Here are some facts





Environmentally Sound
Aside from saving money on gas, it is the notion that driving a hybrid is helping to save the environment that often prompts purchases. The reality is that emissions results have as much to do with the drivers as the cars themselves. Drivers who modify their driving techniques exploit their electric motors to maximum effect, and, in smaller cars like the Insight and Prius, can beat the EPA numbers. Those who do not - especially those who drive the hybrid SUV's - may be disappointed to find that their fuel emissions are the same - or worse than those of similar conventionally-powered vehicles.

As with any car purchase, the choice to switch to a hybrid is one at least partly dictated by the buyer's lifestyle, as well as financial and environmental considerations. A single- or two-person household, where commutes are normal and most travel is done close to home will likely gain more from hybrid-ownership than a family of five or six.

Still, the future of hybrids is a bright one, and while most current drivers are high-income earners, women, and Californians, sites like hybridcars.com are predicting that buying trends will soon change, bringing these vehicles, and their successors, into more general use.