@Caddyman, even if gas was $2.25/gallon, I’d still be interested in conserving it. When I bought my fuel efficient Civic in 1999, gas was still cheap. This isn’t just about saving money; it’s also about being able to drive my car cheaply, reducing fuel cost as a factor in whether or not to take a road trip, reducing the environmental impact of taking road trips, and having the freedom associated with being able to get where I want to go for the lowest cost per mile. Lastly, it’s about being able to weather unexpected fluctuations in the fuel market by minimizing the budgetary impact of those fluctuations. Getting 40-50 MPG gives me peace of mind.
These days, I’ve been thinking about getting a 250cc motorcycle since my commute is mostly on roads that have a 35 MPH speed limit. If I lived close enough to work, I’d consider a project like this one, although I’d prefer to use a Honda Nighthawk 250 rather than a Rebel:
“I don’t trust Lithium Ion batteries all that much. It’s one thing to be afraid of my laptop bursting into flames, another wondering about my car. ;-)”
Whitey, get the Prius Plugin. You obviously can afford it or you wouldn’t have asked the question. Life’s too short. Talk is cheap. It’s refreshing to see someone willing to “walk the walk” on helping reduce petroleum dependence.
How about the Prius V, it can hold more than many small suvs, its amazing the stuff you can fit in there. You can also tow a small trailer with the prius, there is no reason you cant tow 4-600lbs behind a prius. It will probably void your warranty, and you will die, but somehow it can be done because tow a small trailer with a riding mower all the time and don’t even notice it back there.
I found out yesterday that my sister owns one, and she is quite pleased with it. I rode home from lunch with her. Not a bad ride, but we were on county streets, not the highway.