A little bit of clarification might be in order here.  A standard hybrid engine is an Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) that supplies all of the power, hooked up to a battery that saves power that it would normally waste, and an electric motor that helps drive the vehicle.  The electric motor can run alone, but usually only at low speeds, and not for a long time.

The electric motor serves as a large generator that not only takes power from the axle driven by the ICE, but also captures power from braking that would normally be released as heat.  In addition, it turns the ICE off when it isn’t needed, such as when you stop, and turns it back on smoothly when it is needed.  This combination makes the ICE up to 40 percent more efficient.

The Plug-in Electric Vehicle (PHEV), on the other hand, has a bigger battery and a larger, more powerful electric motor that is capable of running the car by itself.  In the Prius, the electric motor can reportedly go up to 62 mph by itself, and the range of the lithium-ion battery is around 12 miles.

So, if you drive less than 6 miles to work every day, and don’t go faster than 62 mph, you can drive the Prius PHEV as an electric vehicle and never use a drop of gas.  Then, you drive the Prius PHEV as a standard hybrid.  There is talk of increasing the range the car can be driven without gasoline, but that means a larger battery.  This produces less cargo space and more curb weight.  The higher weight affects handling and fuel consumption.

The price may be a problem, but the math might work out for a lot of people.  The price is rumored to be around $48,000.  They will probably figure out a way to make it not cost as much without sacrificing quality by the time it goes into production, though.

It could still save money, for example, for a person who drives 6 miles to work and back every day.  They would spend almost no money for gas.  Then, the miles they did drive would be somewhere around the 50 to even 60 mpg mark.

We don’t really know how any of this will turn out yet.  Toyota is already building a pre-order database on the internet, though, so it’s certain that the car will go on sale by next year.  They have an interview with someone who test-drove it and got 70 mpg in combined driving.  We are guessing that’s where the number eventually ends up.

From there, the math is easy.  You simply add up your monthly expenditure for car payment and gas with a conventional car, and do the same for the PHEV.  If the total gas and payment for the PHEV comes out cheaper than the same for a standard vehicle, then it is a bargain.

Get those calculators ready.

The 2011 GMC Yukon Hybrid is a full-sized, hybrid SUV that seats eight people.  It is almost a clone of the Chevy Tahoe Hybrid, with a few cosmetic and minor differences.  The market for a full-sized, truck-based hybrid SUV can be rather small.  Most people try to save gas with a crossover, or get more power with a large pickup.  With a hybrid, you get the mileage of a crossover with the convenience of a larger vehicle.  Is that enough to make it a wise buy?

The 2011 GMC Yukon Hybrid has a 6.0 liter, V8 engine combined with two 60-kilowatt motors, with a total output of 332 horsepower and 367 pound-feet of torque.   It has 18-inch alloy wheels, rear-wheel drive, and an electrically variable transmission.  The Yukon can travel up to 25 mph using only the electric motors.  It also has a cylinder deactivation system that uses less fuel at higher speeds, and regenerative braking, which recycles the energy of braking back into the batteries.  When you put all of this together, you get 20 mpg in the city and 23 mpg on the highway.

The Yukon Hybrid comes with 8-way adjustable heated front seats, a rear 60/40 split bench seat, a removable third row 50/50 split bench seat, a manual tilt-only steering wheel, 2-zone front air conditioning, rear air conditioning with separate controls, keyless entry, keyless ignition, cruise control, full power accessories, a voice-controlled navigation system, a trip computer, and leather upholstery.  The audio system has Bluetooth, 9 speakers, CD/MP3 player, satellite radio, and real-time traffic reporting.

The Yukon Hybrid has anti-lock brakes, traction control, stability control, side front airbags, side curtain airbags, a rear-view camera, and the patented OnStar emergency communications system.  The Yukon was tested under the new, tougher 2011 government standards.  It got perfect scores of five stars for all front and side impacts, but only three stars for rollover protection.  The good news is that electronic stability control, which is included here, has reduced SUV rollovers by over 50 percent from as little as ten years ago.

