My boss wants...

[K.C.Leblanc]

I guess you don't like them? ;-)

Nope, I know if this carries on by the time I can afford a proper car they'll be illegal.

I just think you can get something as good as a Prius for much less if your prepared to forego the gimicry.

Or for the price of a Prius you can get some very nice cars.

[ICT_GUY]

34mpg? (real world)

there are small diesel cars about that will do 75 - 80 mpg and cost around 1/5th the price.

The environment is screwed, there is nothing we can do to stop it. The amount of carbon produced by even the most simple of human activities is more than you could possibly imagine, and the green campaigners always go on about the things that just don't matter.

Recycle? Don't drive an suv sized vehicle for a year and save the same amount of energy as if you recycled every bit of waste you produced for 40 years.

The amount of fuel burnt collecting / sorting / reusing rubbish makes the net gains negligible.

THE WORLD IS GOING TO HELL IN A HANDCART AND THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO STOP IT!

<going to have a lie down as I feel like one of my turns is coming on>

[tech_guy]

yeah, sod the planet - I need a foreign holiday!

[enjay]

The amount of fuel burnt collecting / sorting / reusing rubbish makes the net gains negligible.

Yes and no. Even allowing for the fuel used in the re-distribution process, recycling these materials using less energy than making them from scratch. Also consider the reduction in the amount of new land required for land-fill.

You are right though - we need to do significantly more than recycle our junk mail, chuck in a few low-energy light-bulbs and then sit back smugly thinking we've saved the planet.

[Domino]

Future Cars: 300 MPG Electric Vehicle & Plug-In Hybrid for Under $30K

how about 300mpg?

[Martin]

Well i have been driving one for the last year and a half - and i am perfectly happy with it.

Just to correct a few "un-truths"...

It is an expensive car, but you get an awful lot for your money. The top of the range Spirit has proper sat-nav, bluetooth, climate control, reversing camera, umpteen speaker multi-CD stereo and so on. I've also got the intelligent parking assist - you tell it where to go via the dashboard touchscreen display, and it parks itself!

It isn't heavy, in fact it is lighter than my previous car - a Subaru WRX with PPP. It also has 400nm of torque, compared to a mere 300nm on the Scooby!!!

It doesn't come with Michelin "economy tyres" - it is shod with quite grippy Bridgestone Turanzas, and the 195/55 profile does a good job.

The whole synergy drive system has an eight year warranty, so no battery replacement worries.

Acceleration is easily on a par with your average 2 litre motor - often other drivers seem quite surprised how nippy it is.

I get 40+ mpg, but i tend to drive it like i stole it If you do long motorway journeys then a diesel is probably better, but around town the Prius is far superior.

The continuously variable transmission makes driving in traffic a dream - and lets face it, we are stuck in traffic most of the time.

Switching to electric-only mode is great fun in car parks - scaring old folks and totally freaking out most cats

So, don't slag it off until you have (properly) tried it!!

mb (donning flame suit )

[flyinghaggis]

I get 40+ mpg, but i tend to drive it like i stole it If you do long motorway journeys then a diesel is probably better, but around town the Prius is far superior.

That's abysmal given the price of the Prius. You could buy a diesel familty hatchback the same size that's more efficient for around £5k less. Hell even my Golf GTi does over 30 mpg!
I've still to be convinded that petrol-electic hybrids are anything other than a gimmick that we'll look back on and laugh at in a few years time! The extra weight/cost of the batteries and electric engine seems to instantly negate any benefit they offer IMO.

[jcollings]

The environment is screwed, there is nothing we can do to stop it. The amount of carbon produced by even the most simple of human activities is more than you could possibly imagine, and the green campaigners always go on about the things that just don't matter.

Recycle? Don't drive an suv sized vehicle for a year and save the same amount of energy as if you recycled every bit of waste you produced for 40 years.

The amount of fuel burnt collecting / sorting / reusing rubbish makes the net gains negligible.

THE WORLD IS GOING TO HELL IN A HANDCART AND THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO STOP IT!

Even if that were true (and it's debatable) at least recycling, cutting emissions etc make the planet a cleaner better place. OK - it may not stop it's demise but if we are doomed I'd rather not be doomed in a rubbish tip, at least let's tidy up.

[steveg]

My old 1992 1.1 fiesta did 45mpg in town driving. cost me £125.

Probably because it was so light where large parts had rusted off though :-)

Steve

[torledo]

IT's a toyota....nuff said.

btw, no car can be as ugly as the old aventis, except maybe the Renault Laguna.

[Andrew_C]

Two quick thoughts:-

1) My old X reg 2.1l HDi Xantia did 45mpg on cr@p motorway crawl into work, not estimated, but measured. Big comfortable car.

2) Portsmouth Uni are working on a petrol/electric modified Mini that will do 0-60mph in 4 and a bit seconds. Don't remember what the consumption was though, but it was good. An electric motor on each wheel, and 1l engine running at the most efficient speed to charge the batteries.

[K.C.Leblanc]

IT's a toyota....nuff said.

btw, no car can be as ugly as the old aventis, except maybe the Renault Laguna.

The Laguna is awful looking, but how about the Ssangyong Rodius?

[Oops_my_bad]

He does know that the area where they mine the ores and minerals for the batteries in those things is now such barron waste land that Nasa use it to test moon buggies.

Most people are expecting a Hybrid to last about 7 years, about half the life or a normal car. So basicaly the environmental impact of creating and disposing of it has to be considered to be twice that of a normal car. That's before we get onto the particular problems presented by the batteries.

Then we have to consider that the car is built in japan and shipped in a smog belching ship half way round the world (oh and that nasty hole in the ground I mentioned is in the US, the the batteries have done a three quarter circuit of the earth).

Slap him repeatedly until he sees sense and buys a sensible, simple, european car. If he really wants to buy into this carbon crap he should give up flying, or buying anything imported from outside europe.

Cars are actualy one of the most enviromentaly forms of transport.

Abso-f*ing loutely +1