius PHEV
TeeCee asks, "So you completely missed the much trumpeted (here and elsewhere) recent launch of the Prius PHEV then?"
I have been watching the progress of plug-in vehicles with much anticipation - but just because a plug-in vehicle can start test drives in a country does not mean that it will be sold or go mainstream any time soon in the same country or another country.
In the United States, there have been individuals as well as companies who would take the Prius and turn them into plug-in hybrids for some time. Toyota should have offered plug-in, from the very beginning, with their hybrids - it would have given the consumer a real choice (to quickly stop using oil) when oil prices jumped, to stabilize the market prices!
I think we all need to be aware of what the end-goal is:
- If petrol usage was the sole goal - my old Dodge Colt achieved 40MPG highway mileage at a much lower cost than a Prius. Plenty of diesel cars in Europe are achieving prius-like efficiency in highway driving conditions using conventional technology.
- If elimination of petrol is the sole goal - a plug-in petrol based hybrid brings us much closer to realizing this goal. A plug-in natural gas or natural-gas hybrid is would help to achieve this, as well.
- If reduction of emissions is the sole goal, plug-in natural gas or natural-gas hybrid are much
better option.
Plug-in petrol based hybrids are an excellent option today, once the manufacturing costs can be reduced to cost less than burning the fuel. For city driving, this line is much clearer than for long-distance driving. For city driving, however, a plug-in electric vehicle would probably meet that requirement.
The value of hybrids to be reasonable, when petrol prices are very high and driving is primarily city driving. The manufacturing costs needed to come down on them, to increase their value. The plug-in hybrids will have a much higher value, since the use of electricity can help consumers tackle the problem of high petrol costs.