Comment Computer TCO as metaphor for cars, simple green (Score 1) 231
I was appalled at the ineffectiveness of some "green" cars at things that matter to me, once I started independent research, ownership and maintenance calculations with simple T.C.O. ratios, like miles/dollar, range/charge-time-fuel, procedures/year, user/dealer procedures, cabin temp change/minute, cargo door size/cargo volume, etc. For my 150-mile round-trip Wash D.C. commute, I started out looking at hybrids, including the Volt, looked at Smart. I came to the same conclusion, get a conventional-engined Yaris. It's not "celebrity-green" but rather "simple green" and a beautifully functional, easy to maintain car for a consultant that occasionally needs to carry cargo and slip into tight downtown parking and tight traffic and avoid a lot of ownership/dealership hassles.