New hybrid Crown limos announced
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- Date published:
10:42 am, October 23rd, 2007 - 25 comments
Categories: climate change -
Tags: climate change
In an effort to play an even larger part in the fight against global warming the New Zealand government today announced the purchase of 20 specially produced Toyota Prius Hybrid limousines.
These fuel efficient, environmentally friendlier vehicles will gradually replace the current crop of Ministerial vehicles.
The car will seat up to ten people and will have plenty of room to accommodate even the largest of our representatives.
Despite its increased size and weight, the hybrid still manages a remarkable fuel efficiency of around 4.7L per 100km.
Here’s the link.
25 comments on “New hybrid Crown limos announced ”
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well that is a great initiative. for key it would be a real come-down though, having to drive in one of those.
Why does the Crown have limos?
This looks like bullshit. Where’s the link to the government announcement, all your base? The car you linked to was a one-off build.
There’s no way the government would buy twenty stretch priuses. A 1.5 litre engine can’t transport the PM at 170kph.
And here I was thinking that a long weekend would have cheered you up IP. Where’s that famous sense of humour? 🙂
Daveo – I guess it’s a legit question to ask why ministerial services lays on limosines for ministers. The answer is convenience, security and professionalism. Ministerial diaries are jammed packed and to get from appointment to appointment ministers need a reliable form of transport. Ministers also read (and leave) papers in the cars and make secure phone calls from the cars. It is therefore very important that minister have complete confidence in the driver’s discretion.
Finally, VIP drivers are trained in offensive driving which is good from a security perspective.
4.7l/100km – that’s impressive for a vehicle that has other design priorites along with fuel effiency – good choice (and good on the Greeens for making an issue of it in the first place).
Daveo – the Crown has a small fleet of limos and has done forever.
They are used to transport ministers, the leader of the Opposition (I believe, remember Key taking little Aroha up to Waitangi in a chauffer-driven limo? I don’t think it was his private one, may of been), foreign guests of state, and sometimes other VIPs.
Why are Ministers chaffeur-driven when on offical business? So they can work while travelling, and drivers are trained for driving in emergency situations.
Why limos? So that the Minister and advisors, or parties of VIPs can be transported comforatably, enabling them to work and not be tired from travelling when they arrive at their destinations.
With all the travelling senior politicans msut undertake its a good use of taxpayers’ money to ensure that they can work while travelling and aren’t so strung out that they can’t perform at their peak when they arrive.
Baseman – obviously you are too funny for your acolytes!
Actually, I think that Aunty Helen may need to order a few of these if the terrorists get bail
http://www.securityprousa.com/armepuleb6bu.html
“Baseman – obviously you are too funny for your acolytes!”
Acolytes belong to the cult of “personality” that is the National Party blog. The Standard has participants. Because of the multi-author format, there is no one dominant voice here. It’s rather refreshing!
And as for being taken in by the post, I was too on a first quick read, because this is the sort of thing that I feel the Government should be doing.
And armoured limos? – may it never reach that point in NZ…
Oh boo
Was dying to write “Parker pimps the PM’s Prius”.
“Parker pimps the PM’s Prius”
Hah! You so shoulda…
Actually, I do believe I read a story over the weekend in that great organ of state, the Sunday News, (via special delivery to the Nth Pole) that the ‘clean’ vehicles up for evaluation didn’t ‘make the grade’ for various reasons, including inelegant exists for skirt-wearing back-seat passengers (now theres are horrible thought). Maybe the next lot will be Holden Statesman’s converted to wind power?
Other options for consideration:
When the girls are out… http://www.pinkhummerlimo.co.uk/
For squiring the farmers… http://www.offroaders.com/readers/images1/TexasTruck.jpg
“via special delivery to the Nth Pole”
If you live at the Pole, Mr Clawz, you should have a particular interest in reducing the impact of climate change. When the last of the ice melts you and the elves are going to be all at sea.
Only a car like that could make Helen look attractive by comparision.
Nice contribution Trent. You’re onto a winner with that one.
Whenever I see the limos they are usually stacked up at Wgtn airport taking one minister each, and they are usually reading the paper or staring mindlessly out of the window.
Car pooling by ministers would be a good first efficiency step
The Prius is one of the worlds greatest environmental jokes. The additional damage done to the environment during its construction far outweighs the savings in fuel consumption.
Then there’s the additional issue of what to do with all that extra harmful gunk left over from the massive battery when you scrap the car at the end of it’s life… but nobody likes to talk about that around here.
“but nobody likes to talk about that around here.”
Why would we not want to talk about that? I for one am not married to the Prius. If there are more environmentally friendly options out there – what are they? Tell us about it…
I’ve found in the past that making disparaging remarks about the Prius is generally met with a chorus of disdain from those of a ‘green’ persuasion. And lets face it, thestandard.org does have quite a few of those…
Anyway, getting back on track; The Volkswagen Polo is the first one that comes to mind as a more fuel efficient car (and shock horror – it’s a diesel!).
I don’t have the figures on hand, but I am led to believe that some of the small French and Italian cars (Fiats, Renaults etc) as well as a lot of Asian makes (Diahatsu, Hyundai etc) all produce small cars with the same, or similar to the point of statistical discrepancy, fuel consumption as the over-hyped Prius
Phil – “enerally met with a chorus of disdain”
Well I for one would rather be driven by facts than by hype – and I suspect that many others here feel the same. So thanks for those initial pointers…
This is probably the lowest emissions possibility which is conveniently available in a biofuelled model
http://tinyurl.com/yo3nyt
Of course air bags are fitted in case of the worst….
http://tinyurl.com/2zohyj
Fire away Phil. From the little Googling I’ve done you’re right. “Whole of life” carbon footprint hurts the Prius.
“Although the petrol-electric Prius appeared in twelfth position, it was held back by its whole-life environmental impact, researchers said. The message here is – small and lightweight is the best way to reduce environmental impact.”
(http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/news.php?sid=1081&page=1)
That said, I guess the fact that Toyota has managed to bring the Prius to market will help to refine the technology. My understanding is also that because NZ is in the privileged position of generating the vast majority of its power renewably, electric cars make a lot of environmental sense for us – if not immediately, in the not-too-distant future.
Claws – “This is probably the lowest emissions possibility which is conveniently available in a biofuelled model”
For a minute there I thought you were attempting to make a constructive contribution. My mistake. Sigh.