I feel so sad when I read mis-guided posts like this. Yes, it's good that over a million people have chosen a fuel efficient car. However, it would be far better for the world if families would do without a second (or third) car, or keep the one they have for a few years longer. Or consider car sharing (the local car share has a Prius in its fleet, actually).

We have to move beyond thinking that we're being "kind" to the environment by buying a million hybrid cars, to realizing that there are better ways to get around.

"I feel so sad when I read mis-guided posts like this. Yes, it's good that over a million people have chosen a fuel efficient car. However, it would be far better for the world if families would do without a second (or third) car, or keep the one they have for a few years longer. Or consider car sharing (the local car share has a Prius in its fleet, actually).

We have to move beyond thinking that we're being "kind" to the environment by buying a million hybrid cars, to realizing that there are better ways to get around."

Come on now. If these people hadn't been able to buy hybrids, they'd have bought less fuel-efficient cars. That's a good thing, and all those hybrids are getting us closer to plug-ins and EVs.

We can wish all we want that millions and millions will stop driving, but until we can realistically make it happen (and I'm all for it), reducing the impact of those that drive is A Good Thing.

Well, as a Prius owner getting an average of 41 MPG real-life, I don't feel smug.

My family had outgrown the need for a mini-van, but still needed a sedan that could seat five adults.

The choice of a Prius was for the roomier hatchback (versus the Civic Hybrid) and the great online communities.

Popular car brings popular accessories, like an EV-20 or EV-30 upgrade I plan to do in four years.

When you consider company / government / municipal / taxi fleets, it's a shame that the number is only one million.

"Come on now. If these people hadn't been able to buy hybrids, they'd have bought less fuel-efficient cars. That's a good thing, and all those hybrids are getting us closer to plug-ins and EVs."

The world will not be a better place when it is filled with millions of plug-in hybrids and EVs. Rather than taking necessary (and painful) steps to curb our consumption, we are merely trying to take the easy way out by shifting our purchases to "good" cars.

From a personal perspective, my family has taken a slightly more "painful" approach: We've downsized to a smaller (and very efficient) house, we sold our SUV six years ago and bought a Toyota Echo, I take transit instead of buying a second car, and so on. We're trying to "untrain" ourselves as consumers, but it's incredibly hard... especially with a young child.

Personally I'd go for the Escape hybrid or Saturn if the dual hybrid comes out. I have 2 large dogs and they just don't fit in my car. Now if I had a family and needed to take everyone somewhere , there is no way.

I've been looking for a "ban cars" sticker for my prius for a while. If there was a feasible alternative, I'd prefer for cars to be removed from general use. I'd be happy to take trains or busses when I travel on long trips, and if cars were banned, there would be plenty of demand for a timely and effective nationwide public transport system.

It solves many problems, you get more efficient transport, better utilisation of the vehicles you've manufactured so that you can manufacture less, reduced overall cost, no more drink-driving. All the drivers are now professional drivers (bus drivers etc), so they should be very good at it, and this should reduce accidents.

Bring on PRT.

Can't wait until all those batteries end up in landfills!

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editor note: sometimes I think carmakers who have hybrids should do TV ads just about batteries..

Check this out.

"Personally I'd go for the Escape hybrid or Saturn if the dual hybrid comes out. "

better spend your money on something else than an ESCAPE or SATURN HYBRID, they are just not fuel efficient at all.

having 2 kids and a great dane, my advice:
get yourself a VW jetta WAGON TDI and enjoy a car that will be fuel efficient all over it's driving range. EVEN WHEN FOLLOWING INTERSTATE TRAFFIC AT 90MPH.

so far I never found an hybrid doing better than my 300 000 km 2000 Jetta TDI (yes the HONDA INSIGHT can do better but I can't live with a 2 place car)

any hybrid going over 65mph become a thirsty pig

NOW WHERE THE HECK IS THE HONDA ACCORD DIESEL ? Europeans got it why can't we ?

sorry, Honda thought we would like an Accord hybrid with 300hp.....

But how many Prius are being used for roadworks?

I saw one today...

http://rcd.typepad.com/personal/2007/06/traffic_light_t.html

"Or consider car sharing (the local car share has a Prius in its fleet, actually)."

That would be great for me if there was a car share less then 70 miles from my house. Not everyone lives in big cities. I live in an urban area that probably will never see a car share.

So I went out and bought a scooter that gets 80+ mpg.

NOW WHERE THE HECK IS THE HONDA ACCORD DIESEL ? Europeans got it why can't we ?

The current one isn't clean enough but we're to get one in 2009 that doesn't need urea to be clean. As a current Accord owner I can't wait to try one out.

As to the million hybrids world wide since 1997. More cars than that are sold in a month in the US alone. With a total of about 250 Million vehicles in the US fleet. World wide the number of autos is estimated to be past the 800 million mark and with more and more in China buying cars will probably hit over a billion in the coming decade.

Yes that article is a bit misguided, just like articles that claim that motorists havn't changed their habits in the face of higher fuel costs using the figure of total gallons consumed. Consider how long the vehicle fleet turn over in the US with over 250 million cars and 16-17 million sold each year. It takes a long time for the vehicle fleet makeup to change. Also the population is increasing and so more and more drivers "needing" more and more cars hit the roads each year. Sure if you look at gross numbers people are using more and more fuel but it works out to fewer gallons per capita.

My wife and I recently sold our 98 VW Jetta TDI. It was a fun little car and I loved the mileage it would get. However, we certainly didn't love the fact that every couple of months it was in the shop having work done. I think in the last year that we owned it we put about $1500 in repairs into it(not counting the oil changes which cost more also). I really wish another auto maker would release a diesel sedan or midsize car in the US (preferably Honda or Toyota).

As a consumer I am very annoyed that our diesel options are a Mercedes (expensive), a VW (will fall apart) or a Ford F-350 (I don't need a truck). There are tons of options in Europe, but not much here.

For those of you who have VWs and like them let me say, I loved driving the Jetta, but factoring the experiences of our car, my in-laws car, and several friends VWs, I can confidently say that they are not reliable cars.

"My wife and I recently sold our 98 VW Jetta TDI. It was a fun little car and I loved the mileage it would get. However, we certainly didn't love the fact that every couple of months it was in the shop having work done. "

and you sold it with how many miles/kms on the clock ?

all cars over 120 000 miles need maintenance. Sure VW got a lot of toubles but how many car are still on the road after 120 000 miles ? not much.

but sure I'd like to get an accord diesel, and yes if Honda start selling this engine in Canada, you can kiss goodbye to VW as this is a niche market for them.

"Consider how long the vehicle fleet turn over in the US with over 250 million cars and 16-17 million sold each year. It takes a long time for the vehicle fleet makeup to change."

A recent study estimated that any new alternative fuel technology in automobiles would take 15-20 years to reach 50% penetration in the market.