[michaelplevy]

There is a big article on Hybrids in the NY Times magzine today. It is free, but you have to register:

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/26/magaz ... gewanted=1

Nothing earthshattering, but it is a good descirption of the Prius and the market for some of the other hybrids comming.

I like this quote:

There is a possibility that the success of the Prius lies in the very thing its hybrid competitors shy away from: innovation directed at those fearless embracers of everything new. The car has so many Hey-Look-I'm-a-Hybrid features that you half expect to find a tree growing in the back seat. ''Prius is one of our technology showcase vehicles,'' Paul Daverio, Toyota's product manager for the Prius, says. ''With the first-generation Prius, we will admit we did target early adopters of this technology -- people very much more environmentally sensitive.'' But he attributes the sales success to something else. ''There really truly is not a sacrifice'' in driving it, he says.

 

[Nick King]

Reasons for buying a Prius

We get the "tree hugger" kind of response from people about buying a Prius, after the mandatory, "where do you plug it in" comment. But, after they ride in it they recognize that it is a great car even without the technology. We considered the Honda Civic hybrid but it was too small, this is a nice sized car and we get many comments about it's good looks, odd, but good. And it performs well, faster than you would think, engineered well - tight and smooth and the interior is great, love that Smart Key. And, I always predict that no matter who gets elected President, gasoline will go to $3.00 a gallon within the next year or two. Some people on this site talk about the cost savings or lack of savings versus other economy cars but do not take into consideration that gas "will go up". One last thought, our insurance for six months is $1.00 more than for our 3 year old V-6 Galant.

 

[jshore]

I was a little shocked, however, that the writer let the assistant manager of communications for Hybrid Powertrain Systems at General Motors get away with this comment:

The hybrid pickup is, Kester says, ''more practical than a Prius. It's got room for five passengers. It can haul a trailer. It's a 290-horsepower full-size truck. You couldn't get your wife and a bag of groceries in the first-generation Prius.''

That must be one pretty big wife...and pretty big bag of groceries!