Because that’s how I roll…

Here’s the FAQ section of hybridcars.com put out by Bradley Berman: http://www.hybridcars.com/faq.htm

Considering the site touts new Ford and Honda hybrids, I think he’s not a shill for Toyota.

@DFWMediaGuru

So with your argument, Brad Pitt and Leo DiCaprio would have trouble getting laid if they were driving a Prius and weren’t movie stars.

Something tells me your wife would disagree.

P.S. They probably got their Prius free from Toyota so schmucks, er staffers, at D would then want them as well.

I am driving the same POS ‘96 civic, which gets better gas mileage than the majority of small cars that are produced today.

And you trust Toyotas stats on the batteries?

How often do hybrid batteries need replacing? Is replacement expensive and disposal an environmental problem?

The hybrid battery packs are designed to last for the lifetime of the vehicle, somewhere between 150,000 and 200,000 miles, probably a whole lot longer. The warranty covers the batteries for between eight and ten years, depending on the carmaker.

Battery toxicity is a concern, although today’s hybrids use NiMH batteries, not the environmentally problematic rechargeable nickel cadmium. “Nickel metal hydride batteries are benign. They can be fully recycled,” says Ron Cogan, editor of the Green Car Journal. Toyota and Honda say that they will recycle dead batteries and that disposal will pose no toxic hazards. Toyota puts a phone number on each battery, and they pay a $200 “bounty” for each battery to help ensure that it will be properly recycled.

There’s no definitive word on replacement costs because they are almost never replaced. According to Toyota, since the Prius first went on sale in 2000, they have not replaced a single battery for wear and tear.

You must not have read the earlier thread. Tim didn’t buy his Prius to save the planet, he only bought it to save gas. Plus, it holds its resell value better than the average GM. Not everyone who buys this car is preaching for Al Gore. But with that in mind…since you’re obviously concerned with waste and appear critical of others, what measures are you taking to conserve (other than buying a midsize Accord), and how can we best apply them to our own lives?