How bizarre are the times? Here’s a measure of them: The Toyota Prius is the only new car that comes standard this year with a bigger, more powerful engine. Every other new car has a smaller engine than it used to come with – or soon will (viz, the Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer, which will shortly no longer offer the 5.7 liter and 6.4 liter V8s they currently still come standard with; according to reports, they will both come standard with a 3.0 liter six instead ).
The 2023 Mercedes GLC this writer recently reviewed comes only with a 2.0 liter four cylinder engine now. The V6 and V8 engines you used to be able to get you can’t anymore. The Toyota Tundra pick-up used to come standard with a 5.7 liter V8. It now comes standard with a 3.5 liter V6.
A growing cohort of new vehicles come with engines that don’t even have four cylinders, such as the ’24 Buick Envista this writer also recently test drove – and the Ford Escape that’s in my driveway as I type this. It comes standard with a 1.5 liter, three cylinder engine. That’s a big engine . . . compared with with the ’24 Envista’s 1.2 liter engine.
There are motorcycles that have larger engines.
But probably not for very long.
Meanwhile, there’s this new Prius – just redesigned from the wheels up for the 2023 model year. It is the un-Prius, in terms of just about everything except the foundational idea of the thing, which is to use as little gas as possible. In fact it uses less gas than any prior Prius (you can read more here).
And it has a bigger engine than before.
The Prius.
The one car you’d assume would come with a smaller one given the times. After all, just about everything else is lacking relative to what used to be abundant – and often, standard. The deficit is especially noticeable in expensive luxury vehicles, such as the Benz GLC mentioned earlier and also models such as the E-Class sedan and its BMW and Audi rivals, the 5 Series and A6. These mid-sized sedans used to – until recently – come standard with six cylinder engines. So as to put some distance between them and cars that don’t have starting prices well over $50,000. They all come standard with 2.0 liter four cylinder engines that aren’t any bigger than the Prius’ newly standard 2.0 liter four cylinder engine.
How’s that make your fillings feel?
The Prius has an engine the same size – and type – as the ones that come standard in the Mercedes E350 (the “350” used to denote the no-longer-standard 3.5 liter V6) and the BMW 530i (which also used to come standard with a 3.0 V6, hence the “30i”) and the Audi A6 (which comes standard with a four).
It also makes almost 80 more horsepower this year (194) than the smaller 1.8 liter, 121 horsepower engine offered last year, which accounts for the new Prius being able to get to 60 MPH in just over seven seconds – or three seconds sooner. And which is nearly as quick as many V8 powered muscle cars were back in the 1960s and 1970s. (Not an exaggeration; read up on it yourself if you think otherwise; the ’60s and ’70s muscle cars often sounded and felt quicker than they actually were.)
Does it make your head spin?
But how did Toyota get away with putting a bigger, stronger – and standard – engine in the Prius? The car that was all about less engine – and power – for the sake of the most mileage?
And the answer is as counterintuitive as it gets: By getting more mileage out of the bigger, stronger engine. The bigger-engined ’23 Prius averages 57 MPG – vs. 56 for the outgoing, smaller-engined (and far less powerful) Prius. It shows what’s possible. Have your cake and eat it, too.
But for how much longer?
A bigger engine can be made more efficient – and more powerful. The new Prius proves it. And that is probably why the government won’t allow it to last. Essentially for the same reason it did not allow VW’s TDI diesel engines – which were not only very clean but also extremely efficient and affordable – to get in the way of what the government wants. Which isn’t efficient, affordable – or clean – vehicles such as the Prius. They make less-clean and far more expensive and much less efficient electric vehicles look really bad – and that cannot be allowed.
A new Prius – which lists for $27,450 or about $20,000 less than the average price paid for a new EeeeeeVeeeee. It can go more than 600 miles on a tank – and be refueled to full in about three minutes, because that’s all the time it takes to pump 11.3 gallons of gas into its tank. As opposed to going less than half as far and taking 30-45 minutes to recover 80 percent of full charge at a “fast” charger. Assuming it works. Assuming you’re not waiting behind someone who’s already waiting to get their 80 percent charge in 30-45 minutes.
The Prius also does not require egregious Earth Rape to make because it does not need to lug around 1,000 pounds of batteries to be able to go less than half as far as a Prius can. It does not consume nearly as much energy in the aggregate, either. But it does “emit” a little C02 – at the tailpipe. And only zero emissions – at the tailpipe – is tolerable. Irrespective of the amount of C02 “emitted” elsewhere. As in the course of manufacturing. As in the course of charging.
