I Hate Prius Drivers

Radio New Zealand News : Latest News : 200806300813 : Prius found to use more fuel than SUV

The hybrid Toyota Prius car has been exposed as being less economical than a diesel SUV.
The Prius has been compared by a British motoring website with a Jeep Patriot and found to use half a litre more fuel per 100 kilometres than the SUV.

The motoring website also reveals the main advantage of hybrids - the fact the engine does not idle at traffic lights - has no more benefit than a modern diesel with stop-start technology.

Read the entire article at Radio New Zealand News : Latest News : 200806300813 : Prius found to use more fuel than SUV.

Buy Your Civic Hybrid Today: Tax Credit Halves Tomorrow

The Honda Civic hybrid is the latest victim of the hybrid tax break exemption. Beginning on July 1, the tax credit for owning a Honda Civic hybrid will be sliced in half, from $1,050 to $525, on its way down to zero. If you recall, owners of hybrid vehicles are only eligible for the full tax credit until the manufacturer sells 60,000 units of that particular hybrid vehicle. Then a phase-out process begins, eventually reducing the credit to nothing except that warm glow you get from the batteries exploding saving the planet.

If you’re looking to get the most bang for your hybrid buck, it’s best to avoid the Honda Civic hybrid, Toyota Prius and Toyota Camry hybrid—the tax credit on the latter two have already been reduced to zero. There’s a good number of eligible hybrids, but at the rate people are snatching up these vehicles, don’t expect the full tax credit to last.

Read the entire article at Buy Your Civic Hybrid Today: Tax Credit Halves Tomorrow.

A Prius on the barbie | Up to Speed | Los Angeles Times By Martin Zimmerman, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

The last thing backers of plug-in hybrid vehicles needed was the sight of a Toyota Prius powered by the cutting-edge technology sitting in flames beside the road.That’s exactly what they got earlier this month, when a plug-in Prius operated by a South Carolina electric cooperative caught fire and was burned to the automotive equivalent of “well done.”

No one was injured in the fire, which apparently started when sparks from loose connections in the car’s battery compartment ignited the upholstery. But the incident certainly hasn’t helped advance the cause of the plug-in hybrid.
In its unmodified, off-the-showroom-floor state, the Prius is a “traditional” hybrid powered by both an electric motor and a gasoline engine.

A plug-in version of the car powered by lithium ion batteries, which could go farther on electric power and could be recharged between trips, isn’t expected from Toyota until 2010 at the earliest. In the meantime, a variety of after-market companies will convert a Prius to a plug-in for anywhere from $7,000 to more than $20,000.

It was an after-market plug-in converted by Hybrids Plus of Boulder, Colo., that went up in flames. It was one of 10 acquired by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Assn. of Arlington, Va., and distributed to member utilities for field testing. “We really just want to see how these things work,” said project manager Andrew Cotter.

The cooperatives’ fleet of plug-ins has been parked while an investigation was conducted. Although the report, issued Friday, said the batteries themselves weren’t at fault, lithium ion batteries have been under a cloud since a series of recalls two years ago related to fires in laptop computers and other devices.

Carl Lawrence, chief executive of Hybrids Plus, acknowledge that the incident was caused by “an assembly problem,” which comes as a relief to backers of plug-in technology.

“I was worried that this would turn into a major incident, but actually most people seem to understand that this was an incident that didn’t involve the batteries,” said Felix Kramer, founder of CalCars.org, a Palo Alto-based advocacy group. “In fact, the batteries came out of it looking very good.”
Toyota, which officially takes a hands-off policy toward after-market plug-in conversions, said this is the first incident of this it’s aware of. There are at least 150 plug-in hybrid conversions on the road, according to Kramer, about half of them in California.

Read the entire article at A Prius on the barbie | Up to Speed | Los Angeles Times.

