I still have one on order. The dealer I put my order into says they already have about 15 sold. Dealers in Silicon Valley have more than that sold already. - Robert Scoble from Bookmarklet

though test drive kind of won me over, hatchback is holding me back. If only there was an option to choose from... - Moushumi Kabir

proof that you can sell fuel-efficient cars in the US. too bad the US automakers can't seem to get it right. - MikeAmundsen

Moushumi: I bought it without even seeing the new version. The reviews are saying the 2010 is a lot better than the 2009. Mike: true, I am buying this because the reviewers said they were getting more than 50 mpg. - Robert Scoble

What's wrong with US automakers is the same thing that's wrong with US consumption habits; excess. - Colin Anawaty

You crazy Americans, in Europe and Brazil everyone gets 50mpg from any car - it's called Diesel ! Small cars like the VW fox multi fuel get 70mpg with highway driving and no extra weight. Plus you can run it on regular oil diesel, bio diesel or any mixture of the 2. - Adrian

http://images.google.co.uk/images... - Adrian

Diesel is fun, but won't survive California's smog laws. Most of Europe doesn't have the population density and smog problems of, say, Los Angeles. I wish more diesel would be brought in here, though. - Robert Scoble

Not entirely true on the diesel. The clean diesel technology that Honda and others are coming out with supposedly soon will pass Cali smog from what I understand. - Alex Scoble

"Clean" is a relative term with diesel (and all other fossil fuels). None of them are "clean", they are only "cleaner" than previous incarnations. I'd love to see some more electric hybrids though, with the only purpose of the combustion engine being to recharge the batteries. Electric is the way to go unless someone can determine a more efficient and safe way of extracting and storing hydrogen. - xero

One reason I like hybrids is that they are totally silent when sitting in traffic. Since I work in the Bay Area and often have to sit in traffic this is a huge benefit to me. - Robert Scoble

Clean enough to pass California emissions is pretty damn clean. - Alex Scoble

I am not sure electric vehicles are all that "clean" either considering how much is electricity currently generated by burning coal and wasted in transmission. The way to go is for more people to walk, bicycle and use public transit and for there to be less people. - Brian Sullivan

congrats for adding the green avatar again I love it - Loic Le Meur

Brian: none of those are an option for me, unfortunately. - Robert Scoble

Why not Robert? - Brian Sullivan

Alex: It's not "clean" until you're willing to suck on an exhaust pipe. - xero

Brian: I drive about 400 miles a week. Often with heavy camera equipment. Or passengers. No public transportation nearby worth a damn. I am buying a bike, but that's totally for exercise, not to actually get anywhere. - Robert Scoble

(I live in Half Moon Bay, which doesn't have much public transporation other than a bus line, which doesn't come near my house and even if I could get to it it's not usable for my work). - Robert Scoble

Adrian: stick on topic. Post that crap somewhere else (I deleted it). - Robert Scoble

Brian: Public transit, bicycling, and walking do not meet most people's needs. We know of viable and improving clean energy production methods. "Dirty" energy production for the infrastructure can give way to "clean" energy production much easier than public transit can be built to reach every dirt road in America. - xero

But Robert living in Half Moon Bay was a choice you made. At this point you may be stuck with it I realize, but I think we as a society are going to have to find a way to make choices that allow or force more efficient use of energy. - Brian Sullivan

Robert: as much as I have to agree that Adrian's comment was not on topic, it is still good to look at both sides of the story. I met with the Leader of the Green Party of Canada and she even admitted that some of the scientific facts that back Greenhouse effect are flawed. Let's keep an open mind :) - Michael Forian

Brian, you can't put the genie back in the bottle. We can't unlearn to use the auto anymore than you can get off the internet. What's next? Telling people to stop eating burritos because they cause us to produce too much methane? - Alex Scoble

If you need cars passing the Cali smog laws... shouldn't you be asking why there is smog..it can't be all down to cars.. there is a lot of bullshit spouted in the name of "green" :o). - Rob Sellen :o)

Alex -- I don't we think can stop using personal transport/cars but we can make personal and societal choices that mean that we need them less. - Brian Sullivan

Face it, the car isn't going anywhere, the world needs the freedom it provides. The best we can do is make it have less impact on the planet. On the subtopic though -- if you're going to talk about Global Warming, then please separate the topics of Global Warming and Greenhouse Effect. Global Warming is an accepted fact now, but whether or not it is caused by a man-made Greenhouse Effect is still debatable. - xero

hybrids are awful...you have to carry two motors. better get a clean diesel with smart systems. - Chris Hofmann

What people don't understand is the debate is about a 'run away' greenhouse effect where more co2 = more heating = more co2 until there is catastrophe. Increasing and decreasing temperature followed by increasing and decreasing co2 is normal. It is a fact that earth has been hotter and colder than it is now. It is a fact that earth has more ice on the poles now than average and that the south pole has 43% more ice and is 1 degree cooler now than in 1980. Al Gore did not explain all the detail. - Adrian

diesel right now; natural gas real soon; electric as soon as possible. no need to wait. tech is all there. - MikeAmundsen

On a good hybrid, you're actually carrying 5 motors, not 2. However, when the non-electric motor is designed to ONLY charge the batteries, then it can be much smaller, much lighter, more efficient, easier to swap, easier to maintain, and the overall weight goes down. Plus you have more room for passengers, cargo, and safety features. - xero

Chris: the thing about hybrids, though, is none of the motors is working in traffic. So, if you commute an hour every day, while spending 15 minutes standing still a hybrid is a LOT better than a diesel. - Robert Scoble

The hybrid style of the Prius, using rare earth magnets, is not the most efficient type of hybrid, but it makes regenerative braking easy to engineer. - Robert Hafer

wow, awesome customer demand - nice to hear so much support for hybrids! - Susan Beebe

bmw has a system now that lets you turn of the motor with the press of a button (and also back on instantly) people will need time to adapt to that but its not a habit that can be done only with hybrids - Chris Hofmann

It's illegal to use such a feature on the highway in California, Chris. - Alex Scoble

Chris: I have a BMW. That is totally annoying. And, doing it automatically is far more accurate. My gas engine only runs when needed, not all the time. My BMW, which is a far smaller car than our Highlander, gets worse mileage and I have the best mileage BMW they make. - Robert Scoble

Correction, Robert. It's the best mileage BMW they make for the US market. There's a turbo diesel 1 series for Europe that gets in the 30+ mpg range. - Kevin Pedraja

Kevin: true. - Robert Scoble

Make that 59 mpg. Here it is: http://blog.wired.com/cars... If they sold this car in the US I would buy it tomorrow. - Kevin Pedraja

I wonder if some dealers will charge above MSRP to pre-order?It happens with high demand luxury autos frequently. - Steve Levin

Robert: Do you still have your Aura? I live in Houston where 90% of the population drives Hummers (okay that's a mild exaggeration but you get the idea). And admittedly I have 3 cars, a Mercedes SL 500, A Mitsubishi Montero Sport, and a Saturn L300. All of which guzzle gas. And I drive around 3-5 hours a day (most days). I'd love a Prius. I'd save a fortune and alleviate some of my environmental guilt. - Erica OGrady

Erica; Nope, got rid of the Aura. It got less mileage than the BMW and the BMW is a lot more fun to drive although I'll probably be selling that to Louis Gray soon. - Robert Scoble