Conclusions and driver feedback:

The interior is very attractive.  It is made of high-quality materials, and the design is well-conceived.  The controls are all in the “right” places and very easy to operate.  There is plenty of space in all of the seats, even the third row.  This is a very comfortable SUV for passengers.  There is plenty of cargo space.  If you remove the third-row seat, you can get 109 cubic feet.

The drive and the ride are truck-like, as one would expect from a truck-based SUV.  The steering has a bit of lag, and there is plenty of body roll.  Acceleration is sufficient and the hybrid process makes it almost silent.  The suspension keeps the road from causing any heavy-duty jolts, but you will still feel the ride.

The verdict: the Yukon Hybrid is highly recommended for conservative driving with a large load of people or cargo.

As most know, Ford is getting set to retire the Mercury line.  This would seem to make buying a Mercury a futile pursuit, but this might be the best time to buy one.  Parts will always be available through Ford, and there is a very good chance that prices will go down as the year progresses.  This could provide discounts that make an already attractive car even more attractive.  So, how does the Milan Hybrid fit in?

The Milan Hybrid is a midsize sedan.  It has a 2.5 liter, 4-cylinder internal combustion engine (ICE) that produces 156 horsepower, and an electric motor that adds 35 horsepower for a total of 191.  It has 17-inch alloy wheels, front-wheel drive, and a continuously variable transmission.  It is rated at 41 mpg in the city and 35 mpg on the highway.

The Milan Hybrid comes with an 8-way power driver’s seat, a 4-way power front passenger seat, keyless entry, eco-friendly cloth upholstery, cruise control, automatic headlights, keyless entry, foglights, 2-zone climate control, one-touch power windows, a 110-volt power outlet, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, and the Ford Sync interface with a three year subscription to Ford’s Traffic, Directions, and Information network.  The audio system has 6 speakers, AM/FM radio, a 6-CD/MP3 changer, satellite radio, an audio jack, and a USB/iPod interface.

The Milan Hybrid has anti-lock brakes, stability control, traction control, side front airbags, side curtain airbags, and rear parking sensors.  The Milan got perfect scores of 5 stars in all government tests except for a score of 4 stars in rear seat, side impact protection.  It got perfect scores of “good” in all tests performed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Conclusions and driver feedback:

The interior is very nice.  It is made of high-quality, soft materials, and the dashboard has a modern look.  The seats are comfortable, and there is plenty of both headroom and legroom to go around.  The trunk does have to share cargo space with a battery, but still manages to provide 11.8 cubic feet of cargo space.

The Milan Hybrid has such good acceleration and handling that you might forget you are in a hybrid.  The steering and suspension are tweaked a bit toward sporty performance, but not enough to make you forget that you are in a family sedan.  The ride is typical, solid family sedan.  It is very smooth, but doesn’t allow you to “detach” or forget you are on the road.  As with many hybrids, the Milan is very quiet.

One of the best features here is the mileage in the city.  Because the electric motor does a lot of the work at slower speeds, the Milan actually gets better mileage in the city than on the highway.  It is a great car for commuting within a city.

Other than the price of hybrids, there really aren’t any negatives here.

The verdict: highly recommended, especially if you can bargain the price down later in the year.

It roars, it soars, and it gets great fuel mileage.  What?  It’s the 2012 Infiniti M35h.  As the world starts moving away from oil and toward “green” cars and trucks, hybrids aren’t the boring cars they used to be.  The demographic of the drivers has changed, the demand has risen, and the result is a plethora of choices for a driver looking for an eco-friendly car or truck.

The 2012 Infiniti M35h is a midsize hybrid luruxy sedan, but it is tuned for sporty performance.  It has a 3.5 liter V6 ICE and an electric motor that produce a combined 360 horsepower.  It has rear wheel drive, 18-inch alloy wheels, and a 7-speed automatic transmission.  The Transmission has four different modes: standard, snow, sport, or eco.  It is rated at 27 mpg in the city and 32 mpg on the highway.

