Prius Prejudice Against EVs – It Must End
By Edward A. Sanchez – Feb. 8, 2021
The fear or resistance to EVs is usually based in one of three things: nostalgia, ignorance, or resistance to change. I’d like to address the second of those. Following is an actual comment from a LinkedIn post I saw in response to a post made by John McElroy, the well-known host of the web show “Autoline Detroit.” I’m not going to call out the commenter by name, but you’re free to read it yourself at this link.
Here’s the comment: “Driving is still an emotional experience for many. I believe it will remain that way. Engine grumble is part of that experience. Not everyone bought a Prius and many never will.”
Not once in McElroy’s post are hybrids or the Prius mentioned. He makes the argument that GM’s all-in effort with EVs may not be prudent, considering GM’s mixed history in making broad, sweeping decisions, such as making almost its entire passenger car lineup front-wheel-drive in the mid-late 1980s, when rivals such as Ford took a more targeted approach and poached sales from them in some segments.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard the Prius called out as the spindly, taped-glasses weakling nerd posterchild of EVs. Let’s get something straight once and for all: The Prius is a hybrid, not an EV. Although for petrolheads steeped in nostalgia, and muscle car meetups with varsity jackets and twangy guitar music, the difference between hybrids and EVs may seem inconsequential. But for those who have had any hands-on experience between the two, the difference is stark and immediately apparent.
If your point of reference is the ill-fated Sebring-Vanguard CitiCar, then the stereotype of low-powered and wimpy is a valid one. A more recent example, the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, also is hardly the embodiment of high performance with a 0-60mph time of 13.5 seconds. But who other than a few dedicated car nerds even remembers these two?
More pertinent examples would be the Chevrolet Bolt, Tesla Model S, X, and 3, the Volkswagen e-Golf, and the Ford Focus Electric. Each of these run 0-60 in less than 10 seconds. And in the case of the Bolt and all Tesla models, that number is substantially less.
The Toyota Prius Prime plugs in, but that does not an EV make.
The point I’m getting at is if you’re throwing shade at EVs for being slow, using the Prius as an example is tantamount to saying, “I don’t like tofu because an orange is a fruit.” For the sake of us all, drive a newer EV, and for the record, again, the Prius is not an EV. No, not even the Prius Prime, but it’s getting closer. If you still think EVs are wimpy, overgrown golf carts after that, then you can make your EV-hating comments and pine for the good ol’ days of Holley 750 CFM double-pumpers and open headers.
If you say, “I’ve ridden in/driven one of the new Teslas. The acceleration is impressive, no doubt, but there’s no ‘soul’ – it’s just very cold and sterile. I prefer the character of internal combustion,” I may disagree with your comment, but I can respect and understand it. But please stop disparaging EVs if your yardstick is the Prius.
(Images courtesy Toyota)
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