lucky1
08-15-2008, 08:43 PM
Thursday I was in my taxi and someone stopped to ask me about the Prius and wanted to know how I liked it. (This happens several times a day as everyone seems to be curious about the hybrids.)
I told him everything I like about the car and pointed out that having 2 Prius cabs is saving me $20,000 a year on fuel.
He told me that he had been talking to Taxi owners in Vancouver and had gotten the same positive response.
When I commented that he seemed to know a lot about the hybrids he replied by saying, I should I was hired by Toyota to help design the hybrid motor.
We talked for a few minutes and I thanked him for helping design these great motors that are doing so much for the environment (and my wallet)
He asked me for my phone number so that he could ask me more questions about how the motor is holding up under taxi conditions.
I took his business card (he is now a Professor of engineering at a Canadian university) and he said I could e-mail or phone him if I have any questions about the motor.
Funny thing was he told me that Toyota gave him a Prius and he wasn't getting any more than 50 mpg until the Taxi drivers in Japan showed him how to "pulse and glide". He helped design the motor and really didn't understand it's full potential before he was shown how to pulse and glide.
I told him everything I like about the car and pointed out that having 2 Prius cabs is saving me $20,000 a year on fuel.
He told me that he had been talking to Taxi owners in Vancouver and had gotten the same positive response.
When I commented that he seemed to know a lot about the hybrids he replied by saying, I should I was hired by Toyota to help design the hybrid motor.
We talked for a few minutes and I thanked him for helping design these great motors that are doing so much for the environment (and my wallet)
He asked me for my phone number so that he could ask me more questions about how the motor is holding up under taxi conditions.
I took his business card (he is now a Professor of engineering at a Canadian university) and he said I could e-mail or phone him if I have any questions about the motor.
Funny thing was he told me that Toyota gave him a Prius and he wasn't getting any more than 50 mpg until the Taxi drivers in Japan showed him how to "pulse and glide". He helped design the motor and really didn't understand it's full potential before he was shown how to pulse and glide.