The M35h comes with a power tilt-telescope steering wheel, heated, 8-way adjustable power front seats, keyless entry, keyless ignition, leather upholstery, 2-zone automatic climate control, power lumbar support, driver memory, a sunroof, and a lot of power accessories.

The 35h also gets a couple of hybrid “extras:” regenerative braking, which captures the power of deceleration and transfers it to the battery, and Infiniti’s patented VSP, or Vehicle Sound for Pedestrians.  VSP produces external sounds to compensate for the silent operation in the city.  The audio system has 6 speakers, AM/FM radio, CD/MP3 player, satellite radio, an audio jack, and a USB/iPod input.

There are plenty of safety features.  The Infiniti M35h comes with anti-lock brakes, stability control, traction control, side front airbags, side curtain airbags, active front head restraints, and a rearview camera.  A Technology package adds even more safety features.  In government testing under the new standards, the 35h got 4 stars for overall frontal crash protection and 5 stars for overall side crash protection.

Conclusions and driver feedback:

The 35h is almost like two different cars in one.  When you climb in, it’s a pure luxury car.  The interior is understated with soft, high-quality materials reminiscent of a European luxury car.  Inside and out, the 35h reeks of modern luxury.  There is plenty of headroom, legroom, and elbow room all around, and the seats are both comfortable and adjustable.  Despite the addition of the hybrid battery, there are 11.3 cubic feet of storage space in the trunk.

When you get behind the wheel, though, the 35h is a sport car, even without the sport package.  The dual-engine output is powerful and the transmission does a great job of maximizing its performance.  The 35h accelerates effortlessly, and cruises down the highway at high speeds without the hint of laboring, wind noise, or road noise.  The steering is responsive and the suspension is very tightly-tuned for sporty performance.

This brings us to the only negative besides the rather high price: the ride is stiff for a luxury car.

The verdict: highly recommended if you can handle some sport with your luxury.

The study recommends that the power companies charge less money to charge vehicles overnight, when the power grid isn’t being challenged as much as it is in the daytime.  This can be done by charging a premium in the daytime or giving a discount at night.  This would require no change to the infrastructure.

Next, with almost as large an “incumbent advantage,” is service stations.  Once again, many people are used to going to the gas/service station for gas, a newspaper, and a cup of coffee on the way to work.  The service would be similar, except for the length of time it would take to charge.  This would require a change to the infrastructure, because the stations would have to install outlets, and more power from the grid would have to be allocated to them.

Right now, it is possible to “quick charge” a vehicle in about 30 minutes.  This will have to go down.  An educated guess would be that it will eventually take about ten minutes to fully charge a PEV battery.  This will cause some congestion, as it only takes a 2-3 minutes to fill a car with gas right now.  Service stations may have to have more space, even adding “lounge” areas where people could have food, beverages, and either newspapers or wireless internet while they wait for their vehicles to charge.

The third would be public services from cities and/or counties in streets and public places.  This would require the most change to the infrastructure.  One of the major recommendations was that a consumer should be able to charge a vehicle anywhere, regardless of who the money is going to.  We would suggest that the cities do what any business does: take credit cards or even cash.

At this point, option number three is the only one that couldn’t be instituted within a month.  The growth of the electric car market won’t happen overnight, so the infrastructure has plenty of time to grow with the market.

Welcome to the party.  Hyundai is introducing its first hybrid model, the Sonata Hybrid.  It will come in one trim level, the base.  As skyrocketing fuel prices are raising the demand for higher mileage and “green” vehicles, more and more automakers are beginning to take them seriously.  Let’s see where Hyundai fits on the food chain.

The 2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid is a midsize hybrid sedan.  It has a 2.4 liter, 4-cylinder combustion engine that produces 169 horsepower and an electric motor that provides another 40 horsepower.  The electric motor has a lithium-polymer battery that is lighter than standard hybrid batteries.  It has 16-inch alloy wheels and a 6-speed automatic transmission.  Projected mileage is 37 mpg in the city and 40 mpg on the highway.

