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Prius fun facts?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by mikeg, Jul 31, 2007.

  1. mikeg

    mikeg New Member

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    Hello all!

    I had a friend try to tell me not to buy a prius because it is not a safe car. I then looked up the crash ratings for the prius and on his car. The crash ratings were the same! Now what are you going to complain about buddy?

    So, I am looking for some fun facts to tell my friends who do not think the Prius is a good car. Things like “If x people switched to a prius we would not have to import ANY oilâ€.

    Have fun and give me some good ammo to help spread the word!

    Thanks all,

    Mike
     
  2. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    The air coming out of the tail pipe of a Prius is cleaner than the air going into the car. AT-PZEV vehicle rating.
     
  3. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Yeah.. "the car cleans the air as you drive" spool is good.

    - If everyone drove a Prius, there would be more space on the road (compact dimensions with midsize interior)
     
  4. usbseawolf2000

    usbseawolf2000 HSD PhD

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    My Prius gets better MPG than a gas engine scooter.
     
  5. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

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    Fun fact:
    P.C.'ers post similar threads prior to using the search tool :p

    Similar the the thread below, maybe?

    "Most Obscure Prius Facts (Way out there)"
     
  6. aaf709

    aaf709 Ravenpaw of ThunderClan

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hill @ Jul 31 2007, 07:28 AM) [snapback]487982[/snapback]</div>
    I don't see them as the same. On "Most Obscure Prius Facts (Way out there)" you can say that the steering wheel is oval not round. Interesting to a Prius owner, but not to a non-Prius owner.

    Here it's more for the non-Prius owner to learn about the car, so you could say that the Prius set the Land Speed Record for hybrids.
     
  7. mikeg

    mikeg New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(usbseawolf2000 @ Jul 31 2007, 09:23 AM) [snapback]487979[/snapback]</div>
    Hi Hill. I did read the "Most obscure facts" thread but do not think that is what I am loking for.
    I remember reading somewhere that the MPG is so much better on the prius, if we could get x numberof people to switch to the prius we could tell the OPEc nations to go jump in a lake!
    For the life of me, I can not find that thread anymore.
    I was thinking there would be other similar fun facts to throw out at my friends...

    I have a 2007 mag grey touring edition pkg 6 I will be picking up this friday (I hope)! The dealer tells me it is on a boat scheduled to come in on 8-1-07. I can not wait for it to get here!

    Thanks,

    Mike
     
  8. Stev0

    Stev0 Honorary Hong Kong Cavalier

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tideland Prius @ Jul 31 2007, 12:25 AM) [snapback]487863[/snapback]</div>
    Not really. My Prius takes up more room than my Echo or Geo Metro did.
     
  9. donee

    donee New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(efusco @ Jul 31 2007, 02:00 AM) [snapback]487847[/snapback]</div>
    Yep,

    I swear I get better mileage behind a diesel truck. The Prius sucks in all those carbon particulates and burns em! :lol:
     
  10. PA Prius

    PA Prius Active Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(donee @ Jul 31 2007, 12:49 PM) [snapback]488115[/snapback]</div>
    Prius drivers are friendly and wave to each other. If everyone would drive a Prius we would have world peace. :) Of course this would also work if we all rode Harleys, but the Prius gets better gas mileage.

    PA P
     
  11. usbseawolf2000

    usbseawolf2000 HSD PhD

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    HV battery pack is lighter than the wheels (all 4 including tires). 99 lbs vs 124 lbs.
     
  12. TonyPSchaefer

    TonyPSchaefer Your Friendly Moderator
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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mikeg @ Jul 30 2007, 11:46 PM) [snapback]487839[/snapback]</div>
    I can't speak for no longer importing ANY oil but I can tell you about the numbers I pulled from the Department of Energy (http://www.energy.gov) on total 2006 oil imports. The chart is attached below.

    Have your friend think of it this way: "If he increased his efficiency by 2%, he just did away with Kuwait. A 5% increase would eliminate the need for Iraq. 10% almost completely eliminates the need for Venezuela." If he doesn't care about that, ask him if he remembers Hugo Chavez defaming our President in front of the United Nations and whether he knows that Chavez is currently establishing a modern-day communist dictatorship and throwing out international visitors and diplomats who speak ill against him. Want to know where a man gets the money to be that powerful? He supplies 10.4% of our oil!!

    Now I'm not gullible enough to believe that we would actually stop importing from individual countries. But think of the impact it would have on some of the countries and dictators we don't like if they suddenly saw a drop in their exports. Likewise, think of the financial impact it would have on the American economy if we saved more money and/or purchased more consumables and services.

    Here's the chart:
    [attachmentid=10296]

    I'm sorry that these facts aren't very "fun."
     

    Attached Files:

  13. christob

    christob Member

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    So, if we can use MPG as a guage of efficiency improvement, and my last car averaged (for simplicity) 25, and my Prius 50, am I in the camp of 100% efficiency improvement? (in which case, I'm working on eliminating all imports? ;)
     
  14. Bill Spransy

    Bill Spransy New Member

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    Not exactly a Prius fact but, did you know that in 1898 there were only two cars in the entire state of Ohio and they collided? ( according to an AllState Insurance ad of some years ago)
     
  15. Danny Hamilton

    Danny Hamilton Active Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ChristoB @ Jul 31 2007, 01:02 PM) [snapback]488177[/snapback]</div>
    Nah, to double your MPG, you simply need to cut the denominator of the equation (gallons) in half so perhaps that should be considered a 50% efficiency improvement.
     
  16. christob

    christob Member

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    Ok... I can handle 50%, too! I'll throw it at the OPEC countries... and Nigeria, since I just got one of those money scam emails! ;)
     
  17. TonyPSchaefer

    TonyPSchaefer Your Friendly Moderator
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    Ya know, it just occurred to me:
    Canada has socialized medicine.
    We purchase 18% of our imported oil from Canada.
    They use those funds to run their socialized medicine program.

    ergo, the United States really does support socialized medicine! :D

    Q.E.D.
     
  18. FL_Prius_Driver

    FL_Prius_Driver Senior Member

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    From the book on the creation of the Prius, covering the starting point of designing a super fuel efficient car:

    The team, therefore, began their discussion from this very basic and fundamental standpoint. "Let's first set
    the position of the driver's buttocks."
     
  19. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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  20. PoulStaugaard

    PoulStaugaard Now a PriusOwner

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    I think it is quite fun how Toyota has managed to get rid of the need for a gearbox and at the same time optimize the efficienty of the engine and transmission. But then, I admit, I'm an engineer.

    It's also quite fun to have the first car of it's kind. I fifty year's time it will be a classic. If there is any gas left...