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Save The Planet: By Killing Off The Prius?
The UK government is trying to kill off the fast car with emissions based tax bands, but at the same time they’re wasting our money – or so the Tax Payers Alliance (TPA) has claimed.

After they found out about the government’s fleet of 110 hybrids they did a little maths and worked out that they’ve spent nearly £1million unnecessarily.

They say that changing the fleet to 1.4 litre Ford Focusses would have saved £880,000 of tax payers money.

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Save The Planet: By Killing Off The Prius?



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monkeyrunmonkeyrun - 8/29/2007 12:58:02 PM
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Wasting 1 Million dollar is nothing.

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I95SPEEDINGTICKETSI95SPEEDINGTICKETS - 8/29/2007 1:01:06 PM
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1 Million GBP Pounds is Almost $2 Million USD and Wastage is Wastage no matter how you put it.

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Agent009Agent009 - 8/29/2007 1:04:47 PMView My AgentSpace
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I never thought of this aspect before:

They say that the money saved by switching to Ford would save enough to buy 74,028 trees which could absorb (?) 54 million kilos of carbon dioxide.

Sinclair added: “You would have to drive a hybrid car nearly six million miles before the carbon saving would equal that achieved by planting these trees.”

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izfuneyizfuney - 8/29/2007 6:53:09 PM
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By that logic, they should switch to bicycles and save even more money .. for the additional benefit of actually having public servants look fit.

The truth lies, in the fact that Govt. sets an example by buying the Prius.


Will_Will_ - 8/29/2007 1:10:13 PM
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Well of course they would! Why did they buy a fleet of Prius sports cars? These cars can do in excess of 130 mph, hardly an "environmentally-friendly" vehicle.

Let's all buy Escalades and S65 AMGs, we're all rich enough to afford the gas. And don't worry about emissions, we're all gonna die anyway; it's almost the same logic as people who take up smoking.

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John_StosselJohn_Stossel - 8/29/2007 6:06:52 PM
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Ridiculous I know. It seems the only way people can counter the Hybrid movement is to make up ridiculous claims about it taking more energy to make a Prius than a Hummer.

Give me a break!


Designer1Designer1 - 8/29/2007 1:32:58 PM
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lool It sounds like Ford was so pissed off for not picking it, so they sponsored such a study showing their caring about planting trees. I wonder, if this group that made this study DOES have plans to plant trees if they are given that money? If you ask me, I say they have none. But, this is nothing but another damn political crap of bashing one another when someone loses.

Good job Toyota, and if anyone is that concerned about the trees, then let them come up with a plan in the first place and not bark when they lose and say "we could've done such and such".

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RupertRupert - 8/29/2007 2:09:15 PMView My AgentSpace
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The Tax Payer's Alliance, while nitpickers and boring, do make good points.

Add in the environmental fact that the Focus is built in Spain not Japan and a Focus makes a lot of sense.

8 thousand pounds per car wasted...

I don't know how proliferate carbon offsetting in the US is but it's very popular in Britain. You can offset your flights, you car travel, everything.

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david989david989 - 8/29/2007 3:30:58 PM
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The Prius is here to save the planet not kill it. Stupid UK people.

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1970toyotamarc1970toyotamarc - 8/29/2007 3:37:37 PM
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You can't compare the Prius to a Focus. Presumably a small car like the Focus does not have all the space or features that they get from the Prius. Why dont we just all drive around in Fits and Yarises. That would make the real difference, and we would all save a ton of money.

I dont know which agencies in London have switched to Priuses, or what their specific needs are. But New York provides a good example of my point. When a New York cabbie decides to replace his Crown Vic with a Prius, do you think he would consider downsizing as far as a Focus, Cobalt or Corolla, or even further a Fit, Yaris or Aveo. No. But a roomy, comfortable Prius serves all the needs of the old gas guzzlin Crown Vic, at trememdous savings in carbon and other emissions, and savings in dollars.

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RupertRupert - 8/29/2007 6:01:49 PMView My AgentSpace
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The Focus is the same size as the Prius...at least it's listed as being in the same class in Europe...that's how I've always seen it anyway, same size as a Golf, Corolla, Megane, Focus etc etc.


RupertRupert - 8/29/2007 6:08:42 PMView My AgentSpace
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And if you want more trunk space there's a good Estate and Saloon Focus too.

The Focus hatch (the European one) is taller and wider than the Prius, and just about 20 cm shorter, and the Prius has a boot bigger by 15 litres.

A Focus estate however, is taller, wider and longer with a boot bigger by 80 litres (boot space is measured up to the window line).

A base model also costs over 6000 dollars less than a base Prius.

If a Prius isn't Focus sized, then what is it?


1970toyotamarc1970toyotamarc - 8/29/2007 3:39:14 PM
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I cant believe a car that has been out for three years still generates this much hate and controversy. People need to move on and get a life.

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britboxbritbox - 8/30/2007 12:02:13 PM
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Driving to me is a pleasure. Driving a boring car like a Prius would be taking a great joy out of my like. So with a ballance of enjoying your life and being responsible there are a lot of ways to help the environment with more impact than switching to a hybrid. I view this recent hype as pollitical and not really concerned people. I have a client that sold his 1 year old 911 S for a Prius. He choses to live an hour from work, has a way bigger than he needs house (energy usage) and when I told him that he would be better to move closer to work, outfit his home with energy saver lights and solar panels, but that would get in the way of his enjoyment of life. see my point?

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XYZZXYZZ - 8/31/2007 6:29:11 AM
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a TRUE enthusiast knows it is always far more FUN driving a "slow car" fast, than always having to pussyfoot in "fast car."

i RARELY flog my engine, but i ALWAYS corner at 9/10s. and i also have fun OUT THINKING and out flanking others in traffic.

MANY have been, faster cars than mine, that i have thoroughly embarrassed.



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XYZZXYZZ - 8/31/2007 6:30:55 AM
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anyone who gets bored while driving has A SMALL MIND, too easily bored.

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britboxbritbox - 8/31/2007 10:59:51 AM
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PEE-WEE rode a bike and had more fun than you and I ever would in a car.

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