The oil-drinking party is about to end
“Right now, there are about 800 million cars in active use. By 2050, as cars become ubiquitous in China and India, it’ll be 3.25 billion.”
Think about this for a monent.
3.25 billion cars in 45 years. The earth will not survive.
That’s what Toyota is thinking too. And puts all their muscle behind the hybrid car technology. And succeding. The Toyota Prius is Car of the year 2005 in Europe, and people are waiting months to get it because Toyota can’t make enough to meet demand.
I’ve never had a car that made people turn their heads. Last autumn our “normal” Toyota was hit by another car. While it was fixed, Toyota let us have a Prius for a week. Smart move.
We loved it.
The feeling when you get into the car, hit the Power button. And nothing happens. Push the pedal slightly and it starts moving. The only sound you hear is the wheels rolling on the asphalt.
I want one. Anyone at Toyota who wants to give me one? Or lend me one for a year or three?
The first qoute in this post is from Wired 13.04, out now. Brendan I. Koerner writes about the success of Prius and Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive.
I read somewhere else (I’ll find it) that if all cars in the US were traded for Prius, it would reduce the energy consumption in the US by 37% (!). And make Toyota rich… But it sets this in a perspective. We really need to make cars go on less energy now.
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