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Looks like Honda, Nissan, GM and Ford need to slap their advertising agencies around. It appears some greenies don't know they make hybrids! From Ourgreenbabysteps blog comes this tidbit: "I ran into someone at work today who owns a Honda Civic Hybrid. I didn’t even realize there was another family hybrid car other than the Toyota Prius." Toyota probably also needs to increase the advertising budget for the hybrid Camry and Highlander, since they seem to be semi-unknown as well. I wonder what will happen when the blogger finds out he/she can even get a humongous SUV or all-American pick-'em-up truck with a hybrid powertrain. I'm thinking spontaneous cranial combustion.
20 Comments on “Newsflash! Prius Isn’t the Only Hybrid!...”
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When it comes to hybrids,the Prius is like the highlander (the non-SUV variety). There can be only one.
Toyota struck gold when they made a car that looked frugal.
When you have people in the U.S. who can’t identify the Vice-President and people in England who think Churchill was a fictional character, this is no surprise.
How much advertising did Toyota give to the Prius? I only remember one radio ad and that was it. Most of the publicity I remember was media driven, especially in the wake of Hurricane Katrina when gas prices spiked to $4/gal. I see more ads for the Tundra than for anything else Toyota sells.
They get all of the recognition because the Prius has become the media and celebrities’ gold standard for green. It is a cultural icon and Toyota gladly enjoys its pop status, effectively free advertising. Part of this recognition comes from its unusual appearance and the fact that it is one of the only hybrid-exclusive drivetrains available. GM is resorting to huge and hideous hybrid decals on vehicles that are normally conventionally driven.
The Insight had an unusal appearance, and at the time of its introduction had an exclusive drivetrain as well.
Of course, some will say the Prius had more usable room, but I say ‘fiddlesticks’ especially when nearly every Prius I’ve seen on the road has been occupied by the driver only (on rare occasions, I might see somebody in the passenger seat). Far be it from me to say they don’t need the larger Prius when the smaller Insight could perform just as adequately, but it did make me scratch my head when I heard those stores about folks waiting on a Prius for months while Insights and Civic hybrids just sat on the lot.
quasimondo, The Insight only seated two. How many other two-seaters are commercial successes? Or, better yet, sell in the 100K+ range every year?
Many of our trips are driver-only and perhaps 90-95% involve no more than one passenger. We own three cars. My wife still says purchasing a two-seater would be impractical.
Of course, some will say the Prius had more usable room, but I say ‘fiddlesticks’ especially when nearly every Prius I’ve seen on the road has been occupied by the driver only (on rare occasions, I might see somebody in the passenger seat). Far be it from me to say they don’t need the larger Prius when the smaller Insight could perform just as adequately, but it did make me scratch my head when I heard those stores about folks waiting on a Prius for months while Insights and Civic hybrids just sat on the lot.
Oh so true. The problem is that most Americans don’t reason in terms of needs, but of perceptions and desires.
“I’m thinking spontaneous cranial combustion.”
What you get if your Rectal-Cranial Inversion is left untreated.
Obviously I need to find something to do this morning. =O)
Yet again more FUD about the Prius being some sort of halo car. It really IS a lot bigger than the econoboxes – and we use it as our one and only family car (family of 4). Doesn’t mean it’s not driven with only one person in the car some of the time, of course.
When you compare it straight-up to the Civic Hybrid, it’s bigger; faster; and gets better mileage. Yet the trogolodytes continue to insist that it only sells better because of the way it looks.
The genius for Toyota in marketing has been the distinct name for the Prius — rather than a hybrid of a certain model that gets lost in the shuffle.
Honda should slap a different grille on the Civic hybrid and call it a different name. That name becomes associated with their hybrid model. Volkswagen is close — they have the TDI that is associated with excellent mileage. With their new Golf TDI hybrid they might consider going one step further too and rename the hybrid model.
The Prius only gets that fuel economy on the highway because of the way it looks.
If they want to match the Prius on fuel economy, VW and Honda should build theirs similarly.
They might be reluctant to do this because it will probably cost significantly more. On the other hand, the Prius has shown that people will buy it.
Toyota took several big risks and the Prius’ shape is one of them.
Mocktard , “Toyota struck gold when they made a car that looked frugal.”
Toyota struck gold when they actually made a frugal car. Everyone seems to report real world mileage in the low to mid 40s for a mid size car with a hatchback
M1EK, “Yet again more FUD about the Prius being some sort of halo car. It really IS a lot bigger than the econoboxes……… Yet the trogolodytes continue to insist that it only sells better because of the way it looks.”
It is that very same head in the sand denial of why the hybrid actually sells versus those who argue vehemently it is a green halo thing and that it is a false economy perception thing, that is quite literally putting the Detroit three out of business.
The Prius is quite simply a great midsize economical car that does not force the buyers to do anything differently than they currently do.
What I find frustrating about the whole hybrid hype thing is the assumption that hybrid = good for the environment.