And the new, larger engine probably does “emit” slightly more C02 – at the tailpipe – than the previous Prius’ smaller engine. But it is not a significantly larger amount – and it’s certainly not a dangerous amount. It is also a lesser amount in the aggregate, vs. EeeeeeVeeeees. 
Those facts would be decisive if the intention of the pushing of EeeeeeeVeeees were actually about reducing “emissions” rather than reducing driving – by reducing the number of people who can afford to.
The up-engined Prius constitutes a threat to that agenda. And that is why it’s likely it’ll be the last Prius, despite being the best one yet.
. . .
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With today’s thousand-chipped vehicles being basically cell phones on wheels, cell phones themselves now are pertinent for auto enthusiasts to watch:
‘Overheating complaints are circulating around Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, which have only been on the market since September. The iPhone 15 Pro starts at $999 and the Pro Max at $1,199. The priciest version asks $1,599.
‘Industry observers are offering competing theories about the cause of the problem. Initially, fingers were pointed at TSMC’s groundbreaking 3-nm processor. However, on Wednesday, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo wrote that he thinks materials and design are the principal suspects.
‘As Apple strives for lighter and lighter phones, there’s a price to be paid where heat dissipation is concerned. With the iPhone 15 Max’s design centered on a new titanium frame rather than stainless steel, designers may have gone too far.
“It’s the Icarus theory,” iFixit CEO Kyle Wiens tells the Wall Street Journal. “Apple flew too close to the sun, and the wings started melting off.”
https://tinyurl.com/46t369v7
Given the intense commercial pressure to rush new phones to market, one wonders whether Apple merely simulated thermal performance using TSMC’s processor specs, with no chance to stress test physical iPhone 15s prior to launch.
No doubt Apple was inspired by Pfizer’s latest covid ‘vaccine,’ tested on ten (10) mice before being injected into thousands of hapless humans. What could possibly go wrong?? :-0
You can’t simply model things.
Most of the models are crap.
To the extent to which they are good, they only apply within certain conditions which may or may not (but most likely not) correspond to anything that happens in the real world.
This is why we do prototyping. This is also why we test vaccines, medicines, and the like for at least 10-15 years before releasing them to the public, and why we do not mandate them. There are always some cases where it is not a good solution. This is why we do informed consent, which involves a rundown of the potential risks as well as the potential benefits.
“Nothing is ever 100%, so proceed with caution” may or may not be an actual law of the universe, but it seems to me to be pretty damn close.
Everybody hates a wet blanket, but welose sight of this at our peril.
I feel sorry for Toyota. That is a company that does things right. They have spent years refining the quality of the ICE vehicle and are the best in the world at it. And it will all be for naught.
An EV is nothing special, same electric motors, same types of batteries, same chips controlling it. Anyone can build one. All the engineering that Toyota did to perfect the ICE, swept away. They should be pissed. Unfortunately they are as soft as anyone in the West so they will just roll over.
Toyota’s hybrid drivetrains are a work of brilliance. There is push back starting to ICE bans, like the recent Republican bill that’s symbolic (because Biden will veto it), but it’s just the beginning. The regular people have now been exposed to EV’s enough to know that they don’t fill all transportation needs.
The German car industry basically run’s Germany’s domestic economic policies, and they’re now working with other EU members to veto ICE bans (since any EU country can veto something). Their current angle is to use carbon neutral “e-fuels”, that is, gasoline synthesized from airborne CO2 incredibly inefficiently, but that’s just a foot in the door. It’s much more energy intensive to make e-fuel and burn it, than to simply extract oil and refine gasoline.
At a minimum, the ICE will be around in the police cars and army vehicles which force the rest of us not to use it 🙂
Hi OL,
I think the tipping point – if it comes – will be when enough people come to understand the motives behind this EeeeeeVeeeee push, which have nothing to do with “climate change.” Which is just the excuse – like “stopping the spread.”
I think this was one of the results of having Toyoda-san in the big office until they canned him. The new guy drank the EV Kool-aid it seems. So enjoy this while it lasts.
Indeed, Alex –
Just the other day, the news broke that Lexus (Toyota’s luxury division) will go “all in” on EeeeeeeeVeeees. And there goes Lexus, which built some of the finest luxury vehicles ever made. Lexus will become another seller of the same extruded plastic battery-powered devices instead.
