VIC LEIPZIG and LOU MURRAY -- Natural Perspective

We predict that by the time this column is printed, the current

Mideast crisis will have pushed gasoline prices at the pump higher than a

mosque in Mecca and that the monthly fuel bill for your sport utility

vehicle will equal the car payment.

Sometimes it takes a fuel crisis to force people to look at

alternatives to the giant gas guzzlers that have entrenched themselves in

our hearts and on our highways. But what choices are there?

Totally nonpolluting vehicles called zero-emission, electric vehicles

are available, but, unfortunately, they’re not practical yet. They are

horribly expensive, have a short driving range and require plug-ins for

recharging. But theyare no longer the only option for a fuel efficient,

clean-burning mode of transportation.

Hybrid electric vehicles have arrived in the form of the Toyota Prius

and the Honda Insight, which are quick, quiet vehicles that run on both

electricity and gasoline. There is nothing to plug in because the

gasoline engine recharges the electric motor automatically while you

drive.

We were given the privilege of test-driving a Toyota Prius this summer

before its launch. What? You didn’t know about the Prius, one of the

cleanest burning cars on the road? That’s because Toyota launched its

honking big Tundra truck with huge fanfare while the Prius quietly

slipped onto the market unnoticed by almost everyone except environmental

groups. The Sierra Club noticed. They awarded the Prius its prestigious

Excellence in Environmental Engineering Award this year, an award also

given to the Honda Insight.

We gave the Prius a big thumbs up for low emissions, fuel efficiency

and overall practicality. Unlike the small Honda Insight, which seats

only two people and has a manual transmission, the Prius is a roomy

four-door sedan that seats five and has an automatic transmission. It has

terrific headroom, a feature Vic liked, and a smooth, continuously

variable transmission, a feature I liked. With a top speed of 105 mph, a

range of 600 miles on one tank of gas, and a sticker price of about

$20,000, the Prius is a car environmentalists will love. It has great

styling too. In fact, the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art featured the

Prius in an exhibit in New York this summer.

Hybrid electric vehicles get excellent mileage. The Honda Insight gets

61 mpg in the city and a whopping 70 mpg on the highway. The Prius gets

52 mpg in the city and 45 mpg on the highway. Surprisingly, the Prius

gets better mileage in stop and go traffic than on the open road. That’s

because of its regenerative braking system. When the car is coasting or

when you apply the brakes, the electric motor acts as a generator and

captures the energy that would otherwise be wasted. This means that the

more traffic is backed up on the freeway, the better mileage you’ll get.

That might almost compensate for the frustration of a SIG alert.

If you’re concerned about clean air -- and everyone who wants to avoid

asthma and lung cancer should be -- you’ll be happy to know that the

Prius beats California’s Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle standards. In fact,

the Prius is 75% cleaner than the standards, making it a Super Ultra Low

Emission Vehicle, a rare rating shared by Honda’s Accord EX. The Insight,

while it gets better mileage than the Prius, creates more emissions and

is classified as a Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle.

If the sticker shock of filling up your gas tank gets to you, look at

the new hybrid electric vehicles. The Toyota Prius may be the best car on

the market for those who want a practical, comfortable car with the

combination of super ultra low emissions and high fuel efficiency.* VIC

LEIPZIG and LOU MURRAY are Huntington Beach residents and

environmentalists. They can be reached at o7 [email protected] .