LiveSmart BC Community Hero
Family Following Alternative Route
Just over a year ago, the Henderson family of Naramata made a big switch — they traded in their Honda CRV for a Prius hybrid, which uses a combination of gasoline and electrical engines to power the vehicle.
They weren’t so much looking for a new car, according to Craig Henderson, who said the CRV satisfied their transportation needs. Instead, if they had to drive, the Hendersons wanted a vehicle that fi t more with their environmental values.
Henderson is project director for the Naramata Conservation Society, and he saw the Prius as not only a more environmentally friendly vehicle, but also a way to raise awareness about alternative transportation.
Labelling the Prius with a sign reading ‘Hybrid Analysis Project,’ Henderson decided to do a low-key analysis of how the hybrid performed under real-world conditions. He kept careful track of the vehicle’s effi ciency and fuel usage, releasing the results of their analysis online through the conservation society’s website.
“We’ve done almost 30,000 kilometres and my calculation is that we’ve saved $1,750 in fuel versus the CRV,” he said, adding that financial considerations are not the only motivating factor. “The other part of my agenda is to live by some philosophies and values.”
While doing the project, Henderson said one of his biggest thrills came from watching the reaction of his daughter and her friends while driving them to school in Penticton. The car’s onboard computer fascinated the kids, watching as it gave a continuous readout on the car’s effi ciency and how road and driving conditions affected it.
“If you want to do Naramata Road at 80, you’re going to see a decline in your efficiency,” said Henderson. “It was fun to see that these kids are growing up understanding that there is new technology that will change remarkably by the time that they’re adults.”
Henderson’s next step is to have an extra battery installed, transforming the car into a plug-in hybrid. The extra battery, which can be charged from household current, ensures the car runs on electrical power longer before engaging the gasoline engine.