Eric,
Lexus offers some FINE hybrids too! My brother has one; he has the ES200h, and it gets like 46 mpg overall. That’s quite impressive for what the car is. And, it’s STILL cheaper than a Tesla Model 3!
If you have seen one golf cart you’ve seen them all.
As much as I hate the Prius, I respect Toyota’s ability to squeeze 57 mpg out of a car that also has to meet the insane safety requirements of big brother.
And I believe Eric is correct. Even though 57 mpg is impressive, the magic number of 58 will rise with the next innovation to run the ICE out of town.
But the reason is not saving the planet, it is to ensure only the rich can have a real car.
You shouldn’t hate the Prius, at least not anymore. It actually looks really nice now.
I concur. Compared to the dorky, awkward geekmobiles of earlier Prius iterations, this one’s body is tasteful, mainstream-looking, and conceals some best-of-class engineering.
Just wish Toyota would follow Ford’s lead with its car-based Maverick hybrid pickup (which can’t even meet demand), and offer a higher-clearance Toyota compact pickup with Prius underpinnings. Fallback request: a compact SUV (also taller and higher clearance) on a Prius chassis. Like an updated first-gen RAV4.
That is practically the ONLY new vehicle I would consider buying. But it’s not even a rumor for now. Toyota … ARE YOU LISTENING? Hit that easy pitch out of the ballpark; you’re already 80% of the way there. Some of us just don’t to sit our butts six inches off the pavement.
Hi Jim,
This is well-said (in re a Prius-based pick-up). I will pass this along to Toyota people I know. A pick-up that got 40 MPG and cost less than $30k would be a slam-dunk home run. Just look at the Maverick, which already is.
Thanks; much appreciated.
Why wouldn’t Toyota do it? Only if it’s too late in the ‘EeeVees for all’ regulatory crackdown.
Hi Nate,
Amen! Why hate a car that is brilliant? This thing averages close to 60 MPG and can go 600-plus miles on a 11 gallons of gas. It costs about $27k. It’s not ugly – and it’s very practical. So – again – why would anyone (with any sense) hate it?
Does it have all of the nanny tech? Does it have a computer screen? Is it “connected”? Does the exhaust sound like a vacuum cleaner? Does it look like a slight variation from every other compact car on the lot?
I appreciated what they are trying to do (at gunpoint, let’s not forget). I can certainly appreciate the technological innovation here. But would an unfettered free market ever want this car? I think not. It’s forced.
It’s likeable only in the sense that it’s all we got. It’s a step above the other mandated crapola available. A pretty appliance. Nothing more. Nothing to LOVE and take care of. It’s a pathetic piece of garbage that will be in a landfill in 5-10 years.
So, yes, I have sense and I hate it.
Hi Philo,
Thanks for the reality check – you’re right. This car could have been something so much better. Imagine it – without the nanny tech and the extra 1,000-plus pounds added to comply with the various regulations. Imagine it delivering 75 MPG for $16k.
Now that’s something to love!
Yep, it could be done. Great cars could be made cheaply today, but they are not allowed. It’s infuriating.
I’ve been looking into kit cars lately. It would be great if you could do some reviews on these!
He probably actually hates the drivers. Sadly most Prius drivers don’t appreciate the brilliant engineering of the car. They bought it to make a “statement”. I’ve seem way too many clover-out in the left lane basically acting as a rolling road block to show they are just better than the rest of us.
Its a great car, I’m hoping its new image will attract a better class of people.
I already miss Toyoda-san.
Alex hit it. The Prius drivers are virtue signaling mask wearing types. For years I thought these things couldn’t go over 55.
Plus, I always found this car to be ugly, esp the original.
Current version looks like an EV.
Amen, Alex –
Just the same, Subarus have acquired an association with lesbians – the ugly ones. It’s unfortunate, because Subarus are generally excellent vehicles. But some won’t buy them because they don’t want to be perceived as part of a certain demographic. Same with the Prius. But the new model’s looks – and performance – will hopefully change that.
The prions are more than likely beginning to form in Joe’s feeble mind, it does take some time for the prions to begin to increase in number. Your brain will slowly erode to mush, the brain dies then you die.
Cruetzfeldt-Jakob is chronic wasting disease, mad cow.
Hold on, it’s the Prius, not the prions in Joe’s brain, what’s left of it.
