Angus
likes the Toyota Prius, but neither the Prius nor hybrid
cars are a silver bullet to fuel economy
Monday,
September 17, 2007
Is
there ever such a thing as a silver bullet?
"We like the Prius
here at Motor
Trend. A lot. You may recall we made the
second-generation version our 2004 Car of the Year,
probably one of the most radical choices in the entire
history of the award. But -- and let me be crystal clear
about this -- despite what the likes of DiCaprio, Al Gore,
and Vanity Fair would like you to think, the Prius is not
the car that will save the planet," writes Angus
Mackenzie.
Thus, Angus claims, there is no silver bullet to fuel
economy. While I agree, has there ever been a silver
bullet to any major problem? If silver bullets ever do
occur, it's very rare. Instead, some sort of realization
occurs, or some sort of technological breakthrough. Others
then capitalize upon and advance this realization or
technology, and some time later - often many years later -
the silver bullet is finally fired.
When push-comes-to-shove the Prius has created a
realization that automobiles can be different. Moreover, hybrid
vehicles have made some realize that plug-in
hybrid vehicles might be far better than fuel cell
vehicles for the majority of commuting needs.
Additionally, others have claimed that plug-in hybrids
might make adding fuel cells to automobiles easier because
a plug-in hybrid could utilize a much smaller fuel cell.
Instead of a fuel cell powered car, think fuel cell
assisted plug-in hybrid.
Even if fuel cell vehicles do become the norm, hybrid
technology makes it happen faster by electrifying the
powertrain of automobiles. Instead of waiting for some
silver bullet to magically make fuel cell cars
cost-effective, hybrids help ramp up automotive technology
towards fuel cells in a constant, methodical manner.
Sure, the Prius won't be a silver bullet by itself, but it
has changed the way automakers and auto consumers think
and this out-of-the-box realization - started by the Prius
- will eventually lead to the silver bullet.
Far too many hybrid critics continue to miss this point.
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