Hybrids Aren't So Rare Any Longer

it's a fun thing to do (park next to others who own a prius or hybrid)

when i first joined, my experiance was similar to yours... now... well... we all park next to each other.. but that's only because half the cars in this city are a hybrid (not really.. but there are a lot)

 

Didn't you know that Hybrids like to snuggle?

 

there are a ton of hybrids around here, but i don't know anyone else who has one. (except my wife and daughter)

 

I usually run into Prii when I am in the Fiesta but I will still park next to them. There are less here by a wide margin but I see more every week.

 

When I got mine, I was the only one in the subdivision. Now it's not unusual to see others in the area, although I don't know anybody on the block yet to have one. There are several at the parking lot.

 

Yesterday, I came back to find my prius was surrounded by another Red Gen III prius on the right, and Gen II white prius behind me, and a silver volt to the left. My gf said the hybrids were multiplying. I thought it was kind of creepy.

 

Back in the early days, us PriusChatters in the Chicago area got together regularly. One of those times, Danny (you know, the PriusChat founder) came up and finally bought himself a Prius up here. He took his Prius for a drive the first day and a lady stopped him at a light, politely excused herself for interrupting, and asked if he was Danny. Turns out she had been following his posts on PriusChat, knew he'd be in the area that weekend and buying a Prius, so when she saw a new one that day with dealer plates still on it, she made the conclusion that it was Danny.

Wouldn't be able to make a leap of faith like that today.

 

Wow, I haven't seen a Volt yet. Texas must be more progressive than when I lived there. Of course, that is Austin.

 

We were one of the launch cities for the volt, so there are a number of them here. I have also seen a couple of teslas. But there are large numbers of prii and pick up trucks roaming the streets.

 

Prii are very common around here.

 

I honestly would not know if I had seen a volt...

 

They say "Volt" across the back of the trunk lid. In large letters.

 

There are so few Insight-I's that about half the owners wave wildly, flash lights, etc when they see one. The other half are completely oblivious and give absolutely no sign of seeing the wavers. I belong to the waving category, not the oblivious group.

I did meet one at an I-95 rest area but don't think I've ever parked next to one.

 

Nope...not sure still, too much like a Cruze or anything else really to stand out.

Kinda like a Fusion hybrid...I can only tell those if I am next to one at a light.

Something like an Insight-1 (have seen 2) or CR-Z (also 2 total) kind of stands out more than a 4 door thingamobile.

 

Sorry, my mistake. The Volt does say "Volt" on the rear but it's in small letters. Somehow my brain enlarged them:
2011 Chevy Volt Photos | Chevrolet
The Fusion Hybrid and the Sonata Hybrid have a hybrid badge on the rear, towards the upper right. The right side of the rear seems to have become the standard location for hybrid badges.
Yes the CR-Z has a very distinctive look, but to us it looks bulged from some angles. Too bad it doesn't do better mpg-wise.

 

Or performance wise.

I understand they all have badges. Nothing stands out like a Prius or Insight though.

Even 1st gen Prii are harder to spot because they look a lot like Echos. Once I realized the difference in the grilles I can spot them though.

 

Actually, Prius came first. Echo was a golden opportunity to generate profit and expand production capacity. Toyota modified the body and detuned the engine. It worked out well.

But the thing often not realized is how ahead of its time Prius was back then. The Classic model stuck out like a sore thumb, getting the same uniqueness claims Prius does now. All those years ago, nothing else resembled it. Now, that shape is frequently immitated.
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