This weekend I got to drive my friend Becky's Toyota Prius. I don't know if they have the same low-emissions vehicles over in the UK but in the US (particularly California) they are becoming increasingly popular (thank goodness). The Prius seems to be the best in class for this breed of vehicle and there is a waiting list for them.
They are quite impressive, the idea with the Prius is that there is an electric motor that runs off batteries and then when it needs assistance the gasoline engine kicks it to give it that extra boost (and to charge the battery). When you come to a stop the braking is used to generated power and charge the batteries and when you are at a stop the gasoline engine is off completely - all is quiet, clean and peaceful.
The really amazing thing about the Prius was how tricked out it was with nice little electronic gadgets. You don't need to put the key in the lock, because it can just sense the key in your pocket and know that it should unlock the door. You don't need to put the key in the ignition because it senses the key is still right there in your pocket. There's no cranking up of the engine, you just press a button (like turning on the TV) and flick a mini-gear lever into forward or rear and away you go.
The GPS system is great too. A nice bright display and they really have the technology quite refined now. It picked the best route to the destination, it recalculated the route when we took a variance from the route, it new that the destination was on the opposite side of the street and the street was divided so we had to do a U turn. I was very impressed. Plus the instructions come in a nice, non-annoying female voice. Who needs human friends when your car will talk to you as it guides you from your home to work each morning.
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