I think it's a cool idea too, but also too expensive. It seems that Honda has the most interesting approach to hybrids, even though they don't get much credit for it.
One often hears objections to the Prius because of the batteries. It's very telling that they are one of the least stolen cars. If the batteries were a problem, I think there'd be a larger "five finger discount" aftermarket for batteries for the Prius.
The point of the post, though, is that Government Motors is getting preferential reporting on this. Most recent recall announcements have used exaggerated negative language. This one uses exaggerated euphemistic language.