Hybrid cars may succeed where electric-only failed

Remember watching the futuristic cartoon "The Jetsons" when you were a kid? George Jetson would wake up in the mornings and a conveyor belt would roll him through the shower. He wouldn't have to wash and dry himself or even brush his teeth. Then he'd kiss Jane goodbye and fly off to work in his electric car. It seemed like all the innovative conveniences of the cartoon were unbelievably far-fetched and too futuristic. Even today, most of the technology is still well out of the near distant reach, but some of it has trickled into our daily lives without too much publicity. Although cars can't fly yet, the automotive world has already released electric cars into the market.

Gautam Baksi Daily Driver

Honda and GM's early electric cars had inconsistent power output, limited top speed and severely inadequate driving range. Picking up where their electric-only brothers fell short, Honda and Toyota each released a hybrid electric/gasoline car for the first time this year. Instead of manually recharging a DC battery each night, these cars use a gas-sipping engine and electric motor in conjunction with a generator to recharge a battery pack while in motion. It's similar to how windmills and dams convert mechanical power into electrical energy. The gas engine gives the juice and accelerates the car; the circuit between the electric motor and the generator subsequently sustains forward motion. As the tiny gas engine is only used for initial propulsion, emissions are significantly reduced.

Honda's hybrid baby is called the Insight. Unlike its predecessor, the Insight is a functional, fairly powerful car with a virtually unlimited driving range. Aside from a futuristic exterior appearance, the two-seater coupe can easily slip in and out of highway traffic without being noticed. The Insight only comes with a manual transmission that shuts off the gas engine when the clutch is depressed and the car is still. So while waiting in game-day traffic or at a red light, the Insight doesn't harm the environment at all.

Aside from having ample interior room, the Insight's driving characteristics are considerably refined and similar to those of the best-selling Honda Civic. And while the Civic can get up to 43 miles per gallon on the highway, the Insight boasts a super-frugal 70 mpg. Perhaps best of all, the Insight starts at under $20,000 (depending on various subsidies and taxes). Its base price includes all sorts of amenities like Anti-lock Brakes (ABS), dual airbags, power windows and locks and even enviro-friendly air-conditioning.

Toyota's reply to the Honda Insight is the Prius. It primarily differentiates itself by having four doors, looking less futuristic and only coming with an automatic transmission. The Prius' smooth transmission adjusts the output of the gas engine and electric motor to best optimize fuel economy, power and response time. An innovative regenerative braking system utilizes wasted energy while braking to help recharge the battery. A curiously large LCD touch-screen mounted on the center dash of the car keeps the driver informed of how the power is being sent to the wheels at all times, along with an array of assorted facts.

Inside, the Prius also offers a handy "heads-up" display such that the instruments are high on the dashboard at the base of the windshield. The car comes with most of the standard features found on the Insight and also offers side airbags and cruise control as options. An older version of the Prius has been on sale in Japan since 1997 and sold over 30,000 units.

Both cars are a pleasure to drive and neither gives off the impression of being an underpowered "green machine." In fact, the biggest problem is remembering to fill the cars with gas, for getting over 500 miles out of one ten-gallon tank is quite reasonable. Although long-term dependability and reliability have yet to be seen, future iterations of both cars should be winners. For now, some may like them for their novelty, while others for their nearly hygienic exhaust (strangely, not an oxymoron). Either way, if you've wanted to take a ride like the Jetsons and do your part in helping the environment, your opportunity has arrived.

- Gautam Baksi sat in a hybrid vehicle when he wrote this article. If you can guess which one, e-mail him at gbaksi@umich.edu.