Helpful hybrids

A recent UC Davis study of the impact of hybrid vehicles shows that, while they still are relatively few in number, they are having a significant impact as a gateway to other vehicle advancements. They’ve introduced a new kind of technology into the marketplace and, in doing so, have encouraged innovation and sparked interest in other technologies, such as plug-in hybrids, electric cars and fuel-cell vehicles.

Plug-in hybrids are especially noteworthy. They combine the zero pollution of an electric car for short trips with the convenience of a hybrid on longer trips. Toyota is expected to market one soon, and GM’s new Chevy Volt, soon to go into production, has tremendous potential.

As is often noted, if Americans were to switch en masse to plug-in hybrids, we could end our dependence on foreign oil and reduce global warming significantly.