Minneapolis / Rybak's plug-in car doesn't go far

St Paul Pioneer Press ^ | 12/11/2007 | Tim Nelson

[dave k]

Not sure if you’re a movie buff, but didn’t Richard Dreyfuss (major lefty actor) drive one of those things at the beginning of “American Graffiti”?

Kinda funny, cuz the entire movie centered around the early 60’s cruising scene (REAL cars burning about 8 mpg!!!), and Dreyfuss is shown later in the film trying to get the thing to start again.

Again, the irony is funny, as when I think of a leftist driving an enviro-friendly vehicle, I immediately think of Richard Dreyfuss in that movie...not sure why (?).

[dave k]

Couldn’t have happened to a better politician in Minnesota, that’s for sure...:-)

[thackney]

he converted his city car, a Toyota Prius, to plug-in electric hybrid technology.
If it's plug in only, I don't think it's a hybrid. But I wouldn't expect a liberal reporter to know the difference.

It is not plug-in only, it is a plug-in hybrid. But he occasionally needs to put gasoline in the fuel tank once in a while.

As long as he stayed with very short trips, he could get by on battery only from the plug-in conversion. But as a hybrid, not an all electric vehicle, it has a smaller battery.