sunnySD

My local Costco is the one in zip code 91910. 24 pumps of either gas or diesel. When I saw that they put in diesel on every pump, that signals to me that Costco believes diesel will be here for the long haul.

MBNUT1

Pruis is still about 20% greener from a total (including upstream) greenhouse gases standpoint after scaling the combined EPA mileage of the W250 up to 50 mpg. It's hard to beat the hybrids if your metric is being green. Similar story on cost the Prius is 72% of the E250 fuel cost based on the lowest fuel prices in our area.
Obviously no comparison of drive experience and safety

DerekACS

If you consider the vast energy inputs that go into the manufacturing of the Prius lithium batteries, the additional energy required to eventually recycle some of the battery components and the much shorter lifespan of the vehicle itself (compared to E250BT), I would bet that over the entire life of the vehicle, the E250 is the 'greener' choice.

The toxic heavy metals used in the Prius batteries are mined in China, shipped to Wales for refining, thence shipped to Japan for battery manufacturing, and finally shipped to the USA with the vehicles. There is nothing 'green' about this energy consuming process !!!
Of course, Toyota never mentions any of this in their clever marketing of hybrids !

looney100

No way Prius is more "green". In addition to the many mentioned lifecycle issues of the batteries involved, including the mining of the components needed, gasoline also requires more energy to refine than diesel does.

MBNUT1

I would have assumed that was included in the EPA's upstream calculation