Toyota Prius Owners Remain Calm Amongst East Coast Fuel Crisis

Toyota Prius owners are among some of the calmest vehicle owners when it comes to fuel price increases. The recent surge in the cost of gasoline has sent many "regular" car owners in a frenzy buying up gasoline in bulk.

The crisis is causing mass panic and even some fights at local fuel stations. So why are Prius owners so calm? They know a few things other vehicle owners do not.

Prius Owners Know How Much It Costs To Fuel Their Car
As a Toyota Prius owner myself, I am very aware of what it takes to fill up my car with gasoline. One of my most recent ventures landed me at a gas station paying $3.75 for fuel, but I was not worried. Why? My Prius only needed 9 gallons of fuel.

Nine multiplied by 3.75 is 33.75 for some quick math there. Filling the tank at 50 mpg can land me 450 miles with some reserve if needed.

Knowing the cost to fill my tank is a huge relief that I can still take my family out and not have to worry so much about the cost of fuel. I also do not have to worry so much about where I get fuel either. .25 cents up or down does not have too much impact on my pocketbook.

Prius Owners Know How To Stretch Each Mile
Hypermiling or learning how to drive a Prius significantly helps in the overall consumption of fuel. As some call it, pulse driving can yield a Prius owner up to an additional 5 miles per gallon or more, depending on the health of the car and hybrid battery.

Hypermiling is nothing new; semi-truck drivers use this skill. Prius and other hybrid owners more widely adopt it because of the ability to leverage regenerative braking.

When the energy is stored in the battery, Prius owners can drive on electric-only for short distances. Even though the distances are short, all that adds up over the distance traveled.

As a bonus, Prius owners (not Gen 1 though) can sit at a stoplight, with the engine off and the A/C on, using no fuel. That battery sure comes in handy when it is hot outside.

Conclusion
Do Prius owners need to worry about a fuel crisis? Yes, if there is NO fuel, then that is an issue, but with many fueling stations placing restrictions on the amount of fuel you can purchase, there is no fear.

If you consider getting into a Prius, expect to pay a premium right now for one. The cars always go up in price when fuel surges. Look around for one that may need a little TLC, and you could be sitting on a gold mine.

That is all for today. I look forward to seeing you in the following article. Want to know what Prius owners talk about the most? Take a look here.

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Peter Neilson is an automotive consultant specializing in electric cars and hybrid battery technologies. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Automotive Service Technology from Weber State University. Peter can be reached on Linkedin and you can tweet him at The_hybrid_guy on Twitter. Find his page on Facebook at Certified Auto Consulting. Read more of Peter's stories at Toyota news coverage on Torque News. Search Toyota Prius Torque News for more in depth Prius coverage from our reporters.