There seems to be a pretty substantial buzz among car customers right now, that I’ve not seen since the new Beetle.  (Being aghast at the Humvee isn’t the kind of buzz I’m talking about.)  It’s surrounding the Toyota Prius.  I live in a fairly rural area, and one of the most conservative counties in California, yet in a county where I’d expect more pickups than beemers, I recently saw 5 Priuses (should that be Prii?) while driving my daughter to school!

Maybe I’m just tuned in since my brother bought one.  The thing that really floors me is the presence of a power button that looks like it came directly off my Media Center.  No longer should the driver (henceforth "user") be concerned with such mundane details as when to turn the engine on and off.  The key just provides authentication, as emphasized by the availability (AIUI) of a wireless key system that detects the key (really the security token) in your pocket and allows you to start the car.  Only thing that might be even cooler is the integrated Bluetooth…

The US automakers don’t seem tapped into this trend at all.  They still seem to think circumventing milage minimums by pumping out SUVs is the way to sustainable revenues.  Last week Ford and GM were put on notice that they were wrong.  At least the blue half of this country, and I suspect lots of export markets, are willing to invest their automobile acquisition budget in a choice that reduces pump costs, unsightly and unhealthy smog, and reduces our dependence on foreign oil, and maybe even get a bit of value appreciation while they’re at it.  They’re even more motivated to vote with their dollars since their election votes haven’t provided much of a visible return.  Yet despite plenty of urging by the environmental community, Ford and GM seem to have ignored the inevitabilities of the long-term.  More and more of those purchasing dollars will head straight to Japan.  I suspect the next 15 years could be pretty rough as our automobile designers adapt.

Don’t hold your breath.  Instead, get your Prius order in now, the waiting lists aren’t short.

[Update 2005-05-17 09:56: Dilbert parodies how out of step our automakers are.]