Usually on my way into work in a morning, I somehow manage to come across a guy in a Prius. He is the same and drives it like an absolute ****, probably because he wants to prove something. Either by ragging it so much the consumption is appalling or perhaps to prove that it does have an engine after all. It's a company one, you can tell - lease company plates on it.

In a slight change this morning, he mate joined him - consectutive number plates and they BOTH drove like *****.

The congestion charge exemption has a three year grace period for cars already registered that no longer qualify, I believe it runs out this year. The latest automatic exemption is plug in electric hybrids which is going to open the floodgates for all sorts. I'm sure that someone is going to make a great deal of money if they can come up with a way of converting the Toyota and Lexus hybrids so that they can charge from the mains.

We have a green vRS...Does that count?

The only hybrid/electric car I`d buy is the Ampera. Electric for the commute to work and a back up generator for long trips. As above though, i`d still have the tyres screeching hahaha

Fiat 500 twin air FTW.

Richard Hammond bought one so they must be good. :p I'm happy with the one we've got but the 900cc one is more powerful and lighter than the 1.2. You really have to flog the 1.2 to get any go out of it...

I was following one of these earlier - 7 seater Prius!

http://www.toyota.com/priusv/

Fiat 500 twin air FTW.

Richard Hammond bought one so they must be good. :p I'm happy with the one we've got but the 900cc one is more powerful and lighter than the 1.2. You really have to flog the 1.2 to get any go out of it...

They didnt like it on 5th gear.

Meaning that its no good then?

Meaning that its no good then?

Yawn. Meaning that they didnt like it. As i said. They felt your better going for the 4 cyl engine rather than the 2 cylinder twin air. Thats their opinion though not mine so you can make whatever assumptions you like but i suspect you are merely fishing for arguments again. Sad.

You really do have some issues dont you

So 5th Gear dont like it...So what?

Does that make it a bad engine?

Ive read that its very good indeed

Please dont assume because you found it necessary to break the Forum rules and call me an idiot in another post that I'm having a pop at your comments

I'm not that childish or 'Sad'

You really do have some issues dont you

So 5th Gear dont like it...So what?

Does that make it a bad engine?

Ive read that its very good indeed

Please dont assume because you found it necessary to break the Forum rules and call me an idiot in another post that I'm having a pop at your comments

I'm not that childish or 'Sad'

You clearly are and a stickler for the rules too it would seem. On topic, I would consider 5th gears comments pretty relevant TBH seeing as they are reviewing a car and have experience driving lots of different cars including the 4cyl version of the car they are reviewing. You however have "read about it" so i think i will defer to them on these matters rather than your armchair critique.

Let me know if you want a hand getting back up on your high horse.

This guy was seen flat out in his electric comedy car today but wasn't exactly slow!!

http://www.autospies.com/news/Toyota-Slashes-N-rburgring-Electric-Car-Lap-Record-To-7-22-72701/

Another link with video

http://goo.gl/fb/4jyWN

Very Impressive - Ernie has been beaten by the fastest milkman in the East

Edited 2 October, 201213 yr by greenstripe

Its still a 1.5 petrol engine.

I have a few questions that I am hoping someone can answer - If you drive a prius or any hybrid at 30mph or less so that the engine doesn't kick in,

1- Can you run the batteries flat.

2- Will the car actually start once the batteries are flat ?

3- How do you recharge them once flat.

My MD at work has a Lexus RX400H -I assume that it's the same.

1. If the battery charge falls below a certain level the engine starts.

2. The car has a regular car battery under the bonnet which does the same job as in a regular car; the Hybrid batteries are separate and used for driving the electric motors only

3. Driving charges the batteries and additional energy is recuperated from braking. If they become totally flat I would have thought that they have to come out of the car for reconditioning. I assume that you can drive the car like a normal car if the hybrid power part is malfunctioning.

He did have a flat battery once (the regular one) and had to get a jump start from one of the staff's old Seat Ibiza.

It very rarely ever runs on pure electric power alone, perhaps at below 5mph in reality and then the big 3 litre V6 fires up.

Edited 2 October, 201213 yr by greenstripe

My MD at work has a Lexus RX400H -I assume that it's the same.