Americans Want Hybrids As Long As They Don’t Cost Nuthin’ [Industry News]

It turns out that a majority of Americans surveyed in a recent J.D. Power & Associates study are very enthusiastic about hybrid technology…until they find out that they have to pay for it. Continuing a long history of having cake and eating it too, 72% of consumers said they were interested in hybrid technology independent of cost. When a $5,000 cost was included in the equation, the number of respondents who were interested dropped to 46%. When consumers discovered that hybrids weren’t available at Wal-Mart, interest plummeted into the single digits.

Not surprisingly, technologies not readily available in the U.S. didn’t fare well on the study. For example, clean diesel engines barely registered a blip, in large part because they’re just entering the market. Said Mike Marshall, director of the study: “The mere fact that they’ll be in the marketplace is going to raise the awareness level of clean diesel, and I think that will begin to crack some of these wrong perceptions of what diesel is today.”

While clean diesel is already chosen by a majority of European buyers, it remains to be seen whether economies of scale allow it to be implemented in the States at a lower price premium than that found on hybrids; new offerings from VW, Mercedes, and even Honda in the next 12 months should provide some insight into diesel pricing strategy. Additionally, as hybrid sales numbers rise, the same economies of scale should allow prices to fall. But, for either to happen, first some folks have to pony up the premium. Chicken, meet egg.
[Automotive News (Sub. Req.)]

Read the entire article at Jalopnik Americans Want Hybrids As Long As They Don’t Cost Nuthin’ [Industry News].

DailyTech - Retrofitted Plug-in Prius Burns to a Crisp, CRN Garages Fleet

Retrofitted Toyota Prius sets itself on fire

Hybrids seem to be all the rage these days from auto manufacturers. With gas prices passing the $4.00 a gallon mark, domestic and foreign manufacturers are looking for ways to bring more fuel-efficient vehicles to the consumer market.

One promising technology that is soon to hit production will come in the form of plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEVs). New production vehicles from General Motors and Toyota will feature onboard battery packs which can be recharged via a standard household outlet. In the case of the Chevrolet Volt, the vehicle can travel 40 miles with a fully charged battery.

Although production models are still a few years away, that hasn’t stopped third-party manufacturers from retrofitting existing hybrid vehicles to accommodate plug-in hardware. DailyTech previously reported that Lithium Technology Corporation (LTC) retrofitted a Toyota Prius to incorporate both lithium-ion batteries and plug-in technology. Likewise, UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies’ Plug-In Hybrid Center sponsored a program last year to equip 100 Northern California households with plug-in Priuses.

Testing of the various Priuses retrofitted to accept plug-in modules have gone relatively smoothly — until now. The Cooperative Research Network (CRN) reports that a Toyota Prius PHEV owned by Central Electric Power Cooperative (CEPC) and retrofitted with a Hybrids-Plus PHEV15 conversion kit exploded on June 7.

The Prius in question had previously been experiencing charger-related malfunctions, but was still allowed to operate in the test fleet. On its final voyage, the driver noticed that the back seat caught on fire — the driver then quickly pulled over to the side of the road and was able to exit the vehicle. Shortly after the driver fled the vehicle, “there was a subsequent explosion” according to CRN.

There was little damage to the A123-manufactured lithium-ion battery pack which suggests that some other hybrid component could have been the cause of the fire and subsequent explosion — this could be somewhat of a relief to many who still express reservations with regards to installing numerous lithium-ion cells in passenger vehicles.

Unfortunately, there was no data logger present on the Prius so it may be difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of the fire. Hopefully, the data gathered as the investigation goes forward will allow future PHEV auto manufacturers to provide us all with safe, reliable vehicles.

Read the entire article at DailyTech - Retrofitted Plug-in Prius Burns to a Crisp, CRN Garages Fleet.

CRN PHEV Field Report Update

On June 7, 2008, the converted Prius plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) owned by Central Electric Power Cooperative in Columbia, SC, was destroyed by an internal fire that occurred during a routine drive. Thankfully, there were no injuries.  But the converted Prius was destroyed. The cause of the fire is not known.

Until further investigation, CRN has advised grounding all test vehicles in the PHEV demonstration and is undertaking a detailed investigation. The limited information available is as follows:
The car was a 2008 Toyota Prius outfitted with the Hybrids-Plus PHEV15 conversion kit. 
There was no data logger installed.

