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<DIV><FONT size=2>Terry F.,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Just noticed your reference to Piper Cherokee, are you a
pilot?</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=fmurray@cruzio.com href="mailto:fmurray@cruzio.com">Fenton Murray</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=pianotech@ptg.org
href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">Pianotech List</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Friday, April 28, 2006 4:47
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Prius for Piano Tech?</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Thank you, Terry. It was almost an afterthought to use this
list in my car buying decision. What a resource.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Fenton</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>94, huh, when?</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com
href="mailto:mfarrel2@tampabay.rr.com">Farrell</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=pianotech@ptg.org
href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">Pianotech List</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Friday, April 28, 2006 1:04
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Prius for Piano
Tech?</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>It would be a downside Fenton if it were true.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>In 2005, when Toyota was asked about the price of the Prius battery,
Toyota spokeswoman Mona Richard said, The service parts price for a new
battery is $3000, but we have not had to sell a battery yet. Now note that
the Toyota Prius was first introduced in Japan in 1997.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>And this from Road & Track magazine:</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG>Toyota warranties the Prius battery pack for eight years, “but
the expectation is it will last much longer than that.” How much longer no
one is willing to speculate, so we’ll guestimate a 10-year lifespan from the
nickel/metal-hydride unit.</STRONG></DIV>
<P><STRONG>Even more confusing to our Casio 10-key calculator is that the
Prius battery pack is priced at $4000 by Toyota public relations, $3420 by
our local dealer and is expected to cost only $1000 in eight years (Toyota’s
estimate) due to greater economies of scale as more vehicles require battery
replacement. While that may sound too good to be true, Toyota is insistent
on this point. They also expect the batteries to get lighter and more
efficient. What’s more, it’s forecast that reconditioned battery packs will
be part of the picture. (You’d likely replace your conventional 10-year-old
car’s engine with a rebuilt one, right?)</STRONG></P>
<P><STRONG>So, which is more financially sound, gasoline or battery power?
At $1000 for the battery and a lifespan of eight years or longer, the
battery clearly wins any contest of the calculators. At a worst case of
$3500 for a new battery pack, installed, along with $1.65 per gallon of
gasoline, we find the battery pack is worth 2121 gallons of gasoline. Our
Road Test Summary rates the (first-generation) Prius at 40.3 mpg, which
would yield 85,476 miles of driving. That would be a bit over 4 cents a mile
for the battery, and a financial dead heat given 10,684 miles per year of
driving in eight years. Adding even a little to battery life or subtracting
from its cost makes the battery a winner; and that’s not to mention any
change in the price of gasoline, which is only going to go up.</STRONG></P>
<P><FONT size=2><FONT size=3><STRONG>Installation costs are not an issue;
the battery pack is easily accessible by removing the back seat, à la VW
Beetles and Piper Cherokees.</STRONG></FONT> </FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=2>Or, you can just wait and the next generation Prius is
reported to get 94 mpg - read about it: <A
href="http://www.leftlanenews.com/2006/04/10/next-prius-to-offer-113-mpg/">http://www.leftlanenews.com/2006/04/10/next-prius-to-offer-113-mpg/</A></FONT></P><FONT
size=2><EM></EM></FONT>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Terry Farrell<EM>
<P><BR></EM></FONT><FONT size=2>----- Original Message ----- </FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=2>From: "Fenton Murray" <</FONT><A
href="mailto:fmurray@cruzio.com"><FONT
size=2>fmurray@cruzio.com</FONT></A><FONT size=2>></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>> Now that would be a down side.<BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>> ----- Original Message ----- <BR></FONT><FONT
size=2>> <BR>>> If you don't mind the fact that you'll be shelling
out 4-6 thousand for a<BR>>> new battery pack every 6-7
years!<BR>>><BR>>> Terry
Peterson<BR>>><BR>>><BR>>><BR>>> ----Original
Message Follows----<BR></FONT><FONT size=2>>><BR>>>
List,<BR>>> The Volvo wagon has 165K and is eating too much money
between gas and<BR>>> maintenance. BTW, you better be charging at
least as much as your<BR>> mechanic.<BR>>> I'm researching my next
vehicle and wondering if a Toyota Prius could<BR>>> actually work.
Naturally, critical is the ability to transport a grand or<BR>>>
upright action. I would be so grateful for any techs using one to let
me<BR>>> know how they like it, can you fit an action in there on top
of your<BR>> tools?<BR>>> I've looked in them and they seem pretty
big, not like my Volvo wagon.<BR>> But,<BR>>> I am willing to scale
down some and I sure could dig 45 MPG. Or, any other<BR>>> vehicles
that get high mileage, second choice for me right now is a
Subaru<BR>>> Outback, great car but more dough and only mid 20's
MPG.<BR>>> Fenton Murray, RPT<BR>>> </FONT><A
href="http://www.MurraysPianoTuning.com"><FONT
size=2>www.MurraysPianoTuning.com</FONT></A><BR><FONT
size=2>>><BR>>><BR>>><BR>>><BR>>
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