What Drives Us Episode #5 for the week of February 17th, 2010

Play the latest What Drives Us episode

This week Danny and Russell joined by Tony Schaefer to discuss, sorry, more on the Toyota recall, ton foil hat conspiracies, why does “sudden acceleration” occur (hint: it has to do with the gas pedal), more on the Nissan Leaf and the return of Maximum Bob Lutz, GM’s prognosticator supreme. We also pass along our most sincere sympathies to the families and staff of Tesla Motors for the tragic loss of three of their engineers in a terrible plane accident.

Download it through iTunes here.

You what annoys me?

Just my opinion.

The news. What we currently refer to as “the media”. It’s a constant vacuum on our society sucking up everything within reach of its gaping maw and yet, all we get out of the other end, as with a household vacuum, is all too frequently just hot air.

The news cycle sucks the life out every event. And what’s more there’s a false hierarchy established, the lead story is, well, the lead. It has to be important or they wouldn’t talk about it first. It’s a ridiculous and arbitrary measure. As part of a futile attempt to fill time and grab eyeballs, we see stories which are trivial rise to international publicity right next to important stories. We see the same b-roll footage and hear the same sound byte vivisected over and over again by a small pool of reporters, commentators and pundits. It’s a frighteningly inbred pool.

I think, in a world where (/Don LaFontaine) truly important things are happening we’re seeing lead off coverage, for much of the last two weeks, on Toyota. On a car. On a recall, an event which is hardly unknown to this fine land. On a recall where the documented injuries can be counted on one hand. And no, that’s not to minimize anyone’s safety or the seriousness of issues involved. Something like the Toyota story demands coverage. But it also deserves, no, we deserve, as listeners, viewers and readers, we deserve to know the facts. We deserve to not have to sift through hours of speculation just because someone has to fill in the time between commercials (or space between display ads).

All of this ranting of mine is leading up to this. I think that once some of the dust from this settles we’re going to find out that if we had given this issue some time to develop and the parties involved time to respond, I think that if we understood all the legal and regulatory issues involved, we’d find a much less dramatic story. I think we would find something much less deserving of the treatment the Toyota recall and the 2010 Prius brakes have received. And I think if we’d been told about this in a rational, succinct and informative matter, we would be better served by those organizations whose secondary mission is, after all, to inform us.

I’m not absolving Toyota of anything here. Nothing. Rather, I am creating an indictment of the media who have, once again, let us down. I’m saying that we should know about this. All of us. I’m saying the way the media has handled the news has put a false imperative on the story and created the idea that Toyota was required to communicate daily with them on the issue. We need the media to put pressure on corporations. We need a media that holds corporations responsible for what they do. Now, more than ever, we need a media that is asking the tough questions, the right questions and delivering a clear and factual narrative.

How many of you think, no matter what you think of Toyota, that’s what we have?

What we don’t need are hourly reports when, in fact, there isn’t anything to report or information will be forthcoming. There’s a ticking clock put on some news stories that may or may not be a reasonable or even sensible. It’s all out proportion to the importance of the issue.

Back to Toyota. With regard to the 2010 Prius issues in the media. I think we’ll find out that Toyota has been and will continue to do the right thing for their customers. I think we’ll find that a lot of the smoke and heat from the media was just that.

I started this site almost five years ago (it will be five years in April). I started it for one reason. I wanted to create the kind of site I wish had existed when I was looking around at different Toyota sites. That isn’t to denigrate what anyone else is doing online. I think we’re all part of the what makes the net and to an extent, citizen journalism and commentary so vital. We’re just different parts and we perform different functions. I wanted the Prius Owners Group to be, I guess pretty selfishly, a site that I would like to read and I directly borrowed organization, intent and presentation ideas from my favorite sites. The POG has always been a place I could be proud of not because it’s the best or the most traveled or the most linked to. The POG is instead the very best that I can do. And there have been a few times in the last five years when I stared to feel like I was phoning it in. I didn’t have anything really passionate to post or comment on. And if you’ve been a regular reader, one of the dozen or so of you out there, you’ve seen times when not a lot happened here. It’s those times when I’ve chosen to let the site sit fallow, for a day, or sometimes more, rather than stuff it with filler. I value my time and you know, I value your time more than that.

Thanks for coming by and reading.

