Twelve 2007 Toyota Prius hybrid vehicles added to U of M fleet

The University of Minnesota has expanded its environmentally friendly fleet of hybrid vehicles to 28 by adding twelve 2007 Toyota Priuses.

The hybrid vehicles are one of the most fuel-efficient automobiles and run on a combination of gasoline and rechargeable electric batteries. The Prius has an EPA-estimated rating of 52 miles per gallon (mpg) in city driving and 45 mpg on the highway.

“We have been very pleased with the Prius’s performance and style. In today’s world, it’s smart to try alternatives to gas and diesel powered vehicles,” said Bill Roberts, the U of M’s Parking and Transportation Services associate director. “The Prius is an environmentally-friendly alternative that looks and drives great.”

University vehicle users have been happy with its performance as well. In focus groups conducted in January 2007, participants raved about the Prius and requested that the University buy more.

“We are committed to being a principled steward of civic funds while serving the public good,” commented Roberts. “We’ve incorporated that premise into our philosophy; a healthy balance sheet and a cleaner environment can go hand in hand.”

The university began using hybrid vehicles in the fall of 2001 when they purchased three 2002 Toyota Priuses. In addition, the university currently has five Ford Escape hybrid vehicles with two more on order.

A Hydrogen Prius

oyota's Prius has become a standard-bearer of sort for the green machine movement. Buyers who were looking for technologically advanced vehicles with good fuel economy latched on to the Prius - and have so in larger numbers since its 1998 introduction.

Now, Toyota is planning the third generation of its bleeding-edge hybrid, with a concept due at the Geneva motor show that might show the way to the next evolution of the Prius. But what if the Prius were to become radically different? What if it were to adopt a new powertrain - one fueled by hydrogen?



One company is working on just such an experimental Prius - ECD Ovonics, a battery and hydrogen-storage technology company headed by former General Motors chairman Robert Stempel. TheCarConnection took ECD's offer of driving their experimental Prius recently, and in its current state of development, a hydrogen Prius doesn't seem to be too far a stretch of technology's imagination.

Supply of hybrid Prius now zooms with demand

The supply of Toyota Prius hybrid cars has caught up with the demand, signaling an end to long customer delivery waits that were once standard for the vehicles.

After watching the Prius hybrid fly out of dealer showrooms the last six years, Toyota has even started to nudge consumers with zero-percent financing and lease deals.

Until recently, most Toyota dealers had wait lists of two to three months for the fuel-efficient Prius, the most popular gas-electric hybrid model. But at the end of January, dealers across the nation had a 30-day supply, or about 10,000 vehicles, based on January sales.

Toyota of Des Moines had wait lists of up to eight months a few years ago, but now generally has about nine or 10 Priuses in stock and are expecting more, said Steve Luebke, general manager of the dealership.

Deeya McClurkin of West Des Moines bought a new 2007 Prius from the dealership recently.

"I like to think of myself as environmentally friendly," McClurkin said. "I'm trying to lower my carbon footprint," or the impact of human activities on the environment through the use of fossil fuels. The Prius is rated by the Environmental Protection Agency as getting 55 to 60 miles per gallon.

Guide to alternative fuels

Experts warn that it won't be easy to get off of petroleum or reduce how much the world uses. The amount of energy per liter derived from petroleum is far better than most of the alternatives, a worldwide infrastructure based on it already exists, and people tend to be lazy.

If oil drops below $55 a barrel, most of these alternatives stop becoming attractive, says Dan Arvizu, director of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. And the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries is watching what is going on in alternative fuels and can gauge oil prices accordingly.

"We do have a problem with how serious we are about our energy challenges," he said.

Global warming and improving technology, however, are making the alternatives more realistic all the time. Here's a guide to the main alternatives.