Re: What's the verdict on the Prius?

Including design in the analysis is valid, ignoring design is just silly. The hope, however, is that you recoup this on later designs that are hopefully easier because they become mainstream. If they chose to not include these figures on all cars, especially the car against which they are comparing, that is deeper than wrong.

The next version will recoup the costs with respect to design.

What is the state of recycling the materials used in a Prius?

Don't worry about the report. As with all things, your usage will vary. If most of your driving is highway, well, then you would have been just as well off (or better off) with something else. If you do a lot of city driving, a hybrid is difficult to beat. Your mix of driving will determine your return.

If people bother you too much, ride your bike, use public transportation when possible.

Although more energy was likely used for dust to dust to go from conception (meaning before design) to the death of the car, I had a few other thoughts on this...

1. The Prius is more popular than expected, so the design phase can be spread over more cars than they likely did in the report.

2. The type of energy used is different for driving (oil) than in manufacturing.

3. If someone makes fun of you,ask them if they believe in global warming. If they do not, a larger carbon footprint may not matter to them anyway.