More news, as we get it.

Responding

John Voelcker from Green Car Reports was kind enough to respond in comments below to this POG piece. I wanted to republish it on the front page, as it were, because I thought it was a great response and deserved better billing than the comments section.

Russell: Thanks for the good words. All of the questions in your last paragraph are very apt, and many of us will ask them as the cars get closer to the hands of actual drivers.

As for your comment on my closing question, I could probably have phrased it better. Here’s the point I was trying to get to …

Both cars are plug-ins, and hence will be perceived as “electric cars”. That is, users will expect them to run in electric mode some or most of the time.

From talking to Toyota and GM tech folks, I gather the Prius Plug-In may start its engine under many circumstances: Heavy load, full acceleration, a catalyst that’s cooling down, cold weather, and so forth. It remains fundamentally a power-split hybrid with a larger battery, and operates as such.

On the other hand, the Volt engineers tell me it switches on the engine only under one circumstance: The pack is depleted, which they say occurs only after 40 miles. (It may also fire the engine to start the car in extremely cold weather; must ask about that.)

SO, my question might better be: Will plug-in buyers expect continuous electric running for the stated range (12 or 40 miles)? If they do, I suspect the Prius Plug-In may have a perceptual problem, because it may well not run all-electric for 12 continuous miles. If not, no problem.

In either case, GM and Toyota are likely to be sold out of their first couple of years of production.

It’s in 2014 and after, as volume rises, that they’ll actually have to start to market these guys. That’s when it’ll get interesting!

The real cipher here is the Volt. As I said below, the Prius is a known quantity and, as John points out, perhaps the potential weakness of the Prius PHEV is that it is a Prius and not a brand new, designed from the ground up PHEV. Over the last couple years I’ve said the same thing here several times. While I love the Prius and can’t wait to see the Prius PHEV, I would prefer to see a brand new, designed to be nothing but a PHEV vehicle from Toyota. I think a PHEV should be smaller and lighter than the Prius (more range, better performance). I question whether or not the Prius is the ideal platform for a PHEV given where battery development is right now. All that is moot because this year Prius PHEV testing will begin.

Back to what John said…

I don’t know what the public perceptions of the PHEVs will be. None of us do (as John points out). It will be interesting to see if the Prius’ hybrid PHEV suffers in competition to the Chevy’s take on the PHEV concept. One thing both cars seem to insist on is that gas powered motors augment a pure EV concept for extended range.

I still think that two huge things give Toyota a leg up on producing a real PHEV. One, is using an existing, proven platform. For whatever drawbacks there are to using the Prius platform, there are also huge advantages and, let’s face it, Chevy’s been blowing smoke about the Volt for what, three years now? It’s still a mostly mythical car whereas the Prius is very real. Toyota has established itself in this altcars genre and I think that for every person who wants to buy a bowtie because it is a bowtie, there are just as many people who want the implied reliability and sound engineering that goes with the Toyota name.

John Voelcker wrote:

SO, my question might better be: Will plug-in buyers expect continuous electric running for the stated range (12 or 40 miles)? If they do, I suspect the Prius Plug-In may have a perceptual problem, because it may well not run all-electric for 12 continuous miles. If not, no problem.

My take on it is this, I don’t think consumers are going to care, too much, about how the ICE interacts in either vehicle. What will drive consumer reaction to the Prius PHEV and the Chevy Volt are the basics, MPG, ease of use, comfort, price, reliability. I don’t think that consumers will care overmuch about when the ICE starts and stops as long as it delivers on the PHEV potential of using very little gasoline. I could be wrong and if so, here are my words for future embarrassment but I don’t think I’ll be bummed out by what I’ve written in a few years.

My thanks to John Voelcker for taking the time to read my original article and add his thoughts to it.

Happy holidays

From everyone here at POG HQ, we want to wish you and yours a safe and happy holiday.

And in keeping with then holiday spirit, here’s a phone shot from earlier today getting firewood. Yes, we fill the entire car up with wood. Works great. Love my 2010 Prius.

2010 Prius experience report

Here’s the latest word from POG reader Rich in Northern California.

Rich just got his 2010 Prius a few days. I very appreciate him taking the time to share his first impressions.

