Well,
It was been nearly two months since I purchased the 2017 Toyota Prius Prime. I am continuing to find new things I like about the vehicle, and I must say the mileage I have been getting is astounding. As a younger individual, I like to take a lot of trips that may exceed the 25-mile range of the electric battery for the vehicle; however, I am happy to report in my 650 miles of driving that the Prime has only utilized two gallons of gas! In strict terms of gasoline usage, I'm getting 325 MPG! Living in a home that is powered by Deep Green (100% renewable energy), I make a conscious effort to fuel my vehicle in a way that is carbon neutral. These efforts are essential. For instance, if you buy were to purchase a PHEV or an EV and charge your vehicle, pulling energy from a grid that is powered by coal, then you may be doing more harm than good. (Keep that in mind, and look into your utility's generation portfolio before going all in on running your car off the grid!)Another Prime feature I am ecstatic about is Toyota's dynamic radar cruise control. I've done significant portions of trips with the Prime controlling the speed and adjusting to flows of traffic. I didn't really understand the feature when I acquired the vehicle and I am truly amazed by it.
Sidebar: I'm also surprised about the amount of hate on the Prime--and on Toyota in general--on many energy-efficiency and sustainability-oriented car blogs. One feature about the Prime that I am annoyed with is that the engine turns on when I turn on the windshield defroster, but the general hate for this vehicle is laughable and misses the bigger picture: highly efficient, safe, technologically savvy vehicles are now market competitive. It is great to provide constructive criticism, but there is a point when bias becomes too blatant to overlook.
All in all, the Prime is just an initial glimpse at our near-term transportation future--more on the long-term transportation future in another post. I've dedicated a great deal of time to writing about the Prius Prime, but I assure you I'm not funded by Toyota. (I'm just one really excited car owner). There are, in fact, many cars to be excited about right now in terms of efficiency. The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) recently came out with their 2017 Green Car ratings and their "Greenest & Meanest" cars list at their website greenercars.org. The list can be sorted by various filters like "year" and "car class size," and cars can be compared to each other. The Hyundai Ioniq Electric tops ACEEE's list as the greenest car in the US, but it has yet to be released. The Hyundai Ioniq PHEV will be even more fuel efficient than the Prius Prime with a slightly better MPGe estimated at 136. ACEEE scores cars based on their analysis of automakers' test results for fuel economy and emissions as reported to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the California Air Resources Board (ARB), among other estimations for pollution from vehicle manufacturing, from the production and distribution of fuel and from vehicle tailpipes, then factoring in greenhouse gases and combine the emissions estimates into a Green Score that runs on a scale from 0 to 100.
Unfortunately, the new administration in Washington, working against long-term consumer and environmental interests, is reportedly working to rollback vehicle fuel efficiency standards for cars and trucks. The Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) and greenhouse gas emissions standards, adopted under the Obama administration in a post-recession multistakeholder agreement, will reduce fuel consumption by more than 2 million barrels of oil per day by 2025 (the equivalent of taking 53 million cars off the road). The standards help to promote innovation within the auto industry, bolster job creation in an important manufacturing sector, aid in moving the United States away from dependence on foreign oil, save American consumers hundreds of millions at the pump, and ultimately honor our global pledge to remain a leader in the fight against climate change.
It was been nearly two months since I purchased the 2017 Toyota Prius Prime. I am continuing to find new things I like about the vehicle, and I must say the mileage I have been getting is astounding. As a younger individual, I like to take a lot of trips that may exceed the 25-mile range of the electric battery for the vehicle; however, I am happy to report in my 650 miles of driving that the Prime has only utilized two gallons of gas! In strict terms of gasoline usage, I'm getting 325 MPG! Living in a home that is powered by Deep Green (100% renewable energy), I make a conscious effort to fuel my vehicle in a way that is carbon neutral. These efforts are essential. For instance, if you buy were to purchase a PHEV or an EV and charge your vehicle, pulling energy from a grid that is powered by coal, then you may be doing more harm than good. (Keep that in mind, and look into your utility's generation portfolio before going all in on running your car off the grid!)Another Prime feature I am ecstatic about is Toyota's dynamic radar cruise control. I've done significant portions of trips with the Prime controlling the speed and adjusting to flows of traffic. I didn't really understand the feature when I acquired the vehicle and I am truly amazed by it.
