[bicycle thug]

This is a city where SUV burning was first made a fad by ELFers and some people simply will not talk to SUV owners unless it is to scream or throw things at them.

It works like this; got to the conservative Bethel district or North Eugene, and SUVs exist in abundance. Go the the free wheeling Whiteaker district or South Eugene where Clinton won both his POTUS elections by around five votes to one, and these l'il critters abound.

Sometimes buying an SUV here breaks up friendships and alienates neighbors. Sometimes these hybrids are bought merely to keep social standing in the large liberal and green community.

If any of these companies offered a tye dye color sceme for the interior and designer Grateful Dead stickers for the exterior, it would show up here.

Tye dye is Eugene's official urban not so camoflage.

[bourbon]

Sometimes buying an SUV here breaks up friendships and alienates neighbors.

Is this true where you live too?

[volchef]

My problem with these people is that there is only 1 SUV in the top 10 best selling cars and trucks in America.....the Ford Explorer which is #7. The top three selling vehicles in America are the Ford F150, the Chevy Silverado pickup and the Dodge Ram pickup in that order.

If these people really wanted to attack low gas mileage vehicles they'd go after the pick up owners but no, they attack SUV lovers because they know they are mostly driven by women who are sensitive to this global warming garbage. It's all a lie perpetuated to tug on the heart strings of SUV driving women. Well, I hate to tell them, but I just bought a new extended Chevy Trailblazer and my mother just bought a Hummer. Eat your heart out environazis.

[doug from upland]

This is great technology. I have driven many of the alternative fuel vehicles, and my brother, editor and publisher of GREEN CAR JOURNAL, has probably driven almost all of them.

My brother predicted several years ago that plug in electric cars would not make it. We would go the hybrids and eventually to hydrogen fuel cells.

[Petronski]

Rhetorical question:

What is the environmental impact of the manufacture, operation and disposal of the batteries used in these cars?

[expatpat]

It's also unclear how.....hydrogen fuel-cell cars.. will affect the growing market for hybrids.

Not much, IMO -- the infrastructure for H2 cars involves a huge investment, there is little energy savings, and there are still problems with fuel-cell catalysts.

[joyce11111]

More stupid stuff from Eugene, where it is still the 1960's.

These whackos seem to sall congreagte in Oregon, don't they.

Home of E.L.F. and other sundries anarchrists.

[Phyto Chems]

Thw big question to be asked is How much will your new batties cost in a few years... That will make up for a lot of gas savings

[Phyto Chems]

Sorry about the spelling.... The big question to be asked is How much will your new batteries cost in a few years... That will make up for a lot of gas savings

[Clinging Bitterly]

Wendy Ray is an idiot.

[B Knotts]

Hybrids are OK...but hybrid or not, we need more diesel engines in vehicles. We could be saving a lot of fuel if there were more diesels, as there are in Europe.

I'd like to see that new 6.0 liter Ford Power Stroke in a sedan (325 hp/560 lb. ft.).

Audi has a nice 4 liter TDI V-8, too.

[FormerlyAnotherLurker]

"The air in America would be vastly cleaner if everyone replaced his or her current ride with a brand-new "Incredible Hulk" Ford Excursion."
Car&Driver Jan 2001

[Paradox]

I checked out a Prius, its a very nice car. If I were currently in the market for one, I would consider it. I got no problems with "eco" cars, I just think that the market should decide. I think some of these hybrids just might catch on.

[gcruse]

The Prius is a nifty little car. Let those who like that sort of thing buy a bunch.

[bjcintennessee]

Hmph! Misleading title. I expected to read about owners getting an electrical shock due to some flaw in the hybrid.

[torchthemummy]

I have no problem with hybrids - when the market is driving it's demand - not government regs.

I always say to my liberal friends when they bitch about internal combustion engines/vehicles: How else are we going to get the condoms to pre-schoolers? How do we get needles to addicts? How do we activist liberal judges to and from court? You get the picture.

[petercooper]

Try putting a couple suitcases and a pak n play in one of these hybrids. Can't do it.