The plug in prius is a strange beast. Promised by Toyota many times and not yet on the market, many owners (like me) have taken the time and energy to convert their own 2004-2009 Prius to a plug-in hybrid. There are even companies who, if you have enough money, will convert your Prius to a plug in without you worrying about doing it yourself.
Jerry Asher is amongst one of the increasingly large number of lucky souls who has a prius which you can plug in at night. He loved the idea of the plug in Prius so much that he decided to drive his PHEV prius (called the Spirit of DC) around all forty-eight of the mainland US states to highlight the good a plug in vehicle can do to the economy, the environment and the security of the USA. (Of course, it also helps in the UK, but we’re a bit behind and only have a few dozen PHEV prius in the whole country, of which two – mine is one – are DIY converted.)

As my regular readers will know, I’m currently visiting family on the East Coast of the USA. While I’ve been here I’ve been noticing the differences between the UK and USA cultures from things as diverse as eating out and shopping to travel and environmental issues.
Now, before I go any further I feel duty-bound to put a mini-disclaimer here. I know the USA is a gargantuan country, encompassing many different communities and lifestyles. But I feel that the generalization I’m about to make holds good enough for most of the country that I won’t feel bad making it. Not only that, but the generalisation I’m about to make holds true for my home country and most of Europe just as much as it is true for North America.

The car is king.

For serious EV enthusiasts who want full size vehicles which go fast and far there’s nothing more irritating than a joke EV making the headlines. It’s important for car makers to get new and exciting electric vehicles out in the public eye, but only if the vehicles in question give EVs a good name. But to put it bluntly the GM/Segway PUMA prototype looked no more than a complete joke when it hit the news earlier this week.

Unveiled as an early prototype at the New York Autoshow, the little two-wheeled, self balancing personal transport vehicle can carry two people at up to 30 mph around town for up to 35 miles. 

If you stopped by yesterday you’ll have seen part one in my two part article on how to save money (and drive more efficiently) in your current car. Regardless of what that is, be it a big SUV, a hybrid or an electric city car, being smart about how you drive can help make your pennies go that little bit further. And if you don’t already own a fuel efficient car due to their higher sticker prices then following these tips will help you get that new ultra-efficient model that everyone is raving about a bit sooner.

In part one I concentrated on the ways in which you can make sure that every trip you make is as efficient as possible by reading the road ahead, planning your journeys, keeping your car in top shape and making sure you don’t carry unnecessary weight. In part two I’m going to examine the ways in which you can change the way you make your trips. And no, I’m not going to ask you to sell your car.
_{More top tips for fuel efficient driving after the jump!}