I see we have the obligatory Prius Hater making invalid comparisons and incorrect calculations in the comments section.
While I see our purchase of a Prius as a continuation of our environmental sensitivity, I don't see it as a completion, either. Like the careful design and construction of our home, the choice of the Prius is another step in trying to preserve something of our world for our children's generation. It doesn't make me feel any more environmentally sensitive, but it does make me even more sensitive to those who drive unnecessarily large vehicles with hypo-miling technique.
Hmmm. Well, no. Before I was a "Prius driver" I was polluting far less. Of course our main car is a solar-powered EV... and now I feel just ever slightly more stupid for also owning a Prius (gas) car. It is all in what angle you're coming from. From the angle of those people who don't even own a car, we're ALL pretty stupid in that regard.
No. The Prius is simply easier on my wallet, much cheaper for me to own, insure, and fuel up. that is why I bought it. As for the environment, I'm no tree hugger, but I have been working on minimizing my impact for a couple of years. I reuse or recycle a significant amount of trash/waste/used materials to a point where I rarely have trash for the landfill, I compost, and am working on reusing certain gray waters. Admittedly baby steps, but we all have to start somewhere. The Prius has, however, made me aware of other things. Like how drivers in the Capital Region are assholes. I have noticed a significant increase in road rage and general assholedness in drivers around me since buying the Prius. I think the Prius actually induces rage in some people! Note that I drive with traffic or faster, I do not hypermile in traffic or hold up traffic. People actually pass me just to pass me, then get in front and slow back down. I have also noticed that owning a Prius is a lot like being Catholic, I am constantly having to defend my choice to own/drive it.
This also happens frequently in the Dallas area, where a lot of people nice personume being environmentally concerned = socialist. "Greener than thou" is not a random phrase - many people get defensive if they are guilty about some of their choices, including driving a gas guzzler. I attribute the enormous bandwidth on the net against the Prius, hypermiling and the like to defensive behavior by leadfooted drivers - and the disrespect in traffic of many drivers.
If you would, given a road with a max speed of 65, a min speed of 45, and disregarding any common environmental benefits etc., rank the following speeds in terms of 'disrespect to other drivers': 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90.
Corwyn, To your above question, I usually go 55. Having said that, disrespect happens when people merely see a Prius (OK, I have a 2000 Insight, but think lumping it in is legit). At intersections, many drivers race around me, one immediately blasted his horn the instant the light turned green....my driving did not even have a chance to factor. Granted, everybody suffers from angry/idiotic driving to a degree, but it increases a bit in a Prius.
I didn't interpret his post as referring to speed, but rather behavior. I get passed more now than I ever did, and I haven't slowed down, just changed cars. I used to get passed occasionally by people that were trying to get somewhere (as evidenced by them pulling way ahead of me and eventually disappearing) but now I get passed by people just to get in front of me, and stay right in front of me.
One little Prius is a drop in the bucket, but holy cow 1-million Prii has got to be making a big difference. You gotta remember in the early 1990's lots of urban areas had much smog and ozone excedances. The objective for cleaner cars and reformulated gasoline was to solve these immediate quality-of-life issues. Prius sovles it. It is an incredibly clean gasoline machine. Now chatting here recently I have of course learned the hard way that we do have incoming cruise missle attacks against any fossil fuel use in motor vehicles. But that's a new war. Prius solves the old war against smog and ozone.
I used to have a 70+ foot pine tree in the front of my home. It was quite a nice tree. I used to hug it quite often. I always got sap on my clothing.....then one day the tree fell over. On the plus side I no longer have to contend with sap. So much for tree hugging. I got the Prius because I get >400 miles for < 8 gal gas!!!
Many urban areas still exceed the NAAQS for ozone, although that is in part because a new standard was implemented in 2004. A lower standard was announced in 2008, but it's tied up in lawsuits.
Agreed ozone still a problem. Unfort not everyone drives a Prius or equivalent. Not to mention other causes aside from vehicles.
