Shaking an addiction to gasoline - a step by step guide

I can year you..but, with no offense intended, it sounds like denial or an oil addict moaning.

Saying the best way to shake the addiction to gasoline is a car whose ONLY fuel is gasoline is like saying the best way to kick
smoking is to use filtered "light" cigarettes. If you want tar in your lungs or tar as your fuel, that is your choice. But don't pretend that is shaking the addiction. In fact just as many people end up smoking MORE with light cigarettes and have been show they are less likely to quit (see People Who Smoke Light Cigarettes Less Likely To Quit), so maybe its not surprising some prius drivers may actually get more addicted.

Continuing the analogy, getting an EV as your only car, is like quitting cold turkey -- which can work but many people fail at it and most are not willing to try. Getting a EREV is like using nicotine patches and a support group, slowly weaning the owner off of the addiction, but providing some support. Most of the time there is NO use of the addictive stuff, but there is a support net.

If you are getting off the addiction for political reasons (national security, local economy) then what generates the electricity is less important. If you want to reduce green house gases then you need to choose the right source behind the electricity. But either way if you want to shake the addiction, its important to shift to have the addictive stuff be generally unused.

I filled up in April - 4620 miles on the current tank and most of the gas i have used was for trips for which even a Leaf would not work.

 

...such a thoughtful and long response at least requires acknowledgement.
I am trying to be pro-choice with respect to energy EV and oil energy, impartial down the middle.

 

GREAT analogy but as I'm a former nicotine addict I would like to amend it. Using a patch is a slow release/no choice method while nicotine gum is used when you choose to use it. The support net is there in your pocket, purse, or, in the case of the EREV, the gas tank ready to help.

The patch is more like a hybrid. You're going to get a dose every time whether you want it or not.

15 years nicotine/tobacco free!
2 weeks oil free! (OK, 900 miles of which 750 gas free)

 

Agreed the gum is better analogy for the Volt. But I think the hybrid is like "lite cigs".. maybe the mile PHEVs like the prius PHV are more like the patch..


Part of fighing addiction is admitting your failures. I fell off the wagon and, used gas this week. Brokemy 600 miles of ICE free driving. My wife had a board meeting/cleanup weekend so we had a trip up the mountains 120miles up 5500ft (then back down 2000). Convinced here to take the landscaping stuff we needed in the Volt rather than the CUV -- so my volt took one for the family -- I'll use 3 gallons R/T, the CUV would have taken 8-9.

I used mountain mode getting 28miles EV 92 miles on the ICE, using only 2.32 gallons over the 92 ICE miles. (Ended trip with 11miles EV, did not get out of mountain mode early enough). That is 39.6MPG on the ICE portion, 52MPG overall (and left 11 miles in the battery for the return trip, so the ICE numbers are not inflated.) Not bad for highway driving (I25/I70) up the mountains.

 

A Prius may very well use less gas than a Volt. Although not in most cases I would guess. As I keep trying to remind both sides, it all depends upon a person's driving habits.
In my case the Volt uses much less gas that any of the Prius family. However, that doesn't mean there ore others where the opposite is true. I believe in Daniel's case the Prius is a far better choice in terms of gasoline usage.

 

John, no doubt it sounds like the Volt was the right choice for you.
All I am saying is that one size does not fit all.
I don't like speaking for others, but as I recall, Daniel's use of the Prius was a about a 500 mile trip half a dozen times a year or so. All of the rest of his driving is done with his EV. The Volt would be driven about 5700 miles on gas, or about 155(?) gallons of gas and a bit of electricity. The Prius would use about 120 gallons. A big improvement over the Volt.

In this type of case, the buyer makes the choice to use less gasoline to drive the same number of miles. This is an unusual circumstance. I just use the example to show how the gasoline saving ability of a car depends on how it will be driven and how often it can be charged.

In most cases, I think the Volt will save more gasoline, just not all cases.

 

Possible for some, but if someone with similar driving habits was part of a household that requires two cars, a Prius and an EV is perfect.
In our case, a Volt and EV is the perfect solution. Don't get hung up on the details though. All I am saying is that the Volt is not the perfect solution for everyone, neither is the Prius, nor a Ford F-150. Although each is perfect for someone.

 

If you own a tesla roadster.. and owned a prius before that.. its not expensive to keep it around and if one can afford a roadster.. money is probably not tight.

 

Daniel's long trips are for camping and a Volt may not be packed comfortably. The Roadster can do trips a Volt would burn gas on. He had a NEV, Xebra I think, long before the major players brought plug-ins to market. SO, I don't think he was interested in the half measure of a PHV. Daniel did think the Volt was better driving than the Leaf.

Wonder what happened to him.

 

I think he is busy contemplating a Model S, although he is very sceptical that he needs one

 

I saw the south park last night with cartman eating candy corn orioles and needing a rascal. Definitely a food addiction, but you can't stop eating food, you just need to eat less. I think you are on that side on the addicted to oil. We just need to use less, much less, but we don't need to stop using liquid fuels.

For those that look at the oil addiction like an alcoholic, than we need to go to zero. PHEVs are that first step.

I'm with you though. We have an addiction to oil, but that doesn't mean we need to completely quit liquid fuels. We just need to use less. That means some in bevs, some in phevs, some in hybrids, and yes there is even room for efficient ice vehicles.