Max Gladwell

I’ve owned a number of “cool cars” over the years. I had a ’78 VW camper van and an ’86 Jeep CJ-7. These are the types of vehicles that prompt the “kindred-spirit” wave or nod when you pass fellow drivers of the same vehicle i.e. your driving ilk. There’s an emotional connection to these types of rides, one that is undoubtedly shared among any and all who drive them. For VW bus owners, it’s the high likelihood that you’re both high in that given moment and the commiseration over countless hours fixing them. For CJ-7 owners, it’s the love of romping off-road and your mutual resilience to the elements as you refuse to drive with doors or a top.

Toyota has taken this sense of vehicular comradery to the virtual world with a social network for Prius owners.

We don’t own a Prius, so we’re not getting involved. One of the hottest topics, though, is converting your Prius to plug-in, just as the folks at Google.org do. Evidently, Toyota is planning a factory version. Popular Mechanics did a review of the 2009 prototype.

The next generation Prius, due around calendar year 2009, will almost certainly use a plug-in system. The car may launch as a normal hybrid and later, once the lithium ion battery technology is ready, switch to plug-in capability. Or, it may be a plug-in from the beginning using a large NiMh pack and switch to lithium ion later. We think the latter may be true because we’ve heard rumors that the vehicle architecture is being designed for both battery types.

Thanks to Mashable! for cluing us in.

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