It comes with an 8-way power driver seat with power lumbar support, cloth upholstery, full power accessories, cruise control, tilt-telescope steering wheel with audio and cruise control controls, automatic headlights, foglights, and turn signal mirrors.  The audio system has 6 speakers, CD/MP3 player, satellite radio, USB/iPod port, Bluetooth, and an audio jack.

The Sonata has ventilated, anti-lock brakes, stability control, traction control, side front airbags, side curtain airbags, brake-assist, and active front head restraints.  The Sonata did very well in the new, more-stringent government tests.  It got 5 stars overall, with 5 stars for side impact and 4 stars for front impact.  It also got perfect scores all around from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Conclusions and driver feedback:

There is a lot to like about the Sonata.  The interior has a very pleasant look.  The controls are in the right places and are easy to use.  The seats are very comfortable, and there is plenty of headroom and legroom all around.  This car is great for a family of five, and it even has enough cargo space to compensate for the battery pack in the trunk.

The Sonata gives a great combination of performance and ride. The steering is very responsive and helps give the Sonata a sporty feel.  However, this isn’t at the expense of the ride.  The tuning of the suspension manages to give the elusive combination of sporty performance and a soft ride.  The Sonata accelerates well, too.

Hyundai has made a few exterior and aerodynamic improvements over its conventional model.  The hybrid looks a lot sleeker than its sibling, and it has been cosmetically enhanced to try and differentiate it from the competition.  The result is an extremely attractive, midsized car with decent power that gets the mileage of a more conservative, compact car.  The Sonata Hybrid could end up turning a lot of heads.

The main negative is that there isn’t always enough headroom for taller drivers.  This could be a potential deal-breaker depending on one’s height.  Also, some of the interior materials could be a little bit softer.

The verdict: conventional Sonatas are among the most highly recommended vehicles on the market.  The hybrid is definitely worth a test drive.

The 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid is an entry-level luxury hybrid sedan that seats five people.  It is almost the only car in its class.  If they wanted to, Lincoln could “coast” and put out a mediocre product due to lack of competition.  Luckily, they have decided to put out a very nice car.

The MKZ Hybrid has a 2.5 liter, 4-cylinder engine that puts out 156 horsepower.  It combines with an electric engine for a total of 191 horsepower.  It has 17-inch alloy wheels, front wheel drive, and a continuously variable transmission.  Because the electric motor does most of the driving at slow speeds it is rated at 41 mpg in the city and 36 mpg on the highway.

The MKZ comes with an 8-way power front seat with 2-way lumbar adjustments, full power accessories, cruise control, driver seat memory settings, manual tilt-telescope steering wheel, 2-zone air conditioning, auto-dimming rear view mirror, and a host of other conveniences.  The audio system has 9 speakers, an MP3 decoder, a 6-CD changer, satellite radio, steering wheel mounted controls, and Bluetooth.

It also has four-wheel, anti-lock, ventilated disc brakes with brake-assist, stability control, traction control, side front airbags, side curtain airbags, driver’s knee airbags, blind spot mirrors, and rear parking sensors.  It also has the patented Ford MyKey system, which allows you to program the keys of other drivers for speed and stereo volume.

Conclusions and driver feedback:

The interior is entry-level luxury.  The materials are decent but not quite as high-quality as a full-blown luxury car would have.  The design is a bit retro, but is still very practical.  There is plenty of legroom and headroom all around, and the seats are very comfortable, both on long trips and short commutes.

Both the drive and the ride are surprising.  The drive is a lot sportier and jauntier than most hybrids, while the ride is a little stiffer than most Lincolns.  Both of these are due to the suspension being tweaked more for sporty performance than luxury-style comfort.

The engine performs very well, giving plenty of power for acceleration and cruising down the highway at high speeds, and seems to be matched to the CVT extremely well.  The ride isn’t the normal thick, detached Lincoln ride.  Instead, you can actually feel the road.  It almost requires you to pay attention to the trip instead of zoning off into your own world.

