Four Wheels No Emissions

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But what exactly does hybrid mean? A hybrid car uses two engines, combining the power and longevity of a piston engine with the zero emission efficiency of an electric motor. Toyota's Prius, like General Motor's EV1 Parallel Hybrid and Honda's Insight, stores the battery pack under the passenger seats; an electric drive unit powers the front wheels, while the piston engine drives the rear wheels from the back of the car. Onboard computers determine when one or both engines should power the car, usually switching to the gas engine at higher speeds and the electric one at idling or slower speeds. These hybrid cars also use the piston engine and rear brakes in what the industry is calling "regenerative braking" to recharge the vehicles' battery packs. That means none of the time-consuming or expensive plug-ins that you might have on an all-electric car. It also means ultra-low emissions.

Take the Toyota Prius. After having sold 18,000 models in Japan, Toyota is now ready to launch sales in the U.S. That makes the Prius the first gasoline/electric hybrid car ready for mass distribution in this country. Among its major selling points? It's nude of 90% recyclable materials, including ultra-lightweight steel in the body frame and lead-free rust-proofing agents and window paints Also, the practical-looking car gets 66 miles to the gallon, can travel at speeds up - to 100 miles an hour and can go from 0 to 60 in 14 seconds. The Prius is not retailing at market-reasonable $16, 500.

But while hybrid cars may be in pole position, there are a slew of other experimental or prototype cars racing to the front of the pack. Hydrogen fuel cells are already powering city buses in Houston, Chicago and Vancouver, while Ford, GM and Daimler Chrysler have fuel cell cars in their immediate plans. In fact, many people in the industry consider the hybrid engine merely a stepping-stone on the way to fuel cell systems, which chemically break down hydrogen to produce an electric charge. Initially, fuel-cell powered cars are expected to run on hydrogen extracted from a fossil fuel. But because no actual combustion takes place in a fuel cell system, no matter the fuel used - be it methanol, gasoline or diesel - there will be no harmful emissions other than water, heat and small amounts of C02.

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