Comment Log Display

For years I have been frustrated by my inability to purchase an
electric car.   Finally, a year ago I became the proud owner of a
PHEV.     I have consciously  made lifestyle choices such that my
stores, schools, work etc are all within a few miles of my home and
as such my family can drive entirely in electric mode to these
locations so the engine is never used at all for these trips.  For
my family the PHEV Prius is a REAL neighborhood electric vehicle
(NEV) capable of safely keeping up with 35mph traffic (that is
normally going 45mph) with the added safety of air bags, crumple
zones and reinforced occupant area.    It's something the
automakers have had the technology to make a long time ago but kept
it out of consumers hands.   

Like all PHEV drivers I know, my family is extremely concerned
about the environment and therefore also very educated on how to
drive in a manner that produces the absolute minimum emissions
possible no matter what the length of the trip.     

The California Air Resources Board should not stifle the PHEV
industry while it's still in it's infancy and while it's just
beginning to increase public awareness of the tremendous potential
these vehicles have to help our environment.    PHEV09 will prevent
environmentally minded citizens from even performing new "proof of
concept" and "public perception changing" conversions.   And
without access to the source code of Prius's and other hybrid
vehicle computers, we will once again be at the mercy of the
automakers.   PHEV's could easily go the way of the electric car
and automakers will once again win a victory in their goal to stall
cleaning the environment with electrification of transportation.