Prius Follies, Take Two

Since Mr. Jenkins has had his cranial rectal inversion surgery, I feel responding to this article is feeding the trolls!!!

 

The consistent publishing of poorly informed, misleading and biased articles written in WSJ signifies that this is no longer part of the Free Press but a mouth piece for big oil and "American" car companies. How can the recent swing of gas prices be justified? They suddenly realized that their gluttonous profits that were reported during the aftermath of hurricanes would have to be accounted for.

The Prius is a statement to these oil companies in that we will not be held hostage. The Prius is a statement to our government who still refuses to see the need to control emissions and support recycling and renewal of natural resources. The Prius is a statement to American car companies that we want quality and dependability in our vehicles.

When has an SUV driver ever been called to justify their purchase the way that Prius owners are being questioned over their personal choice of a vehicle.

 

I thought this article had very good analysis and I don't see it as bashing the Prius.

We can argue about whether if should be compared to the Corolla, how many miles you need to drive it to break even or what gas would have to cost. I think overall the economic analysis is pretty straight forward and hard to argue with.

I biggest concerns when I bought my my car were not to save gas or money and I don't want to drive a corolla. The Prius is what it is, if you don't like it don't buy it. The article doesn't say its not a good car, just not a good car if saving gas or money is your primary concern.

 

Saving gas:
I agree that you are saving gas locally, at Tony P Schaefer's house, and I am saving gas locally at my house too. If enough of us use the prius and reduce consumption by enough, the price of gas goes down and other people will use more because gas is less expensive. I used to drive a tercel and I only got about 18-23 mpg.

Saving money:
I totally agree. A ten year old corolla would save even more money and still be reliable.
But alternative fuels and other technologies will never become mainstream without the early adopters, when they are new and relatively expensive. The price will come down on hybrids and eventually they will make a plug in that doesn't need the gas engine. I see the prius more as an investment in the future.

 

Comparing the Prius to a Corolla is akin to comparing the Wall Street Journal to the business section of the Peoria Journal Star (no offense intended).

 

I guess the whole Energy Security argument is completely meaningless to Jenkins. His purely economic argument doesn't really work because he doesn't acknowlege the geopolitical/natural disaster related constraints on oil supply. He makes a totally lame argument that the middle east oil supply is not a strategic interest of the US. That's utter crap. It's not only a US strategic interest but a global one. They have 65% of the proven oil reserves in the solar system.

 

first off, good article for a bigited right wing oil monger, ok now that thats out of my system
the economics side: yes you do have to drive like a hundred thousand or so miles before the car becomes economicaly feesable, but its a fricken toyota, i meen our cars are relyable. also look at the big american car companies at the moment both of wich are taking huge losses where as toyota has poasted huge gains, and here in california priuses are selling verry fast even still. now what isnt good economic sence about being able to drive 400+ or - miles on about $23.00( i think is what i payed last fill up ) and who among us also is not going to keep the prius around till we atleast pass that 100k mile mark, me personaly i am well on my way at about 32k miles in alil over a year and a half.

well that is it
Chris
2004 Silver Prius Woodside CA and proud Green party member B)

 

And this is EXACTLY why when I *do* buy gas, I find the most expensive place to buy it, and I gladly hand over my $20 per month.

Just doing my part. No need for thanks.

 

Please note:

The more successful the Prius is and will continue to be the more misinformation you will hear from the traditional media. If any of you have been following my comments about the traditional media you will recall that the media has the agenda to put out any side of the truth no matter if it makes sense or not. Hence, the more successful hybrids become the more traditional media attention it will get both good and bad. It does nothing but cause confusion in the marketplace except one place......the media's bottom line.

If you look at these traditional media comments as gospel you will go nuts. The article above goes to prove that in wonderfully convincing way. We need to deal with the media. How? WE ARE THE NEW MEDIA HERE. Please stop "REACTING" and place undeniable facts which dispute trash such as above. The world is looking in on us. Don't let the traditional media get the best of us.

Now.....

Aren't you glad you own a Prius? I sure am.

 

Interesting article. I guess by living in america, we all participate in the machinery that drives the earth into an environmental oblivion. Some of us are small miniscule cogs and some of us are huge-nice person hummer cogs. Nonetheless, we're all cogs. In this line of thinking, one could say that all German citizens were complicit in the Holocaust. Some germans were pulling the lever in the gas chambers and some were just doing what they could to better germany. Nonetheless, they were all (except maybe that schindler dude) guilty to some degree by being part of germany, as we all are(despite our intentions) to this sub-acute holocaust we are perpetrating on the environment. Driving a hybrid doesn't absolve us of our environmental insults no matter how small they may be.

 

So, with that line of thinking the supreme act of the environmentalist is suicide? Then you won't be consuming anything. Not really my cup of tea. I just keep driving my Prius, recycling as much as I can, and buying as much wind power from Xcel as they'll sell to me.

 

NPR does a show called Science Friday. on Jan 13 they had a segment called "China's Future" (for podcasters the number of the segment is 2006011312) it details how China, not the US has become the #1 consumer of most resources and commodities in the world.

now lets forget about peak oil, whether we have a 5 year supply or a 105 year supply. it simply does not matter. in 20 years, China's demand for oil will exceed current world production. (that btw, leaves everyone else out in the cold)

china has started a very ambitious wind power program that hopes to alleviate the need, but without PHEV's, it wont be enough. Europe already has a huge wind power system going. the US with much much more land available has done relatively little. and it will continue to be that way until oil becomes prohibitively expensive.

so whether we have the supply or not, it does not matter. world demand will exceed production capability in the next few years.

 

Scanning through that WSJ article, it seems to me to be the best written justification for an increase in the US transportation fuels taxes I have seen. If (as is implied in the article) the free market will not correct the situation that leads to comunity suffering (overseas wars, polution and green house effects), then its up to the comunity to implement a correction. Specifically the federal government increasing the gas tax.

This is what the depression and the recovery in the 1930's was all about. Free markets driving the system into a singularity. And the government putting into effect rules and taxes to add a little negative feedback for stability.

But on the other hand - what about the capatailistic economic principles that the individual acting in his own self-interest results in the best for all? So, why not buy a Prius, if it saves weekly moneys, has a transmission technology that is the most reliable demonstrated, is very confortable to drive day in and day out and gives the best defence against future comodity fluctuations ? And why should Toyota not charge more for these advantages? Hell, there are 2004 Prii on Ebay right now for more than I paid for my 2006!

From either point of view, I cannot see the Prius as being bad. What seems to be wrong to me is the WSJ trying to talk us out of the capatalistic ideal. And the government not taking the strategic actions to keep the US safe. Adam Smith and George Washington are probably rolling in their graves!