07 Dec 04
"Is that one of those electric cars, then?" Plenty of passers-by and neighbours seem to have some idea that the Prius is different in some way to most cars, if not a firm grasp on exactly how. I've perfected my hybrid-drive-in-a-nutshell explanation by now, and shown off the handy charging diagram on the colour info display screen a fair few times (it explains how the Prius works far better than I can). I have also compiled a mental list of FAQs and answers, which cover issues such as miles to the gallon (normal to get a good 70-80mpg out of it around town, with the electric motor taking over at low speeds, but it's less impressive on the motorway), no, you don't have to charge it up, yes, this is the car loads of celebrities have bought in the US, and no, this is the only hybrid Toyota has on sale at the moment, but more hybrid models are coming up in the next couple of years. And then there was the plumber parking his smoke-belching Transit by the bathrooms warehouse up my road: "Doing your bit to save the planet then, love? Don't know why you bother, we'll probably all be blown up in twenty years' time anyway". I didn't have an answer for him, witty or otherwise.
From anecdotal evidence, I reckon that if Toyota brought out a hybrid Yaris in the near future, it'd be a huge success. The people most interested in low-impact motoring, and saving money, are more likely to buy a supermini than a larger family car in the first place, and the majority of those showing an interest in the Prius said they loved the idea but it was just too expensive, even though they all respected Toyota's reputation for build quality and reliability. They'd be more prepared to take a risk on something new and unproven from a Japanese manufacturer than a European or American car maker, but the price was still a problem.
Although pragmatically, a modern diesel car of a similar size would be cheaper to buy and be just as cheap to fill up, the Prius hits all the right notes with drivers who want to show that they care for the environment or that they support new technology for greener motoring. Sales of diesels may be rising, and diesels may be getting ever cleaner, but there's still a widespread perception that they are dirty, noisy, truck-like things. To non-enthusiast motorists - those unlikely to read the motoring press, and who regard their cars largely as necessary evils - hybrids offer a great chance for guilt-alleviation. Or maybe that's just my neighbours in Brighton, the San Francisco of England: I live in the sort of conservation area where not recycling your household waste, not maintaining a compost bin or not taking a reusable cloth bag down to the corner shop are virtually hanging offences (of course, no-one actually supports the death penalty, but you know what I mean). We fight battles with the local planning authorities over fitting solar panels to roofs and campaign to block building on wasteland which has become a wildlife haven and against new supermarkets. Residents get boxes of muddy, misshapen organic fruit and veg delivered to their doorsteps (it's more environmentally friendly than lots of individuals all driving to the shop) and kit their babies out in washable terry-towelling nappies. Yet as far as I can see, every single household around me has a car, and in many cases - including my own - two or even three, all of which are justified apologetically. I tried to explain to one neighbour why, exactly, I took up more than my fair share of the limited on-street parking. "Still", she said, "at least one of your cars is one of those electric thingies." What a conscience-easer.
