Well, you saved me some money, Frank. I'll have to hope my '03 Prius lasts long enough for you to issue an action alert. This mindless obedience is hard work...but fun!

The best action is no action at all. The best thing is that this is an equal opportunity idea. There are lazy, lay-about, shiftless, and lackadaisical folks in every color, race, gender and socioeconomic group.

Good job, Frank. There may be a Nobel Prize in the future for you.

So, I should stop burning weeeds & old tires in the back yard? Nope. I'm ignoring this one, too.

It's probably been more the higher gas prices under this administration that are driving hybrid sales. Not so much a desire to be green. People just want to save money. Since gas prices are likely to climb back to the $3 range in most states around May it is quite likely that hybrid sales will remain strong in 2007. That's my hybrid forecast and I'm sticking to it.

Maybe I'll burn a couple hybrids while I'm at it...

I don’t get all the resistance to hybrids. It’s practical for some people and not for others.

If you drive a lot in slow traffic or start-stop driving, a hybrid makes sense, especially if you can get lane privileges by driving a green car. If you don’t drive much, or drive a lot of highway miles at full speed, a hybrid doesn’t suit your needs. If you want to get a bit better gas mileage under all driving conditions consider going for a slightly smaller vehicle.

It’s actually a complicated question, too much for this small space. The whole principle of a hybrid is to use electric motor power at low speeds where gasoline engines are most inefficient. By the way, the percentage increase in efficiency gained with a hybrid is actually better the heavier the vehicle. No, I’m not saying overall you will be getting better gas mileage with a larger vehicle than a small, I’m talking percentage savings. Small vehicles are already fairly efficient. A hybrid will make more of a difference with larger vehicles. Some people do need to drive larger vehicles. If you have a family and do drive something like an SUV first get rid of the truck chasse by switching to a van or crossover vehicle that is built more like a modern car. The extra weight of a truck chasse is wasted on an enclosed vehicle. Unless you are off-roading, hauling, carrying a lot of extra weight, or drive a armored vehicle (because maybe you pissed off all the local Muslims who now want your head), you don’t need a truck chasse underneath an enclosed vehicle. It would be especially nice if you can choose whether you want more power or efficiency in a hybrid. Perhaps a nice switch for efficient driving, normal driving, or power (gas + electric). Efficient driving would be great for putting around town. A power setting would be nice for hauling a trailer.

Funny part is, people get that big engine to get power at low gear when you could get just as much power by adding an electric motor to a smaller engine. Also, having a bunch of batteries might make a nice regulated power supply, available anywhere you go. Add a few power outlets and your set.

chassis not chasse, damn’it.

This means that I do not smack down Sarcasm man, even though I was going to, but now you say do it if I was going to, but don’t do it if it is only because of this point, but do it if it is not necessary…
Heck.
Good luck Sarcy!

I'm holding out till they invent a car that runs on baby poop. It's a cheap, renewable, plentiful (at least around here) resource. Once they invent such a vehicle, I'll be able to get rich. I have two "refineries" still in diapers.

Wacky Hermit,

Don’t faint, but it’s already been done. You just have to get a big methane digester to load all that poo into. I hope you have a bunch of kids because you’ll need massive quantities of poop. Might I suggest raising chickens. Chicken manure gets much better mileage. Don’t hold back on serving the family Chili ether.

You don’t have neighbors who live close down wind do you?

I already bought my hybrid, but I think I'll counteract that action by putting a Hemi in it.

I'll think hybrid when they make one that gets better gas mileage than a diesel VW Rabbit ...

I've yet to see any review that shows a current hybrid that has a positive return on "investment". And while my current vehicle probably won't last another 9 years (yeah it's lasted that long already), I haven't had to change out any hugely expensive batteries.

Besides ... I'm cheering for the fact that someday we'll see some of this manmade global warming ... my propane heating bill was well over $500 for January.

Yes, diesel is a better alternative than a hybrid gasoline for most people. Diesel usually gets 20% to 25% better fuel mileage than gas for the same vehicle, assuming similar weight and engine horsepower. The stink problem shouldn’t be as much of a factor anymore now that we have gone to super-clean diesel.

The problem is most Americans associate diesel with more power rather than increased efficiency. Unfortunately, good small diesel engines are all imported from Germany or Japan. It’s not something we do well. Too bad. Of course you can do hybrid diesel trucks too. I’m not sure how the technology scales up for industrial trucking though. Hybrid diesel would be good for delivery truck fleets

Actually SM, it's the trendiness of hybrids that's mostly selling them. A few people buy them to save on gas, but potential buyers for whom gas money seriously cuts into their budget can't afford them. The only ones who can afford (the very expensive) hybrids are people for whom gas money -- even at the prices we're seeing now -- is small change. I very much want one (to save on gas money) but I simply can't afford one.

Also, it won't kill you to take an economics class, I promise. Anyone who has been through Econ 101 knows government can't affect the economy (to include gas prices) all that much. The only way it can affect it is one of two ways: taxes and intrusion into the market, i.e., less taxes and regulation = an economy that has enough room to grow, more taxes and regulation = restricts the ability of the economy to grow. However, neither can affect how the economy -- to include the price of oil -- expands or contracts.

Yes, my dear boy, it really IS that simple.