Hybrids are the answer for our fuel consumption in the present. In 2010 and 2011, GM and Toyota are supposed to debut full plug in hybrids that are supposed to be much more fuel efficient. Toyota was supposed to release their hybrid in the next year but when one of the laptop manufactures had a recall on their batteries (i think it was sony, hp, or dell) Toyota found out that their batteries were using the same technology and decided to do more extensive testing before letting them hit the market.
Short term hybrids are the only real feasible answer because we don't have the infrastructure in place for any other new technology to rapidly hit the market. Plus transportation is by far the number one consumer of energy in America. If we reduce the amount of energy required there then demand will fall, making prices settle and also the harmful effects on the environment will be greatly lessened.
There are Gas and Diesel cars in the UK right now that get 50 miles per gallon and aren't hybrid. And not tiny little Yugo's either, full size sedans. 2 or 3 episodes ago on 5th Gear they were comparing various cars and were basically making fun of one because of its low MPG rating of 42MPG. The better one (A Nissan diesel) got 53mpg and had something like 200lb/ft of torque (being diesel of course). Neither was a hybrid.
Many comparable cars sold in the UK and other nations on that side of the planet are actually built in the US, and shipped overseas. The kicker is that they're illegal to drive here due to emissions and safety differences (not shortcomings, just differences). We have the technology right now, and in the country to drive powerful, large vehicles with fuel efficiencies equivalent or better than a Prius, without even having to resort to hybrid technology, but are hung up by useless red tape.
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