Hybrid-car advocate offers conventioneers a free ride

[wdlove]

Aim is to showcase environmental benefit


By Wendy Lee, Globe Correspondent *|* July 7, 2004


A Cambridge entrepreneur is offering delegates to the Democratic National Convention who support increased use of alternative energy a chance to vote with their seats.

R. Seth Riney, 30, is founder of and driver for PlanetTran, a four-car fleet of hybrid-powered livery vehicles -- 55-mile-per-gallon Toyota Prius cars. Delegates will be able to get free rides in them to two events sponsored by the Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Conventions, a Boston group that's pushing for environmentally sensitive practices at this year's GOP and Democratic conventions.

Riney said the Democratic convention, July 26-29 in Boston, is an important opportunity to show off his company's service.

''My mission isn't just to make $50 off of driving someone to the airport," said Riney, who has invested $40,000 in the two-year-old company. ''I have a broader mission to show the world, starting with Cambridge and Boston and Massachusetts, that this technology is useful and other people should consider it. What grander stage to exemplify than at the convention?"

http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2004/07/07/hybrid_car_advocate_offers_conventioneers_a_free_ride/

 

[MacFan26]

Cool, my dad has a Prius. They're really awesome cars, seriously, I don't understand why people buy Hummers.

 

[sirlan]

I've seen 1 or 2 Prius' around here. If there wasn't a waiting list at the time, I would've considered one of those but ended up with my Civic Hybrid instead because they had exactly what I wanted on the lot.

 

[MacFan26]

I've seen 1 or 2 Prius' around here. If there wasn't a waiting list at the time, I would've considered one of those but ended up with my Civic Hybrid instead because they had exactly what I wanted on the lot.

Yeah, those things are tough to get, my dad happenend to just kind of be in the right place at the right time. I've heard Toyota's planning on shipping more units here, I hope that's right since there's such a high demand.

 

[jsw]

I've heard that the Prius is sort of a loss-leader for Toyota - that they either lose money or make no money selling them, and that the main purpose is to prime the pump, as it were, for future hybrid Toyota/Lexus products. That might explain the scarcity - Toyota wants just enough of them to fuel (no pun intended) interest.

 

[wdlove]

Cool, my dad has a Prius. They're really awesome cars, seriously, I don't understand why people buy Hummers.

How would you consider the Prius for head and leg room? Consider that the person is 6' 8" as passenger and diver is 6' 1".

 

[MacFan26]

How would you consider the Prius for head and leg room? Consider that the person is 6' 8" as passenger and diver is 6' 1".

Well, my dad's only 5'10", but he has a friend that is 6'2" and was really impressed with the room. The leg room is good too, even in the back. I'm only 5'7", so I guess I can't complain

 

[Dros]

How would you consider the Prius for head and leg room? Consider that the person is 6' 8" as passenger and diver is 6' 1".

I'm 6' 2" and it felt roomy to me as a driver. Of course, I drive a Honda Civic 2 door right now and think that feels fine as well, so take it as you will. The new version of the Prius is well into the mid-size category for interior room, and it seems tall as well. It is a few inches shorter for headroom than a small SUV, and 0.5" less legroom.

Prius
Headroom (Front)
39.1
Legroom (Front)
41.9

Rav4
Headroom (Front)
41.3
Legroom (Front)
42.4

 

[wdlove]

I'm 6' 2" and it felt roomy to me as a driver. Of course, I drive a Honda Civic 2 door right now and think that feels fine as well, so take it as you will. The new version of the Prius is well into the mid-size category for interior room, and it seems tall as well. It is a few inches shorter for headroom than a small SUV, and 0.5" less legroom.

Prius
Headroom (Front)
39.1
Legroom (Front)
41.9

Rav4
Headroom (Front)
41.3
Legroom (Front)
42.4

My wife had a Rav4 before the current Volvo. It wasn't all that comfortable. We will just need to go a take a test drive.