[Chemist_Geek]

The latter here with me in PA and I expect to be home, 650 miles away in nine or ten hours and on less than one tank of fuel.

Not bad at all! (As opposed to the gas hog fan speed freaks, who would burn roughly 40 gallons of gas on the same trip...) What volume tank does the Jetta have? On the same trip, my Prius would have to stop once for gas 'cause of its 11 gallon tank.

[Sgt_Schultze]

Don't your batteries require periodic recharge? If yes, how much oil/coal/natural gas is burned to supply the electric current needed to recussitate your batteries? Isn't that simply "moving" the fossil-fuel consumption from the place of use to the place of production?

[dhuffman@awod.com]

Since it's been a while since I checked, I think they're both 14.5 gallons nominal. The NB struggles to make 49 mpg while the Jetta makes 55+ at speed. The difference is due to aerodynamics I assume.

I'm ex-Navy nuke and spent my career as civilian Rx eng. I agree that they'd find something to complain about. Try bicycling. I ride a recumbent.