Here’s Rich…

Hi Russell,

I’m still getting used to all the controls, but the car feels much more solid – a Camry like ride (my brother has a Camry Hybrid – so I’ve driven that a fair amount). He was impressed, by the way.

A few things – no touch lock on the rear (that I could find) – just the two front doors. I guess I’ll have to read the manual. No place in the ceiling to put your sun glasses – oh well, there’s the sun roof controls. The solar cooling fan works like a charm although it hasn’t been hot enough yet (we had some rain today and will have the next two days. When you open the door, it shuts off. I haven’t tried the air conditioning button yet.

My first 150 miles – 47.6 mpg. Now, if you know the SF Bay Area at all, there are lots of hills – and I drive each day from Oakland to Concord – up the hills to the tunnel – then into the next valley with ups and downs – and reverse. Pretty much up and downey travel. Tonight we went to a League of Women’s Voters dinner on Skyline Blvd in Oakland – really up – about 1000 feet (my house is about 50 ft above sea level). I think when I start travelling in the Sacramento/San Joaquin valleys we’ll notice lots of improvement.

I thought the display was a bit underbright – but I’ve adjusted – and yes, the brightness was turned all the way up. You don’t have to turn it down at night – no reflections.

I’ve had just a few strange looks from other Prius drivers – most are totally un-aware – and I’ve yet to see another 3G on the road, but then I’ve only had it three days and I got the first one from our Walnut Creek dealer (where we’ve bought all our hybrids).

My wife doesn’t want to drive it yet – she wants me to put the first scratch on it. She is going to keep our ’04 for now since she knows how to drive it well.

My company is getting new phones Friday, so I’ll do the bluetooth bit then and let you know if it really will download the phone list automatically. XM is great – wow, what a selection. You get it free for 90 days – then you have to subscribe. It’s a good marketing scheme to get you started – and I’ll bet most all will subscribe.

More later – you should have yours shortly, I would imagine. Black, huh. I was surprised how well I liked the Sandy Beach (gold) color. We’ve always had white cars (if you remember your physics – that’s the presence of ALL colors).

Cheers,
Rich

And yes, my new Prius will (hopefully) be black. Since my current one is white, I thought that was the next logical step.

By the way, if you want to buy the POG Prius, it’s for sale! Drop me a line at:

russell (at) priusownersgroup (dot) com

If you’re in the Lancaster, PA area and want to buy a great, used Prius. Here’s the rundown.

2005 Super White Prius
Grey cloth interior
41,7000 miles
iPod integration system added
Kenwood stealth subwoofer added in package tray under rear cargo area
New Bridgestone Insignia tires
Johnson films non-metallic window tint

The first person to show up with $15K in cash, gets it!

Congratulations Richard & Tinka

POG readers Richard & Tinka just got their new 2010 Prius!

My best wishes to Rich and Tinka. I hope they enjoy their new Prius.

Now, where’s mine?!

We get letters

Casey Williams of car-data.com sent an email asking if he could respond to a couple posts here commenting on his writing that mentioned the Prius. I told that I would be happy to publish anything he cared to say Prius related so below are his responses to two POG posts (the original posts noted in a link above the comment.

Thanks to Casey for taking the time to write. Casey, you’re welcome to post your opinions here anytime.

In response to the POG post “Is the best way to sell a Yukon to insult a Prius?” Casey Williams said,

“You have to know I’m a big Prius fan and have tested several of them (first two generations) over the years. I would love a third-generation for my personal garage. They’re great cars. I was just having a little fun with the Yukon review, not trying to insult the Prius. During the morning about which I wrote, there were over 12″ of fresh snow in my driveway in Indianapolis with taller drifts on the main roads. None of the roads were plowed yet. I literally busted down drifts with the bumper of the SUV driving to work. Almost no cars were going anywhere, including my friend’s Prius. No insults meant. It was just a good analogy to point out the differences, and focus, of the Yukon Hybrid. Compared to a Prius, it drinks a lot of gas and has few of the benefits Prius owners enjoy so much. It does, however, get in-town fuel economy comparable to a mid-size sedan (a big improvement over non-hybrid Yukons), can tow a 30-ft. travel trailer, and clear 12″+ of snow (which a Prius, and most other sensible cars, can’t). Each vehicle has its purpose; owners of both are very happy.”

