
Even Amid This Slump, Demand for Toyota Prius Is Insatiable  - peter123
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/13/business/global/13prius.html?_r=1
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pj
I have a 2006 Prius and I drove it 300 miles the other day on the highway and
averaged 53 MPG.

It's spacious inside. My girlfriend and I can open the back and camp inside
there. It's smart. It's good looking. For years it was worth more than I paid
for it, partly because I have the California HOV stickers.

But still, a vehicle that is an _investment_. What's not to love?

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msluyter
I'd agree with everything except for the _good looking_. ;)

It's definitely a sophisticated car, but I've wondered about a couple of
things: do TCO calculations for the Prius include the cost of upgrading the
batteries? Will the depreciation accelerate as the cars age (and batteries
wear) and as other hybrids enter the market? What is the environmental impact
of building those batteries?

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Alex3917
The batteries are covered by a 10 year warranty. And the entire battery would
never fail, at worst you'd have to swap out one small piece of the battery
which isn't very expensive. (The 2nd generation and later support this.) Of
the million plus that have been sold, I read that something like only 3 people
have had battery issues so far.

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mildavw
A friend recently remarked that she got 55 MPG on her last (all highway) car
trip in her diesel VW Jetta. I wonder what demand looks like for these?

Also, I had lunch with a marketing contractor regarding a "green" tinted
startup I was considering. She recommended I offer blog/facebook badges so
that people could "brand" themselves as users of the service. She used the
Prius and how its instantly identifiable shape/look helps sales as an example
of this benefit. One of the important factors for potential customers is that
others know they're green.

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amalcon
Yeah, diesel used to be terrible environmentally-speaking, but now it's
actually very good. They've made big improvements over the years, between
engine efficiency and that low-sulfur fuel they use now. That said, they're
less convenient in some respects, which is going to be a barrier whether we
like it or not.

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kaitnieks
In what respects are they less convenient exactly?

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ramidarigaz
Diesel prices > gasoline prices.

~~~
kaitnieks
You're probably talking about USA and while the prices are higher here as
well, that's only because of taxes which are bigger for diesel.

By how much more does diesel cost in USA compared to petrol?

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ramidarigaz
$0.50 to $1.00/gal more.

~~~
trafficlight
In Montana right now, diesel is about $2.39/gallon versus $2.59/gallon for
regular gas.

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peter123
I often wonder if hybrids car have to look distinguishably different from
other cars in order to be successful in the marketplace.... since I think most
people buy it as a fashion-statement for environmental consciousness. You
don't see as many hybrid Camrys/Civics around, even though I would argue they
are better value for the money, but they don't immediately show that the owner
is hip.

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Goladus
There was a hybrid in the small car market I might consider it. As it is, they
are too expensive for me still, even considering a $5,000 savings on gas for
100,000 miles.

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vaksel
well its not that surprising, they just refreshed the car, so a lot of people
are upgrading. Especially since the prius operates in the same trendy market,
where people strive to have the best and latest.

~~~
abstractbill
I've seen a lot of taxi priuses recently, which makes me think they're good
for more than just looking trendy. I would assume taxi drivers tend to buy
cars that are economical to run and maintain, more than any other factor.

~~~
gojomo
Sometimes the use of efficient/alternative cars is mandated by the taxi
licensing authority, regardless of the total economic calculation. (It may not
be the "taxi drivers" expressing preference via these purchases.)

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gojomo
The TV commercials for the 3rd-generation Prius are fantastic: in imagery,
music, special effects. Here's the first of the series:

[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tq4nrmnqY9o&hd=1](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tq4nrmnqY9o&hd=1)

And a video of the 'making of':

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_M-WaCg27k>

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pasbesoin
Amongst other things, I think it has made a small car (other than e.g. a BMW
300 series and such) socially acceptable/desirable for a certain portion of
the U.S. population. It's not just an economically influenced decision;
there's still the motivation to "fit in".

