http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2...12/024914.html

Yippiee!

Bob Wilson

 

Excellent, now all we need is that bill to pass where hybrids produced in the US gets more federal tax credit (on top of the current hybrid credit).

[edit - fixed link]

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c109:H.R.4458.IH:

 

I would like a factory tour.

 

Do I gather that you need coaxing to buy a US product?

 

Excellent idea!
Perhaps we can work up some sort of hybrid gathering and coordinate a factory tour and mileage rally?

This is not too far from Huntsville either!

YIPPIEE!!! Road Trip!!!

Anyone who wants to work on this with me, please contact me via message or e-mail. I'll need to know how close you are to Georgtown KY (aka., Lexington, KY), a brief introduction and what sort of task you feel comfortable taking on:

1) coordination with plant - myself also:

http://www.toyotageorgetown.com/tour.asp

2) location of event, aka. hotel/motel/park - ??
3) mapping road rally and route, laying out route and rules - ??
4) sponsors - ??
5) communications - ??
6) program, aka., papers, booths, presentations - ??

If we get enough volunteers, I'll start a posting in Events and we'll coordinate from there. Meanwhile, I'll see if I can contact the plant about a group tour and/or open house. For planning purposes, I'd like to recommend the weekend following the 2007 Tour de Sol, probably May 25-27, 2007.

Comments? Suggestions?

Bob Wilson

 

Your link seems to be broken, occ. What bill was that? Who sponsored it? What was in it? Should we start a letter-writing campaign?

 

Opps...appologized, I didnt test out the link before posting...

Here's the right one (I'll edit the previous post as well)

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c109:H.R.4458.IH:


I would contribuite to a letter writing campaign...we will probably be in the market for another car in about 2yrs (my est. of when our other gas car will die) just for my commute, and it will be a high FE vehicle....whether just a small regular gas subcompact, or better yet, another hybrid if economics allows it! And I would love to get into the TCH a few years from now!

 

Heh heh...yup...Made in USA, has the Toyota Brand, AND it's a hybrid! What's more can one ask.?? oh yeah, another tax credit.

 

Ah. I see it now. Um, there's a problem, however. Two problems, really. One- that bill was introduced in 2005. It hasn't even been discussed in committee. That effectively means it's dead. Two- it was introduced by a Democrat (Rahm Emanuel of Illinois- a good guy, very hybrid friendly), so unless Congress changes hands in November, the bill doesn't have a chance in the world of passing. Not given the way Hastert runs the House-- it would pretty much go against his rules. Now, if it had so much as one environmentally responsible Republican cosponsor, there'd be a slim chance... but frankly, I'm thinking we'd better hold off on that letter-writing campaign until the Democrats retake the House.

Thanks for the link to the bill, though- it's interesting to get a sense of the ideas floating around Washington, because given the right political circumstances, we might hear them again later.

 

Re: the plant tour: I am now near Toledo OH but probably will be somewhere else next May. Sooner might be better for me. If we went *soon* we could see some fall foliage.

It would be fun to plan a road course but we would need to coordinate with someone local for the route choice. I can make (another) profile map. Could make presentation on several topics but the classic Prius is *such old news* now! Does the Camry hybrid use the 'double planetary' drivetrain like the Highlander & Lexus?

DAS