In response to the POG post “Let’s pretend” Casey Williams said,

“I have not driven a Chevy Volt – almost no journalists have. However, I have driven the Chevrolet Equinox fuel cell vehicle and GM’s notorious EV1. GM engineers claim the electrical system in the Equinox is very similar to the Volt’s, with the key difference being that the Equinox gets its electricity from a chemical conversion of hydrogen while the Volt has an on-board gasoline generator and can be plugged in. The beauty of the GM design is that they can essentially “plug n’ play” powertrains (diesel, hydrogen, gasoline, ethanol, etc) while using the same basic electric drive system (unlike a Prius, the Volt is an electric car with the wheels always driven by motors and batteries). Despite its limited range and complete failure in the market, the EV1 was also a lot of fun to drive and accelerated briskly.”

Thanks again Casey for taking the time to comment on our posts.

2010 Prius driving review-preview

The morning fog lifts revealing the mountains that surround the Napa valley.

Last week I had the chance to drive the new third generation 2010 Prius.

And while I am thinking about it, let’s call it the 3G2K10P from now on. Ok, that’s a really bad idea.

So Toyota was kind enough to allow me and lots of people much more important than me a chance to drive the new Prius. I’m working on that article and it will be posted here, on the POG, on March 25th. So check back then.

All of which is to say, if this small recap from last week seems incomplete, it is, intentionally so but the rest is coming. I promise.

Before the drive we had the opportunity to hear some information about the new third generation Prius from three people who know a lot about it.

Sitting at the left is Bob Carter. Mr. Carter is Group Vice-President and General Manager of Toyota Division at Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A. Seated in the center is the man known simply as “The Chief”. Of course, he is the man behind this new generation of Prius. He is Akihiko Otsuko, Chief Engineer of the Prius. Seated on the right is Chris Risdon. Mr. Risdon teaches at Toyota University and knows way more about technical details than I could absorb in one sitting.

During this lecture and conference I learned the following;

Toyota has intentionally designed and engineered this third generation vehicle to be a “mainstream car”. It’s still a hybrid, of course, but the idea is that it can compete on any level with any other vehicle in that class.

“The Chief” giving us some of the engineering background of the new Prius.

2,000 engineers worked on the 3G Prius under 100 team leaders all coordinated by The Chief who did an average of ten meetings per day to monitor the progress. That is some serious dedication to making something new and exciting.

Here is an example of saving weight and improving power to weight. On the left is part of the old HSD system, on the right, the new one. Smaller, lighter and more efficient. These components contributed to saving 65 pounds in the new HSD system versus the previous version.

The Hybrid Synergy Drive system in the 2010 Prius is 90% new. In other words, only 10% of the old design remains, the rest is new and different. The HSD system itself is 20% lighter than the previous generation and keep in mind, Toyota has upped the size of the ICE in the new Prius to a 1.8 liter motor. The power plant of the new Prius is completely beltless. No friction drag on the ICE means using less gasoline and for the car owner it means one less thing to worry about wearing out. The new HSD system has eliminated the chain, one less thing to put wear on and one more efficiency boost.

Oh, and that 10% that’s the same in the HSD?

It’s batteries. Yes, the new generation has the same batteries as the old one. Why change something that works as reliably as the current battery packs? They’ve proven they’re bulletproof in the face of a storm of mainstream media speculation to the contrary.

The old “thermos” bottle is gone. Now there is an exhaust recirculation system which not only warms the ICE up faster but will help heat the interior space of the Prius more quickly (something those of us in the north appreciate).

The new 11.9 gallon fuel tank, yes, I said tank. The new generation of Prius has eliminated the fuel bladder and is using a tank with a new recovery system for gases.

All of this took four and half years to accomplish.

When you look at images of the new Prius be sure to note the leading and trailing edges. Those sharp angles aren’t just design flourishes, they’re crafted that way intentionally to help reduce drag. To further the point, the current generation Prius has one of the lowest drag co-efficient of any production vehicle at .26. This new Prius, .25.

Toyota has added LED brake lights which are brighter, react faster and use 88% less energy than convention bulbs (and they last longer).

So, to recap what you’ve just read, the whole idea here is to reduce energy and the need for energy. Lighter, more responsive, faster all with less energy.

