On a different site we got to talking about hybrids, and a Canadian said there are very few privately owned Priuses in Canada, the majority of them are in taxi fleets. So out of curiosity, is he right? He did not say where in Canada he lived.
Tideland Prius is one of the Moderators and he's in Canada. The Canadian Prius owners don't always speak up a lot here on PriusChat, possibly because it's difficult to get the Prius on the lumber roads or haul felled trees. Possibly because some US citizens tend to refer to Canada as "down there" or "over seas." Occasionally someone will indicate that the difference in Thanksgiving holidays is due to the "Canadian Calendar." There are at least a few people who think that "litre" is Canadian for "quart", "sweater" for "jersey", and "toque" for "cap." (and if you know that you are officially bilingual) And then, of course, there's Miss South Carolina who sometimes refers to it as "The Canada." But yes, there are Prii in Canada.
I've got one. Yes we see lots of Prius taxis here in Victoria. But we see more privately owned ones. Everytime I'm out driving there is one.
that's correct... there are no privately owned prii in Canada... any and all hybrids are owned by taxi companies, all of which are government owned. The taxi system is provided to the public by the government free for all to use, much like the medical system in canada. welcome to socialism!
Just when I thought I had made a teeny mistake by renouncing my US citizenship and moving to Canada ...
Just thought I'd throw my hat in the ring as a private Prius owner in the Toronto area. :lol: Yes, there are far fewer Prii in Canada than the US, but it is a growing segment. A big reason for this is pricing, as the car is considerably more expensive here. However, Toyota implemented a significant price cut (approx 10%), added more equipment, and the government has up to $4K in tax rebates now (depending on province), and with gas prices always going up... people are starting to see the light...:lol:
LOL... He embarrasses us (Americans) for sure. I barely make it more than 30miles into one small portion of Canada (Vancouver) and I see a lot of privately owned Prius.
He's probably from the west coast (i.e. Victoria or Vancouver) cause I think those two cities have the most Prius cabs of any city in Canada. Heck, I was driving along the main street the other day and there were 3 other Prius cabs along with me cruising down. Also in BC, 1 out of every 4 Camrys sold is a hybrid (vs. 1 out of every 10 across the country). So maybe that's why he thinks the Prius is only for cab companies.
I never see any Priuses when I'm staying at wilderness lodges in Canada. Those Canadians seem inexplicably reluctant to fly Priuses in by helicopter to their mountain lodges just because there are no roads there. (As if that was a reason.)
The OP didn't mention it but I'd bet he didn't venture out at night in his vehicle while in Canada. That is the time when most of us take to the road in our Prii to score more victim points while driving stealthly. Gary
come on already... how do you know those are "privately owned" prii? It's the canuckian govt's mandate to be eco friendly... any prius that isn't a taxi is part of the rest of their government employees daily driver fleet. watch out or it could happen here too!! Your taxes will go through the roof and you'll have to take a ticket and wait in line for your free cab
Because I was at the house of a Canadian Prius owner yesterday. He was a nice guy, had a wonderful family, and a clean, if snow covered, HYO silver Prius parked out front.
Thanks for the feedback, guys! I had seen enough Canadian posters here to where I figured it had to be quite a few of you up north, or like we said when I was stationed in Alaska, down south!
So obviously I'm also a "government employee." Must be a lucky one too as I'm also "assigned" a 2007 FJ Cruiser Seriously, do Americans even have to wonder why they have such a bad reputation world over?
Actually, as a self employed contractor, when I compare my state/federal/local taxes in Utah to my provincial/federal/local taxes here, the difference is insignificant
