51 to 60 MPG!!!!!

How does driving a vehicle that gets 60 mpg's in the city and 51 mpg's on the freeway sound?

With gas prices hovering in the mid $3 range, many people are exploring vehicles that are powered by the hybrid technology. Toyota was a fore runner with the Toyota Prius around 2001 and has followed suit with a Camry Hybrid and an SUV, the Highlander Hybrid. Toyota Prius

Most other car makers have now followed suit with their own hybrid models of their popular gasoline vehicles such as the Honda Civic, Accord, Lexus GS (Sedan), RX (SUV), Saturn Vue, & Ford Escape to name a few.

These vehicles utilize the electric motor more when the car is at lower speeds, which is most likely to occur in a city setting with many stops and starts. At the lower speeds, an all gas engine consumes the most gasoline, thus the hybrid technology helps conserve such fuel. At higher speeds, the hybrid switches to utilize the gas portion more as it provides the power and it is when the engine generally requires less gas as there are fewer starts and stops.

The hybrid vehicles do not have to be plugged in as they have a battery pack that is constantly being charged to a level that is optimal for the longest life. While the hybrid's generally have fewer horsepower's as their gasoline counterparts, it is both eco and financially friendly.

As an additional financial incentive, the IRS offers a tax credit to individuals who purchase a hybrid vehicle and many states offer a similar tax credit. For example, in Oregon, if an individual purchases a qualifying hybrid vehicle, the are eligible to receive up to $1,500 in state income tax credits. OR Hybrid Tax Credit For the federal hybrid tax credit, an individual can claim anywhere from $250 to $3,400 depending on the model. Federal Hybrid Tax Credit

The car manufacturers, the government, many celebrities, environmentalists and activist(s) are all encouraging the purchase and use of hybrid technology as it reduces the reliance on fossil fuels and reduces emissions that cause smog and green house gasses. Oil companies remain mixed as they still have to purchase gasoline for hybrid vehicles but there may become a time that more people are driving hybrids that the overall consumption of gasoline would be lower than it is today, but we are many years, if not decades away from such a time.

How the oil companies are investing in "Green" is coming up next!