Some see the success of the Toyota Prius, compared to such competitors as the Civic Hybrid, as proof that green cars need to look different from their normal siblings. While it may be a bit early on in the game to make this assessment, Ford's North American director of car design, Pat Schiavone, suggests that there could be a trend towards "green" styling cues. For instance, cars like the Honda Insight and GM EV1 are easily recognizable for their teardrop shape and covered wheels, both of which help with the vehicles' high efficiency. While nobody that I can think of considers covered wheels "sexy," Schiavone indicates that could change, saying, "This sort of science-project look could end up sexy, or perceived sexy." We've seen some rolling science projects on these pages... although often supremely practical, not one of them has been all that sexy. Also mentioned as earmarked for the future are the wings and spoilers used by Indy racers in the 1970s. Now that could be pretty cool!

[Source: AutoWeek]

Daryl Hannah prefers guys with green cars

We've been covering Challenge X since we first started our blogging careers, but we somehow missed the results of an extremely interesting survey which was conducted by the group of college students. The survey focused on green automobiles and society's view of their drivers. It turns out that in this day and age, you have a better shot at attracting attention from the opposite sex if you drive an eco-friendly car as opposed to a sports car. In fact, almost nine out of ten women would prefer to get to know a guy with a green car. Your social life would improve too, as eighty percent of respondents would rather talk to someone with a fuel efficient car that someone with the latest model sports car.

Other interesting tidbits gleaned from the survey include the notion that $4 for a gallon for gas could be a tipping point to get consumers to actively pursue a green car purchase. There's plenty more interesting information contained in the press release pasted after the break.

Related:

• It's the first date. Do you want him to show up in a Prius or a Hummer?