From Philip Harper
George Monbiot does his argument no favour by trying to slate the Toyota Prius using a quadruply invalid comparison with the most frugal of the range of Peugeot 205s (23/30 December 2006, p 25). The 205 was a “supermini” and the Prius is a saloon. He compares just highway fuel consumptions, ignoring the fact that the Prius, unlike other cars, maintains its low consumption in urban driving. The 205 was a diesel and the Prius runs on petrol, which produces about 13 per cent less CO2 per unit volume of fuel. Worst of all, Monbiot compares the Prius’s consumption in miles per US gallon with the 205’s in miles per imperial gallon.
The editor writes:
• The piece did confuse US and imperial gallons. Sorry. The Prius’s highway consumption of 51 miles per US gallon is 61 miles per imperial gallon; and www.fueleconomy.gov lists it as achieving 60 mpUSg (72 mpg) in city driving.
Solihull, West Midlands, UK
