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One of the less discussed challenges hybrids have is technophobia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technophobia). This is not exactly what the term means, but I see a lot of people that love what early 21st-century technology can do, but are way too intellectually lazy to understand it. For example, I deal with people in an IT environment that are adverse to understanding complexity that exceeds a fast food business. :rolleyes:

Back to hybrids (and hypermiling in general). It took a few months to learn most of the nuisances that allows my Insight to get exceptional fuel economy. Yes, you can drive it like another car, but not to maximum effect. It's just like there are millions of golfers, but Tiger Woods has skills and techniques that make him stand above the rest. Fortunately, hypermilling does not require that level of talent, but suffice to say, a little effort is required. ;)

Too many people just want to hop in their vehicle and go somewhere without thinking about the most effective way of getting there. Stuff like charging to a stop light, driving agressively at an uneven pace, not listening to the dashboard. I attribute this to a couple of things. Education can change some of this behavior - some honestly don't know a better way. Harder to change is the spoiled brat mentality of wanting it both ways - driving agressively then whining about the gas pump prices.

...and that is where brilliant engineering separates from merely good engineering or cool technology- when the benefits are reaped despite a human's best efforts to the contrary.

Brilliantly engineered hybrids would get everyone great mileage regardless of operator input, (for the most part), and CR wouldn't be able to get the crummy numbers they get- the car simply wouldn't allow it. Brilliant engineering overcomes human inertia/laziness.

I agree that the general "need" to drive inefficiently may stem from laziness, as hypermiling requires the effort to make the transition. My perspective is that the majority of the effort isn't so much understanding the technology as fighting the impulses and habits that our driving culture promotes. Most of us started driving before fuel prices were an issue, which meant that all we had to worry about was getting where we were going as quickly as possible. Some don't care, but most are used to getting irritated any time we come up behind someone not going 75 in a 65, climbing a hill slowly, or not mashing the gas to get up to speed. Hypermiling requires a transition from hating that guy to being that guy. It doesn't help that we are early in what I see as a transitional period, and 95%+ of drivers still want use to get the bleep out of the way. So we must work to learn the technology (hybrid or conventional), fight our old habits, and fight the rest of the population that doesn't understand what we are doing. You have to be a zen master just to remain calm, at least in the early stages.

Fortunately humans are more adaptable than we sometimes admit. I don't see this as a problem that we will have forever, but the general public will need some time and a bit more motivation. We still have it pretty good in North America. My recommendation is that we lead by example and educate all who are willing to learn, as this forum has done for me. When they are ready they will come.

....Brilliantly engineered hybrids would get everyone great mileage regardless of operator input, (for the most part), and CR wouldn't be able to get the crummy numbers they get- the car simply wouldn't allow it. Brilliant engineering overcomes human inertia/laziness.

I'll agree to an extent that hybrids can be engineered to get great fuel economy easier, but nothing can overcome a lead foot. Engineering can't overcome agressive driving - counciling might.

Nothings going to happen untill the oils gone.

Just at my office there are 2ea 3/4 ton trucks, 1ea. 1 ton truck, 3ea. 1/2 ton trucks. 1ea. ridgeline, A jeep liberty, a sebrining, camry and my little civic.

These are folks daily drivers. They whine about fuel prices. And blame everybody and thing but themselves.

There not going to go buy a hybrid muchless a small car. There going down with the fuel.

They just flat dont care. I look outside and see my little civic among giants. There will come a point when I cant afford to drive the civic the way things are going.

Its been forcast that gas will be $3.00 a gallon by the end of May here if not higher. Dosent phase them abit. Most are looking to trade up to a bigger monster the higher gas prices go so they can get them cheap.

98% of North America flat dosent care. There not going to change the cars they drive and there not going to change the way they drive.

Three of us had to go to a job site yesterday to check on some special pipe thats being install at the University of Oklahoma health sci. division. I had Civic yesterday and offered to drive. We went in a modified, 3/4 ton twin turbo King Ranch f-250. Three adult men, 3ea hard hats and one bag of tools. But we had to go in the monster truck.

