when you hear hybrid car you probably think about the hybrid models already out there, a electric motor paired with a gasoline motor to power a vehicle. that's what we've got in the market and on the road right now. but many different hybrid options are brewing out there. the plug-in hybrid is most likely the next to hit the market, which is an improvement on the existing hybrid electric motor and allows people to plug their cars into a regular 110v outlet and juice up their car to keep moving.

 

MSN just posted a series of articles on the different types of hybrids in development. they range from plug-in, hydrualic, an air hybrid that uses compressed air to power the pistons, to an electric car that has a gas motor just to recharge the electric motor. even my beloved BMW gets into the mix with a steam powered hybrid--harnessing the car's own heat waste to add horsepower and torque.

 

very cool! i hope they can hit the market sooner rather than later. check out all the articles

 

 

ddv

 

Google is flexing all those ad dollars by offering a grant to develop/advance plug-in hybrid technology. they aren't doing the technology or advancement, but rather helping fund it.

 

Google also has one of the largest solar arrays in the country, helping power their main corporate campus. i've also heard they give a nice chunk of $ for employees to buy a hybrid.

 

Microsoft is a major sponser/organizer for the huge Live Earth global concert on 07/07/07. most of our corporate campus shuttles are now hybrids and we've recently joined with a lot of other tech companies to make computing "greener". I'd like to see us respond with a similar grant program for getting a good, clean fuel source out there. you'd think with all the technology that goes into hybrids that there is room somewhere for some Microsoft bytes and bits....

 

 

ddv

GM to rush development of plug-in electric car

GM has announced it will rush the development of the Chevy Volt, a plug-in electric car. there will be a small gas powered motor, but it will not drive any power to the car, only run to generate power for the electric motor. they estimate a range of 640 miles.

this goes in tandem with 4 hybrids announced, 2 of those for mid-to-large SUV's.

Detroit is getting into the game late, but if they can get the Volt out there quickly, they can be the first with a full plug-in electric (uses a regular 110v household plug), they will have a nice market advantage. i feel this is Detroit's only chance to survive much longer--they seem to suck at everything else lately.

ddv

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19051847/