Performance is pretty majorly sacrificed in any hybrid. They weigh hundreds of kilo's more. That's why there isn't a hybrid small car on the market, same reason small cars aren't fitted with LPG, any slight loss to performance kills the petrol engine.zimmerman8k said:Plenty of petrol vehicles can also get very low emissions. But size and performance are always sacrificed. Many consumers simply don't want this and you can't force them to accept it. So I think Hybrids do have a place.
I'll concede, mabye there is some tiny, limited financial benefit to some consumers in the purchase of a prius. Although I doubt it, given reports like this: http://www.theage.com.au/environment/hybrid-cars-cost-50-more-to-run-20080624-2w65.html
Getting back to the original thread topic, the prius is mainly shit because it makes the owners feel nice and masquerades as a substantial environmental move. There's way too much hype about it being green, marketed to make you feel good about sitting in traffic burning oil. The west will not be saved by hybrids. It's greenwashing.
Even an electric car isn't really green at all, you're just moving the production of CO2 from the freeway to a coal power station. Out of sight, out of mind.
Going green is cheap. Just buy less, travel less, waste less.