<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tideland Prius\";p=\"78610)</div> They might do it for the same reason other manufacturers have built other unsafe cars (Pinto, Corvaire, Chevy pickups with the side-mounted gas tanks, etc.): a variable mix of incompetence, inattentiveness, and greed. I'm not saying the Prius belongs in a list among such dangerous vehicles; I'm only taking issue with the faith in automobile manufacturers that your sentence above implies. I suppose it's just the electricity connection, but this urban legend reminds me of one poor ignorant person's "solution" to the U-boat problem during the First World War: just electrify the Atlantic ocean and electrocute the German submariners in their subs!
Let's try to place ourselves in the engineering meetings for the electrical system of the Prius. [translated from native Japanese] Engineer1: "Here's a thought, let's make sure the electrical system shuts itself off and loses power in the event of a roll-over or collision." Engineer2: "You fool! That makes way too much sense. The best bet is to ensure that the wires and all systems maintain full charge. This way, even if the driver and passengers survive the accident they will certainly perish as soon as they touch any part of the car." Engineer1: "Are you sure that's a good idea?" Engineer2: "Think about it, after the emergency crew sees the people in trouble, they will come running only to be electricuted themselves. It's perfect!" Now let's throw in some reality. Does anyone with an IQ over 70 really think that a car manufacturer would introduce a vehicle with this much current running through it to not disengage when damaged? With all the sue-crazy people there are in the world? Sure there will be accident and undesireable outcomes, like exploding gas tanks and whatnot, but to even think that someone would not have even thought of electrical shock is outrageous.