Gets confusing, Joe doesn’t know what’s going on… ever.
Eric – “Assuming you’re not waiting behind someone who’s already waiting to get their 80 percent charge in 30-45 minutes.”
Not if you’re Jennifer Granholm, Secretary of Energy, and you are taking a four day virtue signalling trip in an EV. No – you have staffers in gas powered vehicles (gasp!) occupy EV charging spaces until you get there to tether your EV. Who cares about the family that was blocked from charging their vehicle? On a sweltering day, at that. SCREW ‘EM!! Granholm is much more important than them!
Indeed, Bill –
These creatures – Granholm, Biden, Buttigieg – are the most loathsome bipedal cockroaches imaginable. Yet, astoundingly, they posture as the benefactors of the Average Person.
Eric loves bigger engines, not me. I am aghast that Prius would keep upping the displacement of the engine. I think that is the wrong way to go – because if it is a hybrid – with an electric motor then the ICE engine should/could be downsized.
I drive a 30 year old beater, with over 300K miles, and my last tank was 57 mpg. It has a 3 cylinder 1.0 liter engine. So why do you need 1.8 liter? All these Civics and Corollas also have bigger and bigger motors. I can remember the Civic with 1.3 liter, then it became 1.5, 1.6, 1.7 etc. Bigger and bigger because in Amerika everyone wants power.
One of my favorite cars of all time was the Tercel with the 1.5 liter engine. You still see them on the road. Also, all the cars mentioned also get heavier with each model. IMO that sucks, my little Geo Metro only weighs 1700 lbs, but the new 2024 Prius is 3097 lbs. (Source Car and Driver spec sheet)
1400 lbs more. Than is a shit ton of weight. Try lifting 1400 lbs. So the Prius is more efficient, but with the added weight it is still par with the 30 year old Metro.
To me, that is no improvement at all. What we need is a Prius that weighs less than 2,000 lbs and gets 70 mpg.
He probably actually hates the drivers. Sadly most Prius drivers don’t appreciate the brilliant engineering of the car. They bought it to make a “statement”. I’ve seem way too many clover-out in the left lane basically acting as a rolling road block to show they are just better than the rest of us.
Its a great car, I’m hoping its new image will attract a better class of people.
I already miss Toyoda-san.
If the Nazis in DC allowed the car companies to build cars that only weighed 2000# you wouldn’t need all that hybrid paraphernalia.
I one time rented a VW Polo TDI in Italy. That thing averaged over 80mpg and by no means a slow dog.
Eric has made this point quite a few times.
Given that Diesel-Electric locomotives have been around for about 90 years, including those made by “Generous Mother”, I fail to see why not diesel-Electric hybrids, if fuel efficiency is that paramount. Many reasons, including that more diesel can be had from a given barrel of crude, plus, it can be supplemented by organic sources, would make it quite “logical”. Yet the EPA fights that design, fang, nail, and claw. WHY?
Then question answers itself
The wrecking ball of Amerika, also known as Uncle Joe Biden (like Uncle Joe Stalin), was in the UAW picket line raising hell yesterday, and Elon Musk on X says:
They want a 40% pay raise *and* a 32 hour workweek. Sure way to drive GM, Ford and Chrysler bankrupt in the fast lane.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 26, 2023
Elon’s Tesla is a competitor to Detroit, so why would he take the side of Ford, GM, Dodge?
So once again I raise the question, is the push for EVs a way to bankrupt the auto industry. Are they trying to end all car production, using the EV as a ruse?
Ford, GM, and Dodge have to buy Elon’s “carbon credits” to make Uncle happy, and Tesla still needs that consistent cashflow until CAFE makes EVs or extreme hybrids the only new vehicles allowed on the roads.
Screw Uncle, keep the money. Tesla will disappear overnight, and be long gone well before the mess makes its way out of the courts system. Win lose or draw, there will be no one to buy carbon credits from and the nightmare will be over.
Why do I have to be the one to spell this out? The C suites are full of outright morons.
Maybe I should run for CEO of GM (that is an elected office, right? Oh, you said a neglected office? Whatever.
Hire me as engineering chief, we will make GM the model for the future.
In the wishful thinking department – after Elon is done, he may buy out the IC divisions of Ford, Chrysler, etc. and build his own IC powered cars.
Really wish they hadn’t done this. Now there’s a benchmark. “Well, the Prius gets 60MPG, so you should be able to do the same thing.”
