matt21811 wrote:coyote,
It will take a while for most people to "get it".
Sounds like I might be buying a Toyota in the next few years.
I like hybrid cars, but I only see its advantages in stop-and-go city traffic. The regenerative braking generator is a good use of wasted energy, and the engine shut off when idle is also a good simple innovation.
The idle engine shut off feature is a cheap way that can be built into most cars. Another cheap feature is to enable cars to shut off some cyclinders to conserve energy. These two simple features alone can make our automobiles more effiecient.
I think the diesel car market is going to be the next big thing in America.
http://www.leftlanenews.com/2006/07/21/ ... cord-cr-v/ The Honda diesel engine has been out in Europe for a few years now is considered a very good diesel engine
http://www.carpages.co.uk/honda/honda_d ... _05_04.asp This is a car that is "rated" 62.8mpg on the highway, 140PS@4000rpm, 340nm@2000rpm.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ULSD So I would hold off on that prius, the future will a combination of ULSD mixed with soy biodiesel on a hybrid powertrain.