the hybrids are coming...

[chelidon]

As usual, the Japanese manufacturers are a couple of generations ahead of us on the hybrid car front, which is not so surprising when you consider that aside from some negligible supplies of native coal, Japan has no remaining natural energy reserves, and has about 48 hours of imported stored energy reserves on hand. In other words, if world events should cause any disruption of the endless flow of supertankers carrying oil to Japan, in 48 hours, they'd be back in the medieval period. Scary.

That's good news about the new hybrids, though. It's not a solution, but every little bit helps. If hybrids don't cost much more than "normal" cars, more folks will try them. If Subaru sold a hybrid 4WD, we'd have gotten one.

Comments

[elnigma.livejournal.com]

I want to see Chrysler put out PT Cruiser hybrid. I still probably couldn't get one, but I think it would be awesome.

[chelidon.livejournal.com]

That would be nifty, and would be a huge PR boost for Chrysler, too. I'm holding out for a 4WD hybrid -- Ford has the hybrid Escape (http://www.fordvehicles.com/escapehybrid/home/) coming out this year (only 2-3 years late...), and GM/Chevy supposedy has some hybrid trucks, though I haven't seen any yet. On the other hand, I could just get an older diesel and convert it to biodiesel... (http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_make.html) But honestly, biodiesel requires an input of some kind of cheap vegetable oil, and while right now I may be able to go to my local McDeath and get old cooking oil, etc, as soon as oil prices (or biodiesel popularity) goes up enough that waste oil is valuable, it'll become less attractive to go that route...