The Prius is a “good for the environment” car because it burns less fuel and pollutes less. It burns less fuel because it is a hybrid (among other factors.)
But if you could burn less fuel and pollute less without a hybrid drivetrain, wouldn’t that be just as good (says the guy with the motorcycle that gets 55mpg on average?)
Conversely, if your “hybrid” gets 20mpg how is that better than a non-hybrid that gets 25mpg? I’ve never quite understood why “hybrid” should be a halo-izing technology. It ought to be the results that count, not the method by which the results are acheived.
Here’s an interesting question to ponder: What if Toyota made a non-hybrid version of the Prius, with a low-powered 4 cyl gas engine in place of the hybrid drivetrain. Sure, it would be slow but would it be any slower than any other econobox out there? Incorporate the Prius’ fuel saving technologies like it’s aerodynamic shape, skinny tires, light weight, etc, into a non-hybrid without the pricey hybrid drivetrain or problematic batteries and what would you get? A car that seats 4 adults in comfort and could probably still return 35 mpg in combined driving?
They would never be able to sell a Prius with a tiny gas engine – it’s the hybrid pack that allows it to accelerate up to highway speed in less than 20-30 seconds. It also provides extra power for passing – the gas engine runs in a good, efficient, comfort range, and the battery stores excess energy / uses it (Remember this the next time a FUD-spewing trogolodyte tells you the battery pack is a waste on the highway).
And again, the problem with the Civic Hybrid isn’t the name. It’s that it’s a lot smaller than the Prius, and the trunk doesn’t fold down.
M1EK:
Before you start calling people cave dwelling apes, learn to spell. It’s “Troglodyte.” Oh yeah, and a Prius is a social statement, especially when gas was selling at $2 or less per gallon. Until gas gets up to $5 per gallon, a Corolla or, staying within the Toyota brand, a 1st generation xB is a better economic decision due to the significantly lower initial cost. Any similar car getting 30 mpg or better will remain the smart economic decision.
The reason motorcycle users don’t get the warm fuzzies from the enviro group that Prius owners get is motorcycles are, generally speaking, loud and annoying. The biker stereotype doesn’t help either.
Just remember the Pruis is the only car designed to be a hybrid from it’s genesis.
The other “hybrids” are just an afterthought even the other Toyota models. This is why the other “hybrids” do not perform as well compared to the Prius.
Martin Albright: “But if you could burn less fuel and pollute less without a hybrid drivetrain, wouldn’t that be just as good (says the guy with the motorcycle that gets 55mpg on average?)”
Sure. Point me to it. It would probably be cheaper than a Prius.
What? Doesn’t exist?
Also Martin Albright: “Here’s an interesting question to ponder: What if Toyota made a non-hybrid version of the Prius, with a low-powered 4 cyl gas engine in place of the hybrid drivetrain…”
Sure. Point me to it. It might be cheaper than a Prius.
What? It doesn’t exist?
And there’s the rub… The Prius uses three key technologies to get the fuel economy it does:
Energy recapturing electric drivetrain components.
Lower-power, higher-efficiency Faux Atkinson cycle engine.
Radical shell design.
Take away any of those and you have a car that gets… less. The electric drivetrain and energy recapture gives the Prius phenomenal city fuel economy, even under the worst stop-and-go conditions. You could probably approach this with a diesel, if you didn’t mind switching the engine on and off all the time (I’ve tried this, it works but it’s a pain in the neck and you end up getting honked at when you forget to switch on BEFORE the light turns green).
On the highway, the faux Atkinson cycle and the shell improve high-speed performance. The reduced power from the Atkinson trick engine is offset by the ability to get some zing from the electric drivetrain.
There’s no “halo” here, the Prius is just really, really good at what it aims to do. Nothing else, yet, combines all these elements in quite the same way.
I’m considering a Prius for my next new car. If something better is available for less, I’d consider it (or as good for less works, too). Of course, the Prius now has an edge in my view because it has a proven drivetrain and a solid history.
By the way, many bikes get fairly crappy fuel economy. Mine did very low 40’s/mid 30’s, depending. Fuel injection would probably make a difference but it seems far from universal and bike engines (if I recall correctly) spin pretty fast at highway speeds, which seems to me to sap fuel economy. They’re also not particularly cheap, nor do they offer much in the way of crash protection. Trunk? No. Can you listen to your favorite CD’s on the road? No. Keeps you dry in the rain? No.
If you like to bike, fine! Enjoy it! I’ve done that myself in the past. But let’s not pretend it’s the same kind or level of transportation that you get with even a pretty thrifty car.
“Oh yeah, and a Prius is a social statement, especially when gas was selling at $2 or less per gallon. Until gas gets up to $5 per gallon, a Corolla or, staying within the Toyota brand, a 1st generation xB is a better economic decision”
Lumbergh, you’re FUDding again. Both those cars are smaller in both passenger space and cargo space – it’s not remotely a fair comparison. (We wouldn’t have gone to only one car if the one car was either of those).