The vehicle had previously experienced minor mechanical issues relating to the charger.

The fire occurred during routine highway driving. The upholstery in the back seat had caught on fire.

The driver pulled over, exited the car, and there was a subsequent explosion.

The A123 lithium-ion battery was damaged but remained largely intact and functioning.
CRN has taken the following actions. It has employed Electric Transportation Engineering Corporation (ETEC) of Phoenix, AZ, to perform an initial investigation on the PHEV.  This firm has come highly recommended due to its experience with failure analysis and electric cars.  The firm will work to determine the cause of the fire and make recommendations if more specialized forensics experts are needed to complete the investigation.

Read the entire article at CRN PHEV Field Report Update.

How the Prius became the Smug Liberal product du jour.

Marissa Moss: Smug Is Better Than Smog - Living on The Huffington Post

A little over seven months ago, I moved from New York City, my lifelong home and utter sense of identity, to Los Angeles. Yes, I went willingly into that dark night–I needed a change of scenery, my skin was starting to turn into an inverse form of white that happens when you actually take in negative amounts of sunlight, and I was afraid if I didn’t move away from the Lower East side I might be at risk of being stopped on the street, bulldozed, and instantly turned into a shiny new thirty-story high-rise.

But it meant one thing: I had to learn how to drive.

Not having a license had always been Smug New Yorker Reason # 4 (in my list of all things Smug New Yorker, I probably had about approximately 59 and a half, which included never living in a borough, bagels, “being an island off the coast of Europe,” and “yes, my high school really was just like Gossip Girl!”).

I’d always liked holding that I-don’t-drive smugness over everyone, even more than I liked my New-Yorker smugness. Working for several years with inspiring green chefs and eco-conscious companies, not contributing to the mass amount of carbon mayhem that just one driver can produce was a nice badge of honor. Now, in one move West, I’d have to become a part of the Car Problem.

So I did what any self-respecting, environmentally conscious ex-New Yorker would do: bought a Prius. Shiny, black, energy-efficient, perfect for accidentally backing up into things (walls, other people’s cars, trees–remember, I’m a first time driver). And I with that purchase, I quickly discovered a fun by-product of buying everyone’s favorite hybrid: smugness! Oh, how I missed thee.

A search on Google of the terms “smug” and “Prius” brings up about 32,800 hits. Score.

I realized quickly the view of non-Prius owners onto us “Pius” people. Although it seems like about one in every ten cars in Los Angeles is a Prius, the rest of the ten is made up of mostly giant SUVs of all shapes and sizes.

This conversation has happened more than once:

RANDOM PERSON: So, you just started driving?

ME: Yep! Only ran over three things today. It’s a good day.

RANDOM PERSON: What car did you buy?

ME: A Prius.

RANSOM PERSON: Oh. Think you’re special huh?

The rest of the conversation progresses with them telling me things like, “See, I had to buy an SUV since I carry a lot of stuff around,” or, “I am short and like to feel like I am above traffic in my big car,” or, “The Iraq war will actually result in oil being two dollars a barrel, so who cares?”

How the Prius became the Smug Liberal product du jour is easy to see: it started with Larry David and has spiraled into a pop culture phenomenon with everyone from Cameron Diaz to South Park either driving one or parodying one.

Take this example: my first month or two in Los Angeles, I went to an exclusive, green-sponsored Oscar Party. Of course, I drive up in my Prius (black, with tinted windows). As I approached the valet, a swarm of paparazzi circled around my car, flashing bulbs. Did they mistake me for Evangeline Lilly?

Nope. I quickly realized that the cause for panic was the fact that I was in a Prius–and aiming your camera at a Prius at an event yields about the same chances of capturing a celebrity as does parking outside the Ivy. The Prius is the new black. Limo, that is. Hello, smug!

