I was just curious, because a lot of other countries have been going the hybrid route post 9/11. I've seen some incredible documentaries on CNN and BBC International lately where people are really trying to phase out their dependency on "the pump" and it is something to seriously consider, I think. In Brazil, and particularly Rio de Janero (Pop.10 million?), 85% of their cars run on ethanol produced from sugar cane. They expect to have their automobiles 100% gas free within 9 years or less. In the Netherlands, there's an engineer who's developed a home crude kit for diesel autos where you can convert store bought vegetable oil into non-flammable car fuel...taking only 2 hours to produce in your garage and costing only 40cents p.liter/90cents p.gallon. The interesting thing is that these countries have citizens driving hybrid vehicles ranging from Lexus to Volkswagen to Ford...do you think it'll be a long time yet before this kind of technology catches onto the average citizen in the U.S.?

If Big Oil wasn't such a huge profit maker, we wouldn't even need hybrids. Hyrdogen and other alternative vehicles would ALREADY be the norm. There are so many people that stand to lose SO much money. That's the real reason why we don't have these vehicles in our hands already. The technology has been available for years. So they throw us a bone by offering OVERPRICED hybrids, and prototype ethanol models, it's a bunch of bullshit.

Okay, now that I got that off my chest, if they didn't overprice the hybrids on purpose, yeah, they are great.

yes.

i am getting rid of my current car, as is my fiance.. we intend to bike or catch public transport everywhere.

when the time is right and prices have gone down, a hybrid - or perhaps even a better option should one arise in the future - will be on our purchase list.

I can deal with gas being $2 and even $2.50 ...but now that it's $3 a gallon and more ...I'm seriously considering cars with other fuel sources.

But hybrids aren't cute ...I wish auto manufacturers would offer all their top models in a hybrid variety.

I mean can't an environmentalist be a bit stylish?

My next car will be a hybrid but I'm hoping that won't be for another 2-3 years

jerseykrs said:

The U.S. has different laws when it comes to consumer safety protocols and such things. Hybrid cars requre the manufacture or import of ethanol sources or natural gas & Canada is already in the works with the pipelines that are used to deliver (I think it's methane) to the states. However, some hybrid cars are installed with flammable pressurized tanks underneath that puts it in a higher-risk category. It's sorta the same debate with the use of nuclear power.