I would be proud if the Prius was an American development

[alanmushnick]

I love the Prius. I would love it more if it had been developed in the US. It is a shame and a bad message to the young kids in my neighborhood, that the most technologically advanced efficient non polluting car is Japanese.
WHAT IS WRONG HERE? WHY ISN'T OUR GOVERNMENT UPSET ABOUT THIS?
Alan

[alsgameroom]

Honestly I don't see how we havn't self destructed by now.

can you hum along to this one?
'Ahh ya don't believe we're on the eve of destruction"
(Barry Mcguire 1966)

Keep up the good work George!

[Tideland Prius]

What's wrong with that? How is it a bad message?

[VoicesInMyHead]

I have had such a bad experience with American automotive engineering (over-engineering gadgets, under-engineering important stuff like drivetrains), that if the Prius were American made, I would not walk but run SCREAMING in the other direction.

I've always supported Americans first, but I have been screwed by their lack of engineering where it matters for the last time.

[DaveinOlyWA]

the big 3 have not had the best car on the road for years. last night i went to my nephew's graduation and he simply stopped naming cars before he would name an american car that he would have wanted.

and this may come as a big surprise to many considering his age, but he is a very practical person and not interested in horsepower. just wants something economical and reliable. he btw also works at All-Star Ford

[NuShrike]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(alanmushnick\";p=\"98490)</div>

I love the Prius. I would love it more if it had been developed in the US. It is a shame and a bad message to the young kids in my neighborhood, that the most technologically advanced efficient non polluting car is Japanese.  
WHAT IS WRONG HERE? WHY ISN'T OUR GOVERNMENT UPSET ABOUT THIS?  
Alan[/b]

The Prius was developed as a direct result of Toyota being denied membership in the USA-based next-gen vehicle initiative that Clinton started up in the 90s. The drivetrain however, seems to be a common idea that's been around since 1970s. Love it for that.

Bush himself killed NGV ~2001. What did come out of it after 10 years, the EV1? Most of them are crushed into itty-bitty pieces now. A Caltech guy did build a hybrid in a Buick Skylark back in the 70s and that was crushed by the EPA.

Why is this a bad message? Are you implying that the Japanese racially shouldn't be able to do this at all?

It's a VERY accurate and real message that the USA and government doesn't care. Like the VCR, the USA had many chances, but the mega-corps (like RIAA/MPAA) only cared about the near-term bottom line and squandered any future potential opportunities. Some of the best tech has been coming out of Japan for years. This is nothing new. Just as the Russians have the best long-term space life-support systems and reliable launch/delivery vehicles for quite a while.

The USA currently cares more about the Iraq quagmire and feeding more money into it, than investing the same money in itself as you can see in the priorities for science and education funding. Tell the kids and future voters why they should be more upset about this.

[prius04]

Even the Iraq qaugmire is a diversion. The goal in America now is to totally seal the supremacy of the corporate model.

As for the US being at the forefront of auto engineering, had GM and Ford failed in their goal to eviserate CAFE standards, we just might now be at the forefront of world auto engineering.

Just another example of the fact that a little government control over corporations is better than none.

[Tideland Prius]

The government won't be upset til it realises that it's no longer getting free money from gas guzzlers.

[NuShrike]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tideland Prius\";p=\"98579)</div>

The government won't be upset til it realises that it's no longer getting free money from gas guzzlers.[/b]

That's already happening with them considering taxing by-the-mile, or raising gas taxes.

[Tideland Prius]

You know, that's the dumbest idea. You know it'll never work because how are you to track? install boxes in every car? How much will that cost? Then how to bill the owner? Then how to get the money collected divided between the government, insurance companies and who knows who else.