If today s middle school students get a new car when they graduate from college, that vehicle may be very different on the inside, at least from the cars they dream about now. Americans Already Familiar With 'Hybrids' Hybrid machines are nothing new to most American consumers.
Mopeds combine gas power with people pedaling.
Diesel-electric hybrids power many trains, some buses and trams, some submarines, and giant mining trucks. Power company generators and the submarines that combine nuclear and electrical energy are hybrids, too. Hybrids between gas-powered and electrical cars entered the U.S. market in 2000 with the Honda Insight, followed closely by the Toyota Prius. Most U.S. auto makers have announced plans to release their own versions soon. These early hybrids basically doubled the number of miles drivers can get per gallon of gasoline.