Plug-In Forum

That's an interesting question, McBloggin.  It seems that by offering various alternatives to pure gasoline, such as biofuels, ethanol, etc., some of these automakers are \"spreading themselves thin\".  While these technologies are still in their nascent phases and niche markets for one type of green energy might exist, it probably serves the manufucturers best to concentrate on production efficiency, and overall convenience to buyers.  Several companies in the U.S and China are hiring thousands of engineers to perfect their battery technology.  They're clearly making big bets on the plug-in market.

It is my personal belief that, in the end, if electric vehicles can offer the sort of performance that gasoline combustion engines now provide, they might negate the necessity of having a mixed fuel/hybrid vehicle.  Americans are already converting their factory Prius models into plug-in variations, and the ease of charging your car overnight (with perhaps the aid of solar roofs) is too convenient to pass up.

However, if consumers ultimately decide that they want a backup liquid fuel engine, either as a safety net or as a performance booster, and the prices justify it, hybrid cars may exist side by side with pure electric vehicles.