Hi folks,
Recently David Pool posted in a Prius newsgroup the following article:
"
The Hype About Hybrids" by Ed Wallace for the Star-Telegram. Dec. 29, 2005
An award winning journalist, apparently he hasn't noticed the backlog of orders for hybrids and lack of dealer markdowns. Regardless, it may be entertaining to enumerate:
'HYPE' IS RIGHT:
". . . if everyone designed and built first-class six-speed automatics, . . . that would save more gasoline than making half of all cars on the road hybrids" - assuming one doesn't make a six-speed, hybrid, OK.
'HYPE' IS WRONG:
". . . as the years have gone by and the fuel efficiency of hybrid-powered automobiles has fallen slightly . . ." - compare 01-03 Prius to 04-06 Prius. The 06 Prius is larger yet gets nearly 3 MPG better mileage. Fall off?
". . . hybrid-powered SUVs have been introduced that get no better mileage than a regular engine . . ." - Toyota Highlander hybrid gets ~40% better MPG than gas-only Highlander (
http://www.toyota.com/). So 40% is 'no better'?
Be sure to cite sources. Once we have a full list, someone might craft a 'letter to the editor' to the Star-Telegram.
Bob Wilson