Fastforward

Ha Ha.

Driving Priai for four year, it's become routine. Feels odd when in other cars that the car dosn't quiet at stops.

Traded into a 2010 in late January. Funny timing... ha ha.

Waiting for Toyota to figure out how bad they are damaging my brand linkage by repeated communication fails.

The obligatory mileage testimonial

Best tank: 52.3 mpg (no air conditioning, good attention to driving methods)
Worst Tank: 46.4 mpg (constant air conditioning, no attention to driving methods)

Best 125 miles (that I noticed): 55.7 mpg

At 7,400 miles (nearing the end of the 'breaking in' period) and perfect summer weather (no air conditioning required), I was pleased and surprised by the mileage improvement from the 46 to 48 I had become satisfied with.

I suspect that if one were able to drive a top speed of perhaps 40 mph and accelerate / brake without concern for prevailing traffic behaviors in warm weather without the use of air conditioning, one might achieve the 60 mpg the EPA assigned this vehicle.

Who Killed the Electric Car? a short review

Wait!.... I'm driving an EV... who said its dead?

Oh, yes the GM EV1 is dead, but there is so much else going on...

My review of the documentary

Its a wonderful forum...

http://priuschat.com/

Thanks to those who preceed me

My thanks to the many Prius owners who adopted early, and who have shared their experiences and techniques on so many sites. In particular John F. of john1701a.com, where one finds a treasure trove.

Recommended: the "User Guide-H", found within the Prius Info area.

People's Reactions, story #2

Am driving on a quiet Beaverton residential street, trees and sunshine and nieghbors in the yards, enjoying the glide at about 20 mph.

To my left and ahead are two children playing on the sidewalk, a seven year old boy and his nine year old sister bent over a bike lying on the ground. As I pass them, the girl looks up, framed in my window in a perfect camera-motion pan, head tracking the car, and she utters... "whooooooa".

It is a good sign that a nine year old can recognize this car as outside the ordinary.

Sea Turtle

During a recent visit to the Hawaiian Islands, I picked up a little vinyl sticker/tattoo for the back of my car, like the one here.

The turle is close enough to a tortoise, for all the hares behind me, and the sea turtle a good reminder of the small planet we ask to process our carbon.

People's Reactions, story #1

Coming home from work, west bound on highway 224, a 5 mile 55 mph expressway with seven signals (hell on mileage, impossible to accelerate slowly).

In my rear view, about a quarter mile back, I'm watching a monster truck weave through traffic at 70 mph, taking every lane change advantage possible to advance. Coming upon a red light, I coast to a stop, alone in the right lane. In the left lane three cars stack. The driver of the truck elects the left lane, behind the three cars, as the most advantageous position (obviously judging the little hybrid will be slow off the line). At the green light I accelerate with traffic, and in a few 100 yards pull ahead by several lengths.

The driver of the monster truck changes behavior and stays in the left lane.

Mission accomplished. Sometime the change occurs one mind at a time.

Bumper Sticker #2

Bumper sticker #3