As gas prices soar, there are reasons to be smug about owning a Prius, many of which are the coolness and “it” factors, the cost savings. But then there is the most importantly the one, core reason in that I’m so proud to own mine: in an age of excess consumption and unending carbon output, anything I can do to help counts. And whether or not the Prius is the perfect solution–it’s not–dismissing owning one as a simple liberal smug choice and ignoring the overarching problem is a lot worse than feeling like a victim of a celebrity-driven trend.

Until we can make concrete changes, like the National Low Carbon Fuel Standard that Barack Obama promises to initiate if elected president, a green trend should be a good trend, smug and all.

I still call myself a New Yorker and now, a Prius owner. Call me smug all you want, I can take it.

Besides, smug is better than smog. And a crappy bagel.

Read the entire article at Marissa Moss: Smug Is Better Than Smog - Living on The Huffington Post.

Anne Danahy and Dena Pauling

POTTER TOWNSHIP — A 28-year-old woman died and another driver escaped a burning truck after a vehicle crash Monday morning about 1 mile west of Potters Mills.

The three-vehicle wreck happened about 9 a.m. and led the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to close both lanes on the long stretch of U.S. Route 322 between Warner Boulevard in College Township and Bloom Road in Potter Township. PennDOT reopened both lanes about 4:20 p.m.

Centre County Coroner Scott A. Sayers said in a news release tonight that Sarah C. Donaldson, of State College, died in the crash. Donaldson died as a result of massive head trauma, according to Sayers. She was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash.

According to state police at Rockview, George E. Donley, 56, who was driving a Kenworth tractor trailer west, hit the back passenger side of the Toyota Prius when he slowed down for traffic. The driver of the Prius had gone into the oncoming lane and tried to return to her west-bound lane when the Prius was struck.

Police said the Prius was pushed into the opposite, west-bound lane and the front driver’s side was hit by the tractor-trailer being driven east by Wilbert A. Quade, 34.

Centre Hall Fire Chief Chad Packer said that truck caught on fire on impact. He said the driver “just barely got out” and had singed hair, but was OK.

According to police, Donley and Quade were both wearing seat belts

Read the entire article at .

Don’t Confuse “Green” with “Clean” at The Brian Sullivan Blog By Brian Sullivan

A guest today on the 10am show discusses the difference between being “green” and actually being “clean.”

Woody Clark PhD of Clark Strategic Partners (and one of the Nobel Prize winning group of Al Gore)  makes the point that while many companies are seizing the national mood and marketing themselves as environmentally sensitive “green” companies, not much has really changed in the impact to the planet.   In fact, Woody’s view is that many of the so-called “green” initiatves are actually worse for the environment.

Case in point those energy-efficient fluorescent light bulbs that retailers like Wal-Mart are heavily marketing.  Those bulbs do use far less energy than a regular incandescent light bulb.    That’s the positive - less energy use, less need for power generation and pollution.  Just don’t drop them.  They contain a small amount of mercury, a scourge to you and the environment.  In fact, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, while noting the risk to your family is small, lists the following guidelines should you drop one:

Open a window and leave the room (restrict access) for at least 15 minutes. If you have fans, place the fans in the windows and blow the air out of the room. Note: If the room has no windows, open all doors to the room and windows outside the room and use fans to move the air out of the room and to the open windows.

Remove all materials you can without using a vacuum cleaner.
Wear disposable rubber gloves, if available (do not use your bare hands).
Carefully scoop up the fragments and powder with stiff paper or cardboard.
Wipe the area clean with a damp paper towel or disposable wet wipe.
Sticky tape (such as duct tape) can be used to pick up small pieces and powder.
Place all cleanup materials in a plastic bag and seal it, and then place in a second sealed plastic bag.
If no other disposal or recycling options are available, private residents may dispose of the CFL in residential garbage. Be sure to seal the CFL in two plastic bags and put into the outside trash.
Wash your hands after disposing of the bags.
The first time you vacuum the area where the bulb was broken, remove the vacuum bag once done cleaning the area (or empty and wipe the canister) and put the bag and/or vacuum debris, as well as the cleaning materials, in two sealed plastic bags in the outdoor trash or protected outdoor location for normal disposal.

