Hybridity

[bcholmes]

I was reading an article this morning about hybrid cars. The new Toyota Prius is even better than the first generation. I'm really fond of my Prius, and I'm glad that it's continuing to be viable for Toyota.

One of the people I work with at the customer site asked me whether I really believed that the amount of money I was saving on gas made up for the price difference in the Prius. This is pretty darn typical of him. Always interested in his personal costs versus his personal rewards. He seemed taken aback when I said that saving money didn't factor into my thinking at all.

Comments

[skylark-10.livejournal.com]

unfortunately, that is exactly the kind of thinking that typifies capitalist society, even to the point where things like "saving species from extinction might be a good thing" has to be rendered in economic terms to have any currency in public discourse.

digusting, but we seem to be stuck with it, so the manufacturers and promoters of more sustainable technologies *must* find ways to demonstrate measurable benefit.

[angilong.livejournal.com]

For some of us, frugal <==> survival.

For others, it may not exactly be "survival" but it may be "ability to have or enable things that are very important to them".

[icedrake.livejournal.com]

Regardless, isn't the answer to that "yes?" :)

Have you seen the KAZ (http://web.sfc.keio.ac.jp/~hiros/kaz/)? It looks very promising, and targets a niche that is much easier to get into (public/business transport).

[futabachan.livejournal.com]

ayilmaz's father totaled their Volvo last week, so her folks are planning to buy the new '04 Prius as soon as it's available.

[kalmn.livejournal.com]

yeah, saving money on gas didn't figure for me, either.

the so cool i could just fall over and die factor did, though. coolness while being environmentally conscious equals double bonus coolness points.

[gisho.livejournal.com]

*nod* If I ever get a car (although I hope I will be able to maintain the luxury of carlessness) I'm definately getting a hybrid. Price isn't a factor.

[hellsop.livejournal.com]

How much money is "It's COOOOL!" worth? I saw an ebay auction for a restored pinball machine top US$6000 yesterday, with a week to go on the auction...

[epi-lj.livejournal.com]

I'd like to have a Prius someday -- if our car fails and we decide that we need a car, it will likely be our next purchase. When I talk to people about it, I get the exact same reaction -- all that they're concerned about with reference to the hybrid design is whether or not they'll save money. It baffles me.