Featured Would there have even been a Prius?

Discussion in 'Prius, Hybrid, EV and Alt-Fuel News' started by bwilson4web, Dec 5, 2025 at 3:10 AM.

  1. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

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    Reporting myself to the moderator, there was a Washington DC announcement about "new fuel standards" that directly impacts why we were ever able to buy a Prius:


    At age 75, I well remember the past that led to having efficient, safe, affordable to operate cars. My memories include:
    • descending into the Denver bowl of noxious, red air
    • eyes burning worse than Marine tear gas hut driving in Reverside CA
    • cars that stank whose exhaust was a suicide method
    • cars without seat belts and coming upon accidents
    I call it "generational amnesia" and that was what happened in that press conference. Well like my Dad used to say, "Only two things will make a man unhappy: Not getting what he asked for or Getting exactly what he asked for."

    BTW, I caught this when I got home. I was doing some cold weather, 31-36 F (-0.5 to 2.2 C), long distance testing of my Tesla, raw data:
    • 18 hours elapsed time
    • 714 miles :: 714/18 = 40 mph block-to-block time vs 50 mph in warmer weather
    • 185 kWh consumed :: at residential rate of $0.12/kWh * 185 = $22.20 total electric cost if from home
      • SuperCharger rates are 3-4x residential so $22.20*3=$66.60 to $22.20*4=$88.80
    • skipping "preconditioning", running ~1 hr drives, 60-80 miles with charging breaks
    Preconditioning in winter weather takes about 500 Wh out of the battery. Skipping it leads to lower initial charge rate, <100 kW vs 178 kW peak in warm weather. During charging there is a 2 C difference between the inlet and exit coolant temperature of the pack as the car tries to warm up the battery along with the charging load. <HUMMM> There will be a more detailed report once I get all the billing and trip records collected in the Tesla sub-forum.

    Bob Wilson

    ps. What I shared in my report:

    I'm sorry but this political 'dog and pony' show relates to all efficient, safe cars. IMHO, it is important news but I can't separate the political nonsense from the technical without taking a lot of 'editorial license.' If it goes away or to Fred's House of Politics, I won't complain. I wish there were another approach. - Bob Wilson​
     
    #1 bwilson4web, Dec 5, 2025 at 3:10 AM
    Last edited: Dec 5, 2025 at 3:19 AM
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  2. Gokhan

    Gokhan Senior Member

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    Good grief, Trump and co. are so short-sighted, narrow-minded, etc., to spare much less kind words.
     
    #2 Gokhan, Dec 5, 2025 at 3:55 AM
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  3. PrimeDan

    PrimeDan New Member

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    I am (perhaps a bit foolishly) hopeful that this whole "fuel efficiency" standard debate will go the way of the dodo as more and more car buyers choose BEVs (or PHEVs) over ICE vehicles.
     
    #3 PrimeDan, Dec 5, 2025 at 4:01 AM
  4. DavidA

    DavidA Prius owner since July 2009

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    Does anyone actually think that global automotive companies will just suddenly make less efficient transport just to appease Trump, and an administration with probably a short lived and short-sighted life span? Would it not be less expensive to produce the most efficient systems for all production lines in multiple countries and just leave it at that?
     
    #4 DavidA, Dec 5, 2025 at 5:22 AM
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  5. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

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    The news I follow suggests the USA is being cut out and isolated in trade and every other way. But that is not why I posted here.

    We know ‘who killed the electric car.’ The question on my mind, who will make them illegal? Also wind farms, solar roofs, and other non-fossil fueled systems.

    Bob Wilson
     
    #5 bwilson4web, Dec 5, 2025 at 9:26 AM
  6. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

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    This topic could EASILY be in 'hybrid news' if if we play nice. For instance ....... what do we got now. Maybe easy over 10% of people driving some form of plug-in or very efficient battery hybrid?
    * People that could afford the extra cost & are trend setters?
    * People labeled tree huggers? Environmental anti CO2 types?
    *Techno Geeks?
    * People w/ free electricity gaming the system?
    * etc
    Lots of reasons we chose what we drive.
    This is not a 'us' against 'them' scenario. Meaning both sides of the aisle thought forcing 100% electric by legislation was overkill.
    Eight Democrats vote to ax Biden’s EV rule
    There is a place for gassers, even diesel. It wouldn't be hard, if we each had to write an essay, about the benefits of fossil fuels. It's what got us out of caves, & it's what makes things cheaper. It's what makes the USA or other countries more competitive.
    As for the manufacturing industry, all the R&D to get where we are is already done, so logic says they will continue to use it, not go about stripping it down to the point where there's oily blow-by spewing right onto the street Ah-lah 1950s
     
    #6 hill, Dec 5, 2025 at 9:27 AM
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