This great article about hybrid owners driving more and getting more tickets dovetails nicely with the book’s premise.

The firm looked at several common use categories used by insurers—including “pleasure use” (everyday driving) and “high commute” (commuting more than 15 miles a day). The long commuters traveled about the same distance whether they drove a hybrid or not, but the everyday drivers of hybrids drove about 25 percent (2,000 miles) farther than those of non-hybrids—largely offsetting any petroleum savings.

A real killer is the 65% higher moving violation rate per mile driven. Sorry, but in Los Angeles, it’s hard to think of prius owners as much more than smug cocksuckers.

History has shown that for every technological move that increases efficiency, consumption goes up, not down. People are willing to spend a certain amount of their budget (be it money, or perceived eco-impact, or whatever.) on certain things, and if you make it cheaper, they just use more.