Courtesy of Toyota Motor Corp.
Sidebar: I'm also surprised about the amount of hate on the Prime--and on Toyota in general--on many energy-efficiency and sustainability-oriented car blogs. One feature about the Prime that I am annoyed with is that the engine turns on when I turn on the windshield defroster, but the general hate for this vehicle is laughable and misses the bigger picture: highly efficient, safe, technologically savvy vehicles are now market competitive. It is great to provide constructive criticism, but there is a point when bias becomes too blatant to overlook.
Courtesy of greenercars.org
All in all, the Prime is just an initial glimpse at our near-term transportation future--more on the long-term transportation future in another post. I've dedicated a great deal of time to writing about the Prius Prime, but I assure you I'm not funded by Toyota. (I'm just one really excited car owner). There are, in fact, many cars to be excited about right now in terms of efficiency. The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) recently came out with their 2017 Green Car ratings and their "Greenest & Meanest" cars list at their website greenercars.org. The list can be sorted by various filters like "year" and "car class size," and cars can be compared to each other. The Hyundai Ioniq Electric tops ACEEE's list as the greenest car in the US, but it has yet to be released. The Hyundai Ioniq PHEV will be even more fuel efficient than the Prius Prime with a slightly better MPGe estimated at 136. ACEEE scores cars based on their analysis of automakers' test results for fuel economy and emissions as reported to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the California Air Resources Board (ARB), among other estimations for pollution from vehicle manufacturing, from the production and distribution of fuel and from vehicle tailpipes, then factoring in greenhouse gases and combine the emissions estimates into a Green Score that runs on a scale from 0 to 100.
Unfortunately, the new administration in Washington, working against long-term consumer and environmental interests, is reportedly working to rollback vehicle fuel efficiency standards for cars and trucks. The Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) and greenhouse gas emissions standards, adopted under the Obama administration in a post-recession multistakeholder agreement, will reduce fuel consumption by more than 2 million barrels of oil per day by 2025 (the equivalent of taking 53 million cars off the road). The standards help to promote innovation within the auto industry, bolster job creation in an important manufacturing sector, aid in moving the United States away from dependence on foreign oil, save American consumers hundreds of millions at the pump, and ultimately honor our global pledge to remain a leader in the fight against climate change.
While some manufacturers will continue to move toward the future of the "Hyper Car" and continue to expand EV, PHEV, and Hydrogen vehicle production, it may not be as quick as the planet needs if rollbacks to fuel efficiency standards are realized. Though a greater number of hybrid, plug-in hybrid (PHEV), and all-electric vehicles (EV) are available in 2017 than ever before, ACEEE reports that pickups, SUVs, and crossovers accounted for nearly 60% of new vehicle sales. Let's hope that the low cost and universal accessibility of new efficient transmissions and Atkinson engines will be enough to generate widespread fuel-efficient midsize vehicle development even without the strict fuel standards the new EPA is out to dismantle--and very close to, apparently.
All of the politicking and these industry maneuverings can seem like a real drag. But, my friends, I will continue to stress that "Hyper Cars" like the Prius Prime, the Chevy Volt, the Hyundai Ioniq, and (hopefully) the Tesla Model 3 will continue to exceed and redefine market expectations. These cars will be better for our wallets and the planet, and as consumers are definitely starting to warm to electric vehicles. Long term, my bet is that charging your car through the night during cheap transmission times, while sourcing your electricity from renewable energy, means that EV will be cheaper and cleaner than petrol no matter the price of petrol. And, to be sure, after a certain price point oil will not be cost competitive. Battery capacity tech, energy retention tech, and energy utilization tech are getting better and better and cheaper and cheaper. I encourage you to contact you congressional representatives and stress your concern about our planet and the need to move away from dirty fuels. Tell your reps that you want then to stand up for our fuel efficiency standards whether via letter, via e-mail or by phone. Furthermore, if you want to fight against the leaders that are pushing us back toward a dirty future, then vote with your dollars and play the important political role the consumer plays.
The future is now.