“The knights who up until recently say Nee demand you cut down trees with a herring!”
https://youtu.be/0e2kaQqxmQ0?si=rrveEtnGfxA7e8qO
Hi RK,
Yeah – I’d thought about that as well. Then again, the Prius doesn’t quite make the 58 MPG (average) cut demanded by the Thing.
That’s what MPGe is for. To FORCE Manuf. to make EV’s to bolster their CAFE numbers. All a smoke and mirrors scam of epic proportions.
Yep. Intentionally exclude thermal power plant efficiency, and EeeVees can easily reach triple-digit MPGe … as Eeeeelon’s first Tesla Roadster did in 2009, kicking off this whole scam.
Now the other shoe is dropping, as the Red Guard EPA seeks to shut down oil, natgas and coal-fired power plants with impossible regulations.
This is WEF’s glide path to a global population of only 500 million, fifty years hence. Whole lotta dyin’ to do. Soylent Green is people!
I regularly get MPG in the low 40s on the highway in my 2018 Camry with the 2.5 L engine, and that is five year old technology.
Even older and more interesting is the mileage from a 2016 Jetta GLI — the turbo-ed 2.0 L engine which replaced the diesel due to the “cheating” scandal — which we recently purchased from a family member. Even at 68,000 miles and the original factory air filter (!), I got nearly 40 MPG driving from Nashville to Austin, only filling the tank twice for the entire trip.
The manufacturers have the engine technology to give the market what it wants to deal with high gas prices, but that isn’t enough for Uncle.
The VW engine replacement was so swift that the 2016 GLI still had the same filter box as the 2015 GDI with T25 screws, a serious intimidation factor for the family member who was the previous owner.
But… didn’t the diesels get more close to 50 mpg driven at normal freeway speeds (75-80mph)?
That said, VW is great at making engines that get good gas mileage.
I almost bought a 2013 GLI, but I wasn’t interested in making car payments at the time, so I didn’t. Although it was a bit more of a gas hog, I loved the pull of that engine and the precise 6 speed manual it came with.
Yes, the diesels were phenomenal. My point was that 40 is not terrible.
What I worry about with the car is the longevity with the turbo-ed engine. The relative from whom we bought the car didn’t maintain it well, and the previous owner was on a lease in South Florida who decided against buying at the end.
That’s the problem. A lot of people don’t maintain crap. The most overlooked service is the transmission. Many people end up trading their cars when they begin to have transmission problems which could have been averted with regular transmission fluid changes.
The turbo’d engine economy depends largely on how much boost the turbo provides. Anything under 15, and I think you will get good longevity with oil changes only. Over 15, and I think engine life is affected.
I like the 2018-and on Camry. They balance efficiency and acceleration adn top speed. I like the fact the car has a key and good outward visibliity. Why can’t all automakers borrow that model. I wish I could afford one. Good cars
Contrary to popular notion, ATF doesn’t “wear out”. The only reason to effect a fluid/filter change is excessive wear of the internal friction clutches. Which is why I don’t care for the “sealed” units. Pulling the dipstick and looking at the fluid color and sniffing it was a reliable way to tell if a fluid/filter change was needed. With a sealed box, you have to rely on the PCM “throwing a code” to tell you its “time”. Screw that.
It’s a good thing you have the 2.5 and not the 2.4. Otherwise, you’d be getting 40 MPG with your oil.
I know I am not burning oil. I also get ethanol free gas if available.
The big negative about the vehicle which also contributes to the good MPG is the “quirky” eight speed transmission and its odd delay responding to “punching it” if I need to avoid a problem at freeway speeds.
It’s still a sinfully fugly glass coffin.
Yeah, it sure is. It resembles a laste 2000s kia rio
All this bs for a hoax called Climate Change, previously Global Warming. Another hottest summer,,, another year of expensive and deadly storms. I am sure they’re referring to the fires in Kanada and the destruction of Maui by the Cartel.
Not surprising,,, At the last repugnant debates, Ramaswamy was booed by all for speaking truth. Booed by the other candidates and the audience when he said the Climate Change Agenda is a hoax. All the candidates and the Moderator was trying to shut him up less the plebs get the wrong idea.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/vivek-ramaswamy-booed-after-calling-climate-change-a-hoax-during-republican-primary-debate
[They’ll likely take the video down,,, many other sites already have. ]
Of course its a hoax! Everything out of DC is one hoax after another,,, in fact the entire government is a hoax. Covaids is a hoax. Our entire government is being run by a gaggle of perverts and a specific religion I am forbidden to say by Florida Law,,, signed into law by one of the candidates while in a foreign nation. So much for sovereignty.