Nothings going to change until its gone. I stand by my belief that humans are near worthless and by fare one of the damed stupidist creatures on the face of the earth.

Long Live The Monkeys!!!!!

well if there's 4 men and their gear, the truck is the obvious choice, no one is going to squeeze into your puny civic let alone yours has less rear leg room than mine!

As for the technophobia at first I thought you guys were talking about music hehe... but then its just to understanding the technology right? My theory is if you weren't exposed to tech when you were young then chances are any hope of you grasping the knowledge is from zero to bar none.

Experience speaks for itself, if you lack that when you were young what makes you think you take ahold of it in the future?

Experience speaks for itself, if you lack that when you were young what makes you think you take ahold of it in the future?

Write off elders at your own peril....I know lots of grand and great-grandparents who are pretty technically savvy, despite being 60 before the PC was even invented, VCRs were affordable, or touchtone dialing was common (or affordable, either). Their kids were grown before color TV was even common.

At the very least take what they offer and shift it within your own context, but don't dismiss them.

...As for the technophobia at first I thought you guys were talking about music hehe...

I made a hit on them when I Googled. :D

I'd bet as a rule, the last generation or two drove better than we do now. :o

I made a hit on them when I Googled. :D

I'd bet as a rule, the last generation or two drove better than we do now. :o

I remember watching a Disney cartoon from the 40s- one of those one's with Mr. Goofy, showing how not to behave. It was about driving civilly, saving fuel, and being considerate, then showing Goofy and a bunch of others turning a freeway into a demolition derby.

Sort of like those quotes you catch now and again about some scourge that sound ripped from the headlines, but actually came from Jefferson, or Henry VIII, or Aristotle... 'better' and 'going to hell iin a handbasket' are highly subjective criteria.

But overall, as objectively as possible, I would lean towards yes, the asbolute magnitude of driving was probably better in the past, when fewer drove, had to take care of what they had for longer, and were usually more restrained in public behavior.

i was speaking as more of a majority, its rare to find old folks techy savy. I'm not saying they don't exsit, their a minority... in the future when WE become old that indeed will change that statement.

Just stating the facts that's all. If it encourages you to prove me wrong even better that's the whole point of it.

well if there's 4 men and their gear, the truck is the obvious choice, no one is going to squeeze into your puny civic let alone yours has less rear leg room than mine!

phil

It was three men,, 3 hard hats and one small bag of tools. A 15 min. city drive. We took a 8 mpg truck for nothing.

Well phy you have to take into the account that the truck is a more comfotable ride and the tradeoff for comfort is worth it. If you can prove to them how much you can actually save (like drive the truck with the scangauge and make comparison with the civic) then maybe they'll take your word for it.

Right now I bet they think the savings are in dollars, but we are trying to show hundreds or thousands because they'll never drive like they way they do ever again.

Gonavy my previous quote was not to put elders down, I'm just telling you what I experienced in my eyes, and that my eyes may be proven wrong with my comments boiling your own blood. Grandparents are lucky because at least they have the young ones to help them learn about the computer. Activities like that any elder can enjoy because its called spending time with your relatives. The people I'm talking about are those who are at it alone, and are wanting to learn because they think its too hard, or its not worth it because it offers them nothing. Well if they truly believe that then they are missing one of the best tools ever to hit mankind.

Without it none of us wouldn't be here, or even can imagine how many types of clubs or forums was created thanks to the internet. Simply amazing

but no elders don't wish to learn because its not just dealing with something so complex, its because the language they can barely grasp it themselfs. And this is coming from a oreitental perspective.

See where I'm coming from? But I encourage elders to use the comp, they offer us something that we youngins are lacking. Life experience.

Hi All:

___As for our elder’s, many of us are fast approaching that distinction ourselves ;)

___I have read stories about FAS’ing from the 20 and 30’s and the Saab freewheeler’s from the 40’s or 50’s! We can learn a lot from those around us that are older and with a vastly greater life experience. They may not be able to put together a PC from a MB to HD and OS install but they did create the Atom bomb, TV, VCR, and sent men to the moon with not much more then a slide rule!

___Good Luck

___Wayne