At the dawn of the automobile age 100 years ago, a variety of power plant technologies jostled for dominance before the internal combustion engine trounced the competition with its combination of price, power, and convenience. But dismal sales short-circuited several automakers' plans. Dealers sold just 561 Ford Ranger electric pickup trucks in the United States in the 1999 model year, and even that low figure made it the national electric-vehicle sales leader. Hybrid vehicles, which never have to be plugged into anything, are emerging as a more sensible way to get out of the internal-combustion rut. The Ford Prodigy and the gm Precept, midsize hybrid prototypes shown at the Detroit auto show in January, preview technologies the companies plan to incorporate into future production cars.
Hybrids crack a fundamental automotive conundrum.
A conventional car's engine runs inefficiently most of the time because it is oversized to cope with the occasional need to accelerate rapidly or easily climb steep hills. A typical hybrid's engine consists of a small gasoline engine linked to a compact, direct-current electric motor. A computer directs their interaction. During hard driving, both of them send power to the wheels. At cruising speeds, the gas engine goes it alone.