Another election, if it happens, I will avoid as I cannot vote for anyone that denies truth which EVERY candidate on both side do. No lesser of evil for me! I’m tired of evil! How bout you?
Maybe another four years of the Biden Regime is needed to wake some people. Sadly, by then there will likely be more foreign mail in voters than citizen voters.
The ‘Border Guard’ needs a name change to Border Hospitality Agents. Come one, come all,,, soak up our tax dollars and all the benefits you can stand. Everything’s FREE,,, FREE,,, FREE!!!!
The ‘Border Guard’ needs a name change to Border Hospitality Agents. Come one, come all,,, soak up our tax dollars and all the benefits you can stand. Everything’s FREE,,, FREE,,, FREE!!!!
Not for everybody
PCR covers the US Anglo situation pretty well in his writings.
It appears Anglo’s are 4th or further down on the ladder these days. They have been insulted, bullied and kicked around but refuse to fight for their rightful existence ??? and likely will soon disappear. There is little one can do. The cartel (government) today are so flooded with woke judges and agencies I doubt the Romeike’s will get much help. The one thing people need to get straight is this is no longer America. There was a teacher in San Francisco years ago they deported for some silly reason. Anyone productive with skills but the wrong demographic are not wanted and easily deported because they do everything lawfully. Others are welcomed by Bidens Border Hospitality Agency and are treated with candy and kisses.
Today’s post at PCR’s site.
https://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2023/09/26/disappearing-americans/
OT: Joby’s air taxis to help US Air Force usher in electric aviation era
https://www.defensenews.com/battlefield-tech/2023/09/25/jobys-air-taxis-to-help-us-air-force-usher-in-electric-aviation-era/
Has anyone noticed that the environmental wackos and the government (sorry for repeating myself) always use the term “carbon” instead of carbon dioxide? From my perspective, using the word carbon implies dirty while carbon dioxide is less negative. And a big thumbs up to Toyota for not fully embracing the insanity like the other manufacturers. At least not yet.
It interesting. I think that their wording is intentional. They are after CO2 then all forms of carbon. They hat humans, which are carbon.
I came upon a child of God
He was walking along the road
And I asked him, “Where are you going?”
And this he told me
“I’m going on down to Yasgur’s farm
I’m gonna join in a rock ‘n’ roll band
I’m gonna camp out on the land
I’m gonna try an’ get my soul free”
We are stardust
We are golden
And we’ve got to get ourselves
Back to the garden
“Then can I walk beside you?
I have come here to lose the smog
And I feel to be a cog in something turning”
“Well, maybe it is just the time of year
Or maybe it’s the time of man
I don’t know who l am
But you know, life is for learning”
We are stardust
We are golden
And we’ve got to get ourselves
Back to the garden
By the time we got to Woodstock
We were half a million strong
And everywhere, there was song and celebration
And I dreamed I saw the bombers
Riding shotgun in the sky
And they were turning into butterflies
Above our nation
We are stardust
Billion year old carbon
We are golden
Caught in the devil’s bargain
And we’ve got to get ourselves
Back to the garden
“Carbon is the fourth most abundant element in the universe and is the building block of life on earth. ”
Carbon is present in all life: All living things contain carbon in some form, and carbon is the primary component of macromolecules, including proteins, lipids, nucleic acids, and carbohydrates. Carbon exists in many forms in this leaf, including in the cellulose to form the leaf’s structure and in chlorophyll, the pigment which makes the leaf green.
For whatever their reasons,,, they want to destroy ALL life on the planet by eliminating CO2. Anything under 200 parts per million will accomplish this. Already we are down to 400. Just a little more and its curtains!
https://bio.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Introductory_and_General_Biology/Book%3A_General_Biology_(Boundless)/02%3A_The_Chemical_Foundation_of_Life/2.18%3A_Carbon_-_The_Chemical_Basis_for_Life
WE are the, “carbon ” they want to eliminate.
I keep wondering how much further things can go. Saw an episcope of Uncle Tony’s Garage about us heading into Cuba-like days in regards to having the parts needed to keep going.