Toyota has added what they call underbody splitter devices. Think of the tail on an airplane except smaller. These splitters help direct airflow under the car.

On a somewhat trivial note but it’s one of the little touches that I love about this car, there is now a place to stow the rear tonneau cover under the floor of the rear compartment.

The seats in the new Prius are designed to be more comfortable. Toyota has included a height adjustment now and more front to rear adjustment ability which, in addition to the headroom increase, should make the Prius less of a trial for those of you over six foot tall.

As I mentioned a few weeks ago during the rollout, this new Prius has three, well, four driving modes. A standard mode which is the default. This car also has an EV mode which will allow the driver about a mile of pure EV range as long as the vehicle is driven very conservatively and the battery has at least four bars or more S.O.C. The new car has an “Eco” mode which adjusts the throttle and AC to offer better fuel efficiency. And much to the joy of many potential Prius owners the car now has a “Power” mode which enhances the performance of the vehicle. These new controls make it easier to get what you want from the Prius rather than completely dictate the driving experience to you.

The third generation Prius’s interior is enhanced by a “Plasmacluster” which ionizes the interior air while you drive as well as a selectable pollen and dust filter for the circulation system making the interior of the new Prius even more pleasant and relaxing than before.

Along those lines the 3G’s equipped with the rooftop solar panels will, when selected, allow exterior air to circulate through the vehicle reducing the inside temperature during the hot season. For those of you living in the sun belt this is a very cool option. As well, there is now a option which allows you to, through the SmartKey, engage the AC and actually cool the interior completely before getting inside.

Toyota has added a host of new electronic features. I’ll discuss these in more depth when I post the driving review later this month.

Suffice to say, this new Prius is new.

And, as announced formally today, the new Prius has obtained an EPA certified rating of 50 MPG combined. That’s 50 MPG city and 49 MPG highway. I’ll have more to say on that later this month as well.

Toyota announced they will be bringing 150 plug-in Prius test vehicles to be used at universities and for city governments later this year. By 2012 Toyota will add ten new hybrids to their global line and we’ll see a Toyota BEV, and I quote Mr. Carter here, “on the road” in 2012.

Huge news. Great news. Toyota continues to look forward.

Times are tough

Like everyone in 2009, the Prius Owners Group is struggling in what looks like will be a very tough economic year. The Google ad revenue that once paid the bills has dropped so precipitously that it’s almost not worth having. Advertising sponsors have also slowed down. Luckily, the POG remains a one person operation and it’s hardly my means of support. I put a lot more money into the POG than I’ve ever managed to get out of it. Which is fine, the goal of this site wasn’t to fill my wallet it was just to give one Prius owner, me, a place to share my experiences and thoughts and to provide a place for other owners to share their thoughts when they wanted to.

And with all that said, there’s a little Paypal donation button to the upper right. If you find value here, if you learn something or every once in awhile I manage to make you chuckle over something I’ve written, please consider making a small donation (either one-time or recurring). It would help a lot and trust me, I appreciate every cent.

Thanks very much.

-russell

Prius Connection Chicago report

The fourth, and final for me, Prius Connection gathering was held in Chicago this week. Attended by 239 excited, invited guests activity around the new 3G Priuses was intense. Held at the stunning River East Arts Plaza, Toyota showcased the new 2010 Prius to local dealers, press and specially invited Toyota owners. Mr. Tim Morrison and Mr. Keith Dahl addressed the gathering briefly but as with the other Prius Connection events, this was about the guest getting time to explore the car. And so I don’t ramble too much, below are some of the images from the event. If you want to see the entire gallery of shots click here.

We drove from Lancaster to Chicago in the official PG Prius, a 2005. About an eleven hour drive, the weather on the way to Chicago was cold with temperatures in the high 20′s and low 30′s. This shot, from a brief stop in Indiana, will give you an idea.

A shot of the city from Lakeshore Drive the morning we arrived.

The lovely and talented Mrs. Priusownersgroup on the roof of the hotel the morning we got there. Although it was supposed to warm that day, with temps hitting the low 50′s, at this time, it was still pretty cold.

It did warm up a bit, and light rain fell through the night on the Magnificent Mile.

Inside the River East Arts Center atrium.

Chicago is a beautiful city. Tuesday afternoon we wandered around a bit. Here are some shots from that walk through the city.