There really aren’t very many negatives here.  The battery takes up 12 cubic feet that could be used for cargo space in the trunk.  Also, the MKZ sometimes seems a lot more “entry-level” than “luxury.”  Really, though, the MKZ is a nice step up from its cousin, the Ford Fusion, at a very reasonable price.  Not bad for a hybrid.

The verdict: if you want a car with great mileage and a low carbon footprint, but plenty of room to stretch out in a nice, comfortable seat, the MKZ is a great choice.

The 2011 Chevy Silverado Hybrid is the most unlikely of parings: a full size hybrid pickup. Most of the pickup-buying market is people who don’t care about a few extra gallons of gas. The segment of the market who would probably be the most open to something like this should be organic farmers concerned about their “carbon footprint.” But, as the backers of theatrical plays have asked for almost a hundred years now, “will it play in Peoria?”

The 2011 Chevy Silverado Hybrid comes in one trim level. It has a 6.0 liter V8 engine and two 60-kilowatt electric motors. The motors are powered by a nickel-hydride battery pack that sits under the back seat. The V8 provides 332 horsepower and 367 pound-feet of torque, and the combined output with the electric motors is 379 horsepower. It has 18-inch wheels, rear wheel drive, and an electronic hybrid of a continuously variable transmission and an automatic transmission. An upgrade to 4-wheel drive is available.

The Silverado Hybrid gets great mileage in the city, but the hybrid doesn’t make much difference on the highway. This is because the electric motors do most of the work in city driving, while the V8 does most of the work on the highway. If you do most of your driving in city or slow driving situations, though, you will love the mileage. It gets 20 mpg in the city and 23 on the highway.

It comes with a crew cab, a 40/20/40 split bench front seat, cruise control, full power accessories, 2-zone automatic climate control, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and a soft tonneau bed cover. The audio system has controls on the steering wheel, 6 speakers, CD/MP3 player, satellite radio, Bluetooth, and an audio jack. There is a “2HY” upgrade package available for those who require more conveniences.

The Silverado Hybrid comes with the modern safety essentials: anti-lock brakes, traction control, stability control, side front airbags, side curtain airbags. It also has the patented OnStar emergency communications system. The Silverado aced government testing under 2010 standards with perfect scores of 5 stars all around. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave it their best score of good for frontal impacts, and their second-best score of acceptable for side impacts.

Conclusions and driver feedback:

The interior is classic pickup. The Sliverado doesn’t pretend to be a luxury car disguised as a truck. The design is unpretentious and the materials are stark and hard. The seats are quite roomy. Even the back seat is comfortable.

Sadly, both the drive and the ride fall into the “negative” category. The Silverado doesn’t transition smoothly from the electric motors to the V8 during acceleration. The result is a ride that can put your coffee in your lap in a heartbeat. The steering is OK, and the suspension is still the great Chevy truck suspension you are used to, but they haven’t gotten the hybrid part correct yet.

The verdict: no, thanks.

The 2011 Honda CR-Z S a two-seat, “sporty” hybrid.  It is designed to have a little bit more punch than most hybrids.  With the CR-Z, Honda is debunking the stereotype of hybrid drivers being satisfied with a boring ride in the name of saving the earth.  It combines great mileage and a low carbon footprint with just enough fun to let you know there are plenty of shades of “green” that aren’t dull.

The 2011 Honda CR-Z has an Integrated Motor Assist, “mild hybrid” engine.  The gasoline engine is 1.5 liters, has 4 cylinders, and produces 112 horsepower.  It is assisted by an electric engine powered by a nickel-metal hydride battery pack that gets 13 horsepower.  Due to the reverse magic of hybrid math, the engines have a maximum combined, simultaneous output of 122 horsepower.  The CR-Z has 16-inch alloy wheels, front wheel drive, and a 6-speed manual transmission with an optional continuously variable transmission.  It is rated at 31 mpg in the city and 37 mpg on the highway.

The CR-Z comes with full power accessories, cruise control, a tilt-telescope steering wheel, automatic climate control, hill-start assist, and automatic headlights.  The sound system has 6 speakers, AM/FM radio, CD/MP3 player, and an audio input jack.