At some point this cannot continue. Yeah, that’s what they said 30 years ago, and here we are. But still, I cannot imagine this charade working any longer.
Uncle Tony’s Garage isn’t wrong. I’ve noticed a lot of older sedans and station wagons being put back into use in the past year. A lot of people can’t afford the new plasticmobiles that can’t be easily repaired and become junk after the payments are finished. Not to mention being cheaper to insure and not being racked over the coals in property taxes.
“Gawd” bless Uncle Tony and his pragmatic ways.
‘It also makes almost 80 more horsepower this year (194)’ — eric
Without the electric motor assist, the Prius’s 2.0 liter four makes 150 hp at 6,000 rpm, according to Toyota’s published specs. Its compression ratio is a quite high 14.0:1.
These days, 150 hp is surprisingly low for a 2.0 liter four. Many overworked fours in lard-ass SUVs and giant trucks produce 250 hp and up, in the same way that foie gras is made — i.e., by forcibly stuffing compressed air down their little throats, as they squirm and shriek.
Evidently, Toyota has engineered the Prius’s 2.0 liter engine for extreme fuel economy, low ’emissions’ and long life, rather than high power output. After all, the electric motor assist takes care of propelling it to 60 mph in a brisk seven seconds.
This new Prius ought to be the ‘go to’ vehicle for government fleets, for all the reasons just enumerated. Instead Big Gov is spending two or three times more (including all the new charging infrastructure) for vastly inferior EeeVees.
But hey, who cares? It’s other peoples’ money, which can be borrowed and printed in unlimited amounts. /sarc
That is, till the dog doo hits the fan. Which it’s already doing, as the idiot fedgov goes dark this weekend, hopefully forever. Kick it when it’s down! 🙂
Indeed Jim,
The only ones who truly need the FedGov in operation are those who work for them. They will send the “non essential” home. Oh the agony! They should stay there, since they are non essential.
Hi Jim,
Interesting historical footnote in re the Prius’ 2.0 liter, 150 hp engine. Back in 1976, my Trans-Am was available with the biggest V8 available in a performance car that year – 7.5 liters/455 cubic inches. This V8 – three times-plus the displacement of the 2.0 four in the Prius – made 200 hp. A 1977 Z28’s 350 (5.7 liter V8) made 185 hp.
Today’s fours, in other words, make a lot of power!
“Today’s fours, in other words, make a lot of power!”- Eric
They pump out the power alright but I seriously doubt their engines would make the 45 years your Firebird has on its clock.
And many think they’ll just keep their present car forever. Well,,, many are already complaining about insurance rates. I can barely cover the $1000 yearly insurance rate. All they have to do is raise the registration and license fees to a ridiculous price and that’ll be the end of most ICE cars!
A lot of horsepower for the displacement…the trade off is cost, complexity, and inability to maintain with anything but specialized tools and training. The very scenario that fosters…DEPENDENCY.
Douglas Self: I think you’re right for the most part, but the current Camry naturally aspirated 2.5 liter 4 makes an astonishing 206 hp and 186 lb ft of torque (on regular fuel). That’s nearly 1.35 hp per cubic inch! Eric’s Trans Am made less than .5 hp per cubic inch (but a shitload of torque though). It’s not uncommon to get 200k to 300k miles from the Toyota engine.
https://www.autoevolution.com/news/300000-mile-toyota-camry-engine-teardown-shows-what-legendary-reliability-looks-like-208109.html
Honda’s got a good naturally aspirated 2.0 that makes 158 hp (1.3 hp per CI). That’s probably going to be a very long-lasting engine as well as I think it’s based on the K series engine which came out in 2001.
I’m just venturing a guess based on what I know about the Prius, but I wonder if that 14:1 compression ratio is derived from the simple mathematical calculation of the volume of the cylinder from BTC to TDC.
I believe it has an Atkinson cycle engine though which bleeds off a bit of cylinder pressure during the compression stroke before the power stroke begins. I would guess that results in an effective compression ratio lower than 14:1. Otherwise, premium fuel would most certainly be required to prevent knock, and it is not.
The good part is the enemy will be transitioning to EVs, even the military. That puts them at a serious tactical disadvantage
Despite the loss of their car guy CEO, Toyota manages to out engineer the EPA again. For now.
I wonder what kind of fiction the EPA will conjure to dispose of this car.
It was probably in the pipeline before he left. You can bet they don’t have anything similar for their other lines.