Gas, Hybrid, Electric, Hydrogen or What Have You?

I guess I'm getting a little confused over all of the choices you have when purchasing a new car. First you can get an all gasoline car that still get good mileage like the Mini and others. Or you can go the hybrid way, with the leader the Toyota Prius which is a combination of electric and gasoline powered.

The third choice seems to be pure electric, where all of the power comes from batteries. Some of these are interesting like the sports car called the Telsa. A two passenger sports car with a zero to 60 miles per hour time of 4 seconds. That's twice as fast as most cars and puts it in the super car range. And of course there is the Honda FCX Clarity fuel-cell vehicle I commented on yesterday.

What seems to be driving all of these different approaches is of course the price of fuel. "Last summer's four-dollar-a-gallon gasoline was no anomaly. It was a brief glimpse of our future," said Irv Miller, vice president, environmental and public affairs for Toyota Motor Sales USA.

If he is correct then the alternate types of cars will be the big winners. But today with fuel prices in the sub $2.00 range the appeal of these cars is not what it was last year. To go back to to Toyota for a second. "Sales of Toyota's hybrids have slipped in recent months as gas prices have plummeted. But Toyota says high gas prices will return, increasing demand for fuel-efficient cars."

I sure hope they are wrong. I like the smell of burning gas and the loud roar of my engine and the snap, crackle, pop of the exhaust. Riding is a Prius just doesn't cut it for me.

Comments or E-mail me

See longer articles Honda Accord After Market Parts