Actually, I'd say don't buy the hype, but buy the car anyway. It's true that if many of the features incorporated into the Prius were incorporated into a non-hybrid you could have a car that got within shaving distance of the same mileage for $3000 less.
By buying a hybrid, you help advance the technology to the point where it will really make a difference. For example, when the regenerative braking is able to recover a much higher portion of the lost energy it will all have been worth it, no? This could be accomplished by such means as a supercapacitor to serve as intermediate storage for the battery, a flywheel for the same purpose, or a more advanced battery. These things might even be available as retrofits. M. _______________________________________________ Join Excite! - http://www.excite.com The most personalized portal on the Web!