Leave the room?  Use two plastic bags?  (isn’t it ironic that the EPA recommends using a plastic bag at a time when many retailers, recognizing the huge pile up of these bags in landfills, are eliminating their use or charging more for them?)   There have even been reports of people forced to call professional clean up crews to dispose of one broken CFL bulb, costing them thousands of dollars.

Next up, the Toyota Prius.   This hybrid car is beloved by those looking to reduce carbon emissions and save gas.   The problem: while the driver of the Prius is saving gas with its energy-efficient 55mpg, the total cost to the environment is much greater.   The reason?  The massive amount of energy it takes to mine and transport the 30lbs of nickel that are found in the Prius’ batteries.

From this month’s Wired magazine: 

Pound for pound, making a Prius contributes more carbon to the atmosphere than making a Hummer, largely due to the environmental cost of the 30 pounds of nickel in the hybrid’s battery. Of course, the hybrid quickly erases that carbon deficit on the road, thanks to its vastly superior fuel economy.  Still, the comparison suggests a more sensible question. If a new Prius were placed head-to-head with a used car, would the Prius win? Don’t bet on it. Making a Prius consumes 113 million BTUs, according to sustainability engineer Pablo Päster. A single gallon of gas contains about 113,000 Btus, so Toyota’s green wonder guzzles the equivalent of 1,000 gallons before it clocks its first mile. A used car, on the other hand, starts with a significant advantage: The first owner has already paid off its carbon debt. Buy a decade-old Toyota Tercel, which gets a respectable 35 mpg, and the Prius will have to drive 100,000 miles to catch up.

One study actually found that because of this, its actually nearly as ‘green’ to buy a Hummer than a Prius!

While that may be the extreme, the point is clear: if you want to be more environmentally conscious, make sure that “green” product you are buying really does have an overall benefit to the planet.   Doing your part is key, but if you are simply transferring the impact to another the net result is neutral. 

Read the entire article at Don’t Confuse “Green” with “Clean” at The Brian Sullivan Blog.

MyFox Los Angeles | Suspect in Elderly Man’s Disappearance Caught on ATM Camera

Authorities say this man has taken more than $92,000 from a missing Hemet man’s bank accounts.

Hemet (myfoxla.com)  –  Foul play is suspected in the disappearance of an 80-year-old Hemet man, and a man seen on security cameras withdrawing more than $92,000 from the man’s bank accounts is the prime suspect in the case, according to the Sheriff’s Department.

Edward Clayton Andrews was last seen leaving his home in the 42000 block of Florida Avenue, in the unincorporated county area of Valle Vista, near Hemet, about 11 a.m. May 31, said sheriff’s Sgt. Dennis Gutierrez.

He was reported missing last Wednesday by family members, said sheriff’s Investigator Jerry Franchville.

Since June 4, more than $92,000 has been withdrawn from Andrews’ bank accounts by someone seen using his card at ATM spots around the region, leading  sheriff’s detectives to believe that Andrew may be a victim of foul play, Gutierrez said.

The person seen getting cash has used machines in Orange, Los Angeles, and Riverside counties, and may be driving a white Toyota Prius, authorities said.

“In one of the photos at a bank, the white Prius was parked near him,” Franchville said, adding that the suspect was not seen getting into or out of the car.

Andrews is white, about 5 feet 11 inches and 173 pounds, with blond hair and blue eyes. His vehicle, a gray Saturn Ion with paper plates, also is missing.

“He lived by himself,” said Franchville.

Sgt. David Kurylowicz, at the sheriff’s Hemet substation, said Andrews lived in a mobile home.

“He lived alone in the mobile home park and was able to get along fine,” Kurylowicz said. “I don’t know about his habits, but his neighbors say he was a very literate, articulate man.”

“There were no signs of a struggle or foul play inside or around the residence,” he added.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Andrews or the suspect was asked to call sheriff’s deputies in Hemet at (951) 791-3717 or (951) 950- 2444.

Read the entire article at MyFox Los Angeles | Suspect in Elderly Man’s Disappearance Caught on ATM Camera.