The safety features are the standard ones with one extra: anti-lock brakes, stability control, traction control, side front airbags, side curtain airbags, and active front head restraints.

Conclusions and driver feedback:

The  Honda CR-Z is a two-seater.  Instead of a rear seat, you get a flip-down parcel shelf, which can be used to hide or cover cargo in the back seat.  The seats in the front are comfortable and there is enough headroom and legroom.  The dashboard has three different colors.  It is, appropriately enough, green when you are driving efficiently, and blue if you aren’t.  If you put it into the sport mode, it turns red.

The CR-Z succeeds in being sporty, but not overly so.  The engines provide plenty of pop for acceleration, and the steering is responsive.  The suspension is tuned more toward comfort, so the overall effect is a little bit of fun for the driver and a decent of comfort for the passenger in the other seat.  The end result is a car that is quick and nimble for commuting, but not one you would call a masterpiece as a sport car.  The mileage is decent, and the “Econ” mode gets even better mileage at the expense of sporty acceleration.

The negatives are mainly that it is a two-seater and the trunk is small.  That, of course, is the trade-off for having better mileage and sporty performance.  If you like the semi-sporty Honda feel, you will love this car.  The problem is that other hybrids are getting more mileage with more cargo space and a back seat.

The verdict: the CR-Z gives sporty performance for a hybrid, but sporty performance isn’t worth the trade-offs in mileage and size.

Many of you already know the industry buzz about the Honda Civic.  Most feel that the Civic, which has been one of the top cars in the industry for years, is losing its edge because they are resting on their laurels and being outworked by their competition.

Honda is still putting out a very nice compact sedan in the Civic, but so are a lot of their competitors.  Honda is pretty much being cast as a the hare racing three or four tortoises.  We don’t know who will ultimately win yet, but are reports of Honda’s demise slightly exaggerated?

The Civic Hybrid base is the lower of two trim levels.  It has a 1.8 liter, 4-cylinder engine that combines with the electric engine to put out 110 horsepower.  As most hybrids do, it comes with a continuously variable transmission.  It also has 15-inch alloy wheels.  Because the electric motor does a lot of the work in slower driving, the Civic Hybrid is rated at 44 mpg in the city and 44 mpg on the highway.  At today’s prices, it’s almost like having a half a car payment back in gasoline savings.

The Civic Hybrid comes with a tilt-telescope steering column, keyless entry, cruise control, power windows, split-folding rear seatbacks, automatic headlights, a sunroof, low rolling resistance tires, a rear spoiler, and many smaller extras.  The stereo system has 6 speakers, AM/FM radio, CD/MP3 player, Bluetooth, an audio jack, and a USB/iPod port.  It cranks out 160 watts of sound.

The modern safety essentials are all there: stability control, traction control, anti-lock brakes, side front airbags, and side curtain airbags.  No testing has been done yet, but last year’s Civic Hybrid got the highest grades in all safety tests except for getting 4 stars instead of 5 for side impact front seat protection.

Conclusions and driver feedback:

The Civic has been redesigned for this year, but the improvements are mostly cosmetic.  They did, though, manage to find 3 mpg in the city and 1 mpg in the highway.  This is a result of slight aerodynamic improvements in the exterior design.  Other than the mileage and some stylistic differences in the interior, you probably won’t notice a lot of difference from last year.

There is a 5-inch monitor screen now, and just a little more cabin space.  There is plenty of legroom and headroom in the front, and the back is passable for a compact.  The trunk got just a little bigger, too.  Even with the hybrid battery, there is still 10.7 cubic feet.

The drive and the ride are both very nice for the segment.  The CVT is smooth, and the engine has enough pop for decent acceleration.  Also, the Civic Hybrid runs quietly and smoothly.  The ride, while not luxury by any means, is not bad at all.

The only real negative is the use of cheaper and harder materials in the dash.

The verdict:  44 mpg city and highway?  Sign me up.