Auto makers won't get really serious about building hybrid cars unless they think there's a market for them. We're going to show them that the demand exists. Both Honda and Toyota are about to sell hybrid cars here, and U.S. automakers are fully capable of building such vehicles with performance, convenience, and price comparable to today's cars.
Hybrid cars pair a gasoline engine with an electric motor that recharges as the cars are driven.
Hybrid car owners don't need recharging equipment or extra stops at recharging stations. They refuel their cars at ordinary gas stations - although with fuel economy averaging 60 miles to the gallon, drivers need to make far fewer trips to the pump. More importantly, hybrid cars produce only a fraction of the pollution spewed out by conventional cars. The average car currently produces 11,000 pounds of pollutants every year, significantly contributing to global warming, acid rain, and serious health problems such as high asthma and cancer rates and impaired respiratory and immune systems, particularly in children. The Natural Resources Defense Council is a nonprofit organization of scientists, lawyers and environmental specialists dedicated to protecting the world's natural resources and ensuring a safe and healthy environment.