1. If the battery charge falls below a certain level the engine starts.

2. The car has a regular car battery under the bonnet which does the same job as in a regular car; the Hybrid batteries are separate and used for driving the electric motors only

3. Driving charges the batteries and additional energy is recuperated from braking. If they become totally flat I would have thought that they have to come out of the car for reconditioning. I assume that you can drive the car like a normal car if the hybrid power part is malfunctioning.

He did have a flat battery once (the regular one) and had to get a jump start from one of the staff's old Seat Ibiza.

It very rarely ever runs on pure electric power alone, perhaps at below 5mph in reality and then the big 3 litre V6 fires up.

I have always been intrigued by hybrids. Not so much the prius but the RX450h and the likes. The official combined mpg figures look good but how close to they actually get to them? I know petrol and diesel cars dont get close either but what i meant was in compasison to the petrol / diesel equivelants, anybody know? I would imagine that on a long run when the electric motor isnt really helping then they wouldnt be that good as basically you are running a perol. Stop start urban driving seems to be their forte or is this not true? I would certainly consider a hybrid but there isnt really many alternatives out there, prius is pants and too ugly and slow, RX450h - i dont need a big 4x4 and other lexus cars are too big and expensive. If there was a direct competitor for my current car with similar performance and similar purchase price then why not use one. Even if MPG was no better than diesel the smoother running of the hybrid would be my choice.

Toyota hybrids sell because they are bullet proof end of! I am a toyota technician and was of the same opinion until i drove the hybrid range and they are very good cars. All types of idiots drive cars not specifically prius owners! Lets be honest audi and bmw drivers are not exaxtly considerate when tail gating or cuting you up?! How many have driven a hybrid for a week? Or compared its reliabilty and running costs compared to there cars? I would buy own and love the yaris hybrid! Rant over :-)

My M.D bought it purely so he could dodge the congestion charge in central London. I think you really need to be crawling around in heavy traffic to get the most from them.

Toyota make versions of the Auris and Yaris as hybrids as well now.

Citroen and Peugeot are making diesel engined hybrids which make more sense under certain conditions but they are fairly expensive.

Personally I don't think hybrids are very green when you look at the disposal and production of the batteries

Thanks for the info really useful

You have confirmed what i have been thinking all along, Its just a 1.5. & you might as well put stop / start in to get the economy.

I totally agree with the validity of the claims of these cars being eco friendly, due to the batteries in them.

Bring on Hydrogen fuel cells, you can collect the water from the exhaust & make a hot drink with it

Thanks for the info really useful

You have confirmed what i have been thinking all along, Its just a 1.5. & you might as well put stop / start in to get the economy.

I totally agree with the validity of the claims of these cars being eco friendly, due to the batteries in them.

Bring on Hydrogen fuel cells, you can collect the water from the exhaust & make a hot drink with it

Wouldnt fancy crashing in a hydrogen powered car. Doesnt matter how safe they make the full tanks they can never be indestructable. At least you wouldnt feel anything.

If someone suggested now that we run cars on highly flammable liquid with explosive vapour you'd be very worried, that's petrol for you. Hydrogen isn't necessarily that more dangerous. Storing very large volumes of it is, however it can be generated on demand through electrolysis of water.

If someone suggested now that we run cars on highly flammable liquid with explosive vapour you'd be very worried, that's petrol for you. Hydrogen isn't necessarily that more dangerous. Storing very large volumes of it is, however it can be generated on demand through electrolysis of water.

Where is the electricity coming from? Have you considered that the electrolysis isn't 100% efficient, so you'd be better using the electicity to drive the vehicle than in a "hydrogen engine"? (original sense of engine; not just internal combustion powerplant sense).

Where is the electricity coming from? Have you considered that the electrolysis isn't 100% efficient, so you'd be better using the electicity to drive the vehicle than in a "hydrogen engine"? (original sense of engine; not just internal combustion powerplant sense).

Electric car engine has no range though, hydrogen is pretty similar to current cars. Irrelevant if efficiencies of producing electricity differ as electric power simply does not work for cars despite being potentially more efficient. Whats the point of a super efficient car that is no use as a car?

Electric car engine has no range though, hydrogen is pretty similar to current cars. Irrelevant if efficiencies of producing electricity differ as electric power simply does not work for cars despite being potentially more efficient. Whats the point of a super efficient car that is no use as a car?

You clearly understand some of the issues, particularly the ones relating to accumulator capacity; I was specifically asking "greenstripe" where he was getting electricity for electrolytic production of hydrogen from.