The art would be to first buy the solar panels so you have free energy electricity at home. Then you can charge your hybrid car for free, with the energy from the sun. In that case you would save a lot of dollars on gas.

I don't think hybrids are cost effective when replacing a perfectly good car. They are a great savings and a should be a serious consideration when you need to get a new car. They don't cost much more and will save you a lot of money, especially as the cost of gas rises. But I'm all in favor of running working cars into the ground. A lot of energy went into the production of that vehicle and it should not be recycled until it's no longer usable.

Those hybrid cars are really disgustingly ugly at times, Its a shame they can't put them in a nicer package,  And where are all the bio-diesel hybrids.... That would be ideal....

I read that you can only go for forty miles before you have to recharge in an electric car. If that’s the case, if it’s a hybrid car does that mean that it will switch to petrol after forty miles? So if you make a longer journey you won’t make much of a difference to the environment?

I would say it is worth the wait until auto industry gets pressured into creating better-than hybrid cars that do not rely on gasoline at all.  Meanwhile, I will stick with the energy-efficient compact cars.   

I understand the premium pricing to cover learning curve/new to market costs...BUT given the state of things...dependence on middle east for oil etc...couldn't our own government push this ahead with giving manufacturers incentives to get these to market cheap..and in the long run become a stronger more independent nation again rather than giving incentives to other third world countries to make them world powers and leaders while we focus on...what was it we're focused on again,     ?
msberrymj