I think the "impact" of the technology is more than just cost or energy consumed to produce. Just as CF bulbs are toxic to make and dispose of compared to traditional incandescent bulbs. They save energy (good) but are highly toxic and usually made in nations with poor to no environmental regulation (bad). In the end, it is a worse impact on the environment.
That's also not the case: CFLs vs. Incandescents: Less money, energy, and…mercury? — Oregon Environmental Council
As usual, I think of a good one after the opportunity passes. After the last one, I came up with, "Two cents of electricity gets me a mile. How far can you drive on two cents of gas?"
I tend to have the same problem thinking of clever things after its WAY too late. I stopped at the grocery store a couple days ago and picked up four twenty-four pack cases of water and when the guy was loading them into my car he said in a joking way "I don't think your Prius can handle all this water". I should have looked at him like he was crazy and said "you didn't know these RUN ON WATER???". My pitiful attempt at humor for the day...
No. What you should have said was "Everyone complains about the price of gas. Isn't it strange that bottled water costs almost as much?"
Yet, that's the very criticism of EV transport. Power plants have less pollution controls than a modern automobile. So, unless you charge up from a "clean" power source, you just shift the source of the pollution.
It is so ridiculous that people are still slinging the anti-Prius crap... with gas prices and over a decade on the market, it's so stupid. I live in a VERY Prius-heavy area so I don't hear much of anything negative, thankfully.
Due to aerodynamics my Prius beats Big Ford & Dodge 3/4 ton trucks from 60 to 100 in rural passing situations.
Saw this bumper sticker, "my truck just consumed all the gas your prius saves in a year"...Not sure what point they're trying to make, but my planned response is "Good! Can't have fools saving their money, they might start to threaten the elite." XD
I have to date used my prius to haul a glass top dining room table that was 70" long and 36" wide, a full size recliner (wouldn't fit in a Cadillac SRX btw), a lounge chair, a 12'x13' roll of vinyl flooring, large end tables, & lawn clippings. Might I add still had room for more and all doors and windows closed. Idk why ppl hate on them so much. Only thing I can think of is jealousy.
You also need to research base loads and what happens to power plants at night. Hint, they don't shut off or output less. They are steady beasts that belch out pollution 24/7 whether you use it or not. Charging an EV at night is essentially "free" to them. That's also why we use it to pump water uphill at night so we can let it run down-hill in the daytime.
I have carried pigs, bales of hay, chickens and all sorts of building supplies. My wife routinely picks up ten bags of livestock feed for us, on her way home from work [50-pound bags]. A few weeks ago, we started a contract with a school district. We get the cafeteria plate scrapings from five schools [one high school, one middle school, three elementary schools] every day, plus we get the daily cafeteria waste from a nursing home. She hauls sixteen 5-gallon buckets loaded with food waste 5 days / week, on her trip home from work.