Chicago is all about architecture.

Sure, there is ice in the river but we enjoyed a simply amazing day with temps in the low 60′s. Yes, that’s not a typo. A beautiful, sunny day in the low sixites, in Chicago, in February.

The stunning old Wrigley Building with the new and almost complete Trump Tower in the background.

And then to the Prius Connection Chicago…

Toyota Prius expert Natae Rayner and engineer, Doug Larsen discuss some of the technical changes in the new Prius.

Hybridfest’s Eric Powers and Linda Weidemann chat with Toyota’s Keith Dahl.

Another amazing event for which Toyota should get huge credit. They’re spent a lot of money, time and brought in amazing resources all in an attempt to spread the word about the new Prius at ground level. Again, keep in mind, these are not press events. The press is, in fact, excluded. These events are trying to reach out directly to Prius owners and enthusiasts as well as their dealers.

Don’t forget, you can view all the Prius event shots in the Main POG Galleries by clicking here.

My friend Mark

I just got off the phone with Prius owner, POG reader and friend Mark Blumenstein of West Virginia. Mark is an artist, a metal sculptor more specifically. Check this out…

This music chair has a music stand on a swing arm. Awesome stuff. I wish I had something half that cool for my computer.

Mark and I met when he considering buying a Prius back in May of 2008. We talked about the car since then Mark has put 10K on his Prius and loves it.

Finally, here’s a shot of Mark welcoming the sun on his birthday, February second. Yes, Groundhog Day. I think from now on I’m called Mark for an update on 2/2 rather than wait to hear what our own Punxsutawney Phil has to say.

Do visit Mark’s web site is here and if you need something unique and beautiful, drop him a line. I’ll bet he would create something just for you.

Or you can click on this banner.

Report from New York City Prius Connection

Thursday night in New York. A clear, windy and extremely cold night. After driving the three hours from Lancaster to NYC I was glad to see a friendly valet take my Prius and welcome me into the Skylight Gallery.

While the layout in New York was different all the components were the same. The same three Prii that we saw in Detroit (Michelle V. of Prius Chat compared the VIN numbers). It was nice to have some more time with the car to sit in it, check out the controls and ponder which 2010 should be sitting in front of POG-HQ in May.

Mea Culpa

While I was there I had the pleasure, yes, genuine pleasure to meet someone who makes a lot of appearances here on the POG, no less than Jerry Flint of Forbes Magazine (picture below). While I disagree with Mr. Flint, sometimes vehemently he was one of those people whose warmth instantly wins you over. He happened to be sporting an old American Motors pin in his lapel which caught my eye as my father worked there when I was a kid. So, Mr. Flint while we may continue to disagree on auto industry strategies and how we view the various accomplishments of the big three, you won this round on humanity.

Back to the New York Prius Connection…

Mr. Tim Morrison of Toyota welcoming the attendees to the Prius Connection New York.

Ms. Natae Rayner of Toyota discussing the new 2010. I want to say that Natae was very helpful (and sympathetic) with my own questions about the 2010. Thanks Natae!

As an aside, these little things were some kind of amazing fig concoction that can only be described as a nuclear fig newton on steroids laced with whatever addictive substance you care to name. They were tasty. Cheers to Toyota for the wonderful food.

The Skylight Gallery.

Now here is something that doesn’t happen every day.

This is Mr. Gary Carter, Prius owner and POG reader. I don’t meet many people who actually admit to the existence of this little site so I was delighted when he recognized the site right away and said he was a reader. I had a great time chatting with Gary and he was kind enough to pose for this shot.

Yes, Prius trivia was a central part of the connection in New York as well. And to add even more surprise to the evening, I triumphed in one round although I was competing against my kid and one other person. So it’s not like I was faced with a panel of experts from Priuschat (thankfully).

The kid got the “Prius Genius” t-shirt.

You can see the entire gallery from the New York Prius Connection by clicking here.

So, late Sunday night we begin the eleven hour drive to Chicago for the final Prius Connection (that I’ll be attending). That takes place on Tuesday, expect a full report and pictures from the trip and the Connection. And while this is the final Prius Connection report for the POG it is by no means the end of the reporting we’re doing on the 3G 2010 Prius. Huge things are coming very soon. Stay tuned.