http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dl...023/LATESTNEWS

Seems that "Dust to Dust" is getting renewed support using a different attack. Acknowledge there are errors, but reassure the reader that the basic premise behind the report is still valid.

My review of the Autoweek story follows.

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Among one of the many challenges to "Dust to Dust" is that the Prius was presumed to have a vehicle lifespan of about 100K miles whereas the Hummer, which CNW claimed was greener, has been presumed to have a vehicle lifespan of over 300K miles. The experience of number Prius owners does not square with reality. Yes, the CNW research is deeply flawed--so much so that I don't see how one can cite it with a straight face.

As for Sudbury and NASA, astronauts did not go there because of it's moonlike landscape. NASA went to Sudbury because of the shatter cones, a rare rock formation connected with meteorite impacts. Sudbury was struck by a meteor about 1.85 billion years ago.

Natural gas and hydrogen fueled vehicles might emit fewer harmful emissions than a Prius, but their extremely limited availability is such that few can get their hands on one. For someone who wants to get a cleaner vehicle with a rock solid maintenance record, and for which one is not dependent upon an as yet unavailable network of refueling stations, it's tough to beat a Prius.

Before I'm dismissed as an obsessed Prius owner, please note that I don't own any hybrid vehicle, yet. The car makers have been slow to meet market demand given a 38 percent jump in hybrid sales last year while car sales overall fell.

If I needed to replace my Saturn SW2 today, I'd replace it with a Prius in a heartbeat. However, my Saturn Relay minivan might soon be traded for a more fuel efficient hybrid SUV.

Hybrids aren't the ultimate eco-friendly car, but they are the friendliest cars available on the market today. Plug-in hybrids, or PHEVs, are being promised by the car makers, but despite several very successful aftermarket conversion companies the big car makers have not yet delivered a PHEV to the general public. 2009 or 2010 might be the year.

Highway speed capable electric vehicles, or EVs, are also promised, but with the exception of the $100K Tesla roadster there is nothing out there. Again either 2009 or 2010 might be the year, but it's starting to look a lot more like 2012 at the earliest for something the public can afford.

Hydrogen is probably the best thing going today, but even Honda says it might not be delivered to market for the general public before 2018.

There aren't any panaceas out there right now for the public to buy, but praising "Dust to Dust", a report that hails the Hummer, is just auto industry PR to boost SUV sales.