Toyota Prius

dxg29 July 2009

Just because the factory has solar panels, does not make it clean. Also, lighting only makes up for about 10% of energy usage in a building, so switching light bulbs has a minimal impact. Whilst solar-generated electricity is cleaner over the solar panels life cycle than using power from the grid, the energy required to produce them, combined with the pollutants that are generated in the process ( see here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/08/AR2008030802595.html ) Another thing you do not hear about is the greenhouse gases that result from the manufacturing process. They quote the volume of gases as being less, however some of the gases escaping from solar panel factories are 17000 times more potent than carbon dioxide. (see here: http://www.businessgreen.com/business-green/news/2229052/solar-panels-linked-powerful ) Lastly, the energy required for shipping the batteries should not be forgotten. Not only do the materials required to make the batteries have to travel half way across the globe, but once the batteries have expired, they must be shipped back to japan for recycling. Simply put, the Toyota Prius has been marketed extremely well, but there is no facts behind the suggestion of being 'green'. The only good thing that results from the Prius is the environmental awareness it creates.

Uglydawg01 August 2009

Agreed dxg. reminds me of that old 80's advert for the Fiat Strada... where people joked - designed by computer, built by robots, DRIVEN BY MORONS... there has been a fair bit of environment "spin" created by the Prius claiming it to be better that it was... (not to mention JC comments, of TG fame, about Nickel mining). Today's Prius driven by self-righteous ecological MORONS! (I"ll prefer an M3 anyday!)