Plug-In Prius Coming This Year

[james]

[Coligny]

[pheyton]

If I recall correctly the dinosaurs, GM & Chrysler, did just die thanks to cars like the Prius. Good on Toyota for at least doing something towards change rather than building rolling fuckin zipcodes.

[Greji]

If I recall correctly the dinosaurs, GM & Chrysler, did just die thanks to cars like the Prius. Good on Toyota for at least doing something towards change rather than building rolling fuckin zipcodes.

Hey, in principle you maybe right, but look what people in the states buy. GM's trucks was one of their best markets and there ain't a lot of gas milage to be had there.

Economy and ecology shouldn't control the market. What sells should! If the managers can't figure that out, they deserve their next bankruptcy. Also, if I want to buy a two story SUV that gets 20 gallons to the mile, why shouldn't I have the right to buy one?

[FG Lurker]

If I recall correctly the dinosaurs, GM & Chrysler, did just die thanks to cars like the Prius. Good on Toyota for at least doing something towards change rather than building rolling fuckin zipcodes.

The Prius is a a disaster (sorry to my bud who owns one). It's a technological kludge and IMO ugly too.

We need to be working on more efficient fuel cells for portable power. We also should be investing 100s of billions of dollars (trillions if needed) into fusion research as that is the only real solution to our energy, water, food, and climate problems.

[FG Lurker]

Economy and ecology shouldn't control the market. What sells should! If the managers can't figure that out, they deserve their next bankruptcy. Also, if I want to buy a two story SUV that gets 20 gallons to the mile, why shouldn't I have the right to buy one?

The type and size of vehicle are not the problems. We need to be working on efficient fuel cells to power whatever sort of vehicle anyone wishes to buy. To get cheap hydrogen to power those fuel cells we need fusion.

We aren't going to run out of oil anytime soon but the US sending hundreds of billions of dollars a year to countries that basically hate them is a very stupid thing to be doing.

[pheyton]

The type and size of vehicle are not the problems. We need to be working on efficient fuel cells to power whatever sort of vehicle anyone wishes to buy. To get cheap hydrogen to power those fuel cells we need fusion.

We aren't going to run out of oil anytime soon but the US sending hundreds of billions of dollars a year to countries that basically hate them is a very stupid thing to be doing.

Actually, when countries are starting to get oil from oil sands, you know we are running out of oil.

Fuel cells are being worked on. I was at a UCI lecture the other week:
http://www.calit2.uci.edu/calit2-newsroom/itemdetail.aspx?cguid=59464a7a-acb3-4511-b04b-4ac7739ca0de
One of the professors there has been leading the development of fuel cells for a while now. I can send you his presentation if you'd like to look at it. Fuel cells are still a ways off, but definitely one of the most promising technologies when it comes to powering vehicles.

The Prius was a start. The EV-1 was an even better start but GM screwed themselves and us by trashing the program.

[Taro Toporific]

A NAGGING QUESTION THAT HAUNTS ME IS...

Why are Prius Li-ion batteries expected to have a lifespan of more than 9 yearson the road, but EVERY notebook and iPod Li-ion battery in the world degrades to crap within 2 years.

[pheyton]

That's the art of American sales, now adopted by the Japanese. Make it so you have to buy new parts, or upgrades every cople of years.

[FG Lurker]

Actually, when countries are starting to get oil from oil sands, you know we are running out of oil.

We're nowhere near running out of oil. We may have passed the point of extracting 50% of oil that is cheap and easy to get, but there is no shortage of oil.

Fuel cells are still a ways off, but definitely one of the most promising technologies when it comes to powering vehicles.

Lots of interesting fuel cell research being done, and it is very important.

The thing that is holding up fuel cells though is a cheap and large-scale source of hydrogen. The only real solution to this is fusion, and it has the added benefit of solving a lot of other problems we face. Cheap fusion would solve our water and food problems, and probably could be used to solve climate issues as well. It really deserves to be the focus of a lot more research money than it is.

[Ol Dirty Gaijin]

No battery Hybrid Caterpillar (link)