Meet the Panel

Here we are… 

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  Danny Cooper

Danny became interested in hybrid technology back in 2003 and started PriusChat.com a month later as a website for Prius and green car enthusiasts to meet and discuss their passion. What began as a “fun” side project grew to 140,000 members and over 2 Million posts, so in 2007 Danny took on PriusChat as his full-time job. Not just a Prius-lover, Danny has had the opportunity to poke around and drive many of today and tomorrow’s advanced technology vehicles, including Toyota’s Prius Plug-In, Prius v, RAV4 EV, and Fuel Cell Vehicle, the Nissan LEAF, Chevy Volt, and Mitsubishi i EV.

A father of three beautiful little girls, Danny is married and lives in Charlotte, North Carolina. When What Drives Us is not recording, he can typically be found in Columbia, SC tailgating and attending various University of South Carolina Gamecocks sporting events.

Russell Frost

In 2005 Russell Frost bought a new, second generation Prius and thus began his journey into advanced technology vehicles.  Immediately afterwards he started priusownersgroup.com. Almost immediately the Prius Owners Group grew into a small, yet influential site on green cars. Since then he’s updated to a 2010, third generation Prius and then a 2012 Prius c.  One of his favorite things about the Prius is the technology.  Somewhat paradoxically, he’s not, by nature, a car lover (ask him about motorcycles sometime though).  It was the nature of the Prius that attracted him to the car and it’s what fuels his passion for all advanced technology vehicles. In 2014, the priusownersgroup.com went on hiatus so Russell could focus on other projects.

When he’s not recording or producing What Drives Us, he’s probably working Geek Girl Vs Nerd Boy, an audio podcast he does with his friend and uber-expert on all things geek, Brianna Hasty. They shared passion for all things geeky and nerdy is evident in the show.

Russell used to produce What Drives Us Insane, a weekly consumer electronics show and What Drives Us To Drink, a sort of weekly show about drinking better and What Makes Us Tick, an upcoming show about high-end mechanical wristwatches. He might even be working on The Prius Chat Show another show he does with Danny specifically aimed at Prius owners.

In 2013, the very first ToGoBefore.com was held. TGB4, as we like to call it, is a gathering of Prius owners to share knowledge and have fun. In 2014 the second and final TGB4 was held outside of Boston. Even though both events were a rousing success, Danny and Russell had to focus on other things.

To pay the rent, Russell is a commercial photographer in San Marcos, California.

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  Tony Schaefer

Tony bought a 2004 Prius and was immediately hooked.  He joined Priuschat.com the same year and has been a Moderator since 2005.  With another Prius owner, Tony cofounded the Chicago Prius Group.  Since 2010, he’s served as a Prius Expert working with Toyota on different endeavors.  Most Wednesday evenings, you can find him on the What Drives Us podcast.  He’s most probably the smartest, funniest, and best looking member of the crew who – for some reason – they let write his own bio.

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  Dr. Evan Fusco

I’m a married father of 3 and I currently live in Nixa, MO.  In the past I’ve lived in Arkansas, New Orleans, and Alaska.  I’m an Emergency Medicine physician with a passion for travel, photography, reading and, of course, alternative energy vehicles.  I’ve owned a 2004 Toyota Prius since Oct. 2003 and have been a moderator on PriusChat.com since Nov. 2003.  I enjoy learning about, then translating the more technical details about the Prius and other hybrid technology for general consumption.

I currently have a Tesla Model 3 and my wife drives a Model X. My children drive two Priuses and a Highlander hybrid.

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Linda Weidemann

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  Chelsea Sexton

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  Patrick Connor

Pat and his wife started driving a Prius in September of 2000. In 2007 they bought an all-electric Chevy S10 EV. This truck is the little know sibling of the GM EV1. That same year they installed solar panels on their home that can “fuel” up to 16,000 miles of annual EV driving. In 2011, the truck was traded in for a Nissan Leaf electric car. Since then Patrick has added a Tesla Model X to his electric fleet.
Pat occasionally writes for Green Living PDX, PlugInCars.com, and blogs on his own site at CarsWithCords.blogspot.com. You can see Patrick’s adventures in his Model X there.
Pat is the social media director for the Oregon Electric Vehicle Association. He manages their twitterfacebook, and Google+ presence as well as the weekly organization newsletter. Patrick also manages the much of the news you see posted from What Drives Us on Facebook and Twitter.
When Pat is not writing, blogging, or podcasting, he is a father, amateur photographer, and a prolific inventor.

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Jon B

Jon B is a different kind of car guy – instead of horsepower and quarter mile times, it’s car tech and feature content. This led his curiosity down the hybrid path when Toyota first introduced the Prius in 1997. He owned his first hybrid in late 2004 with a 2005 Prius. Since then, he has been a contributor to the Prius and hybrid community, becoming a moderator of PriusChat in 2007 and a TMNA Prius Expert in 2010. When he’s not on the forum, he’s eagerly consuming information on the latest car trends, technology and occasionally writing vehicle reviews and articles.

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Paul Guzyk