That'* what MP3 players are for.....

That only works in theory. The loses of energy due to friction and heat given off by the system would make that cycle impossible. It will only work until the amount of expended energy equals the amount that was initially in the battery.

$500, reliability, and 32+mpg city.

I'll pocket the change...

Another useless development. All volts or no volts. In the city and for short trips you're dragging an unused engine around. If they put the money into the battery technology and not some graphic designer I'd be much happier and probably even buy a new car just so I don't have to design it.

Yeah. Heres the thing though, our modern cars work on short trips, long trips, and everything in between. To me this is a step away from the old gasoline technology, into something new which is going to be good for the economy and the environment (if this technology gets off the ground). This car should be able to do everything that our current cars do, but with a heck of a lot less gas. My biggest issue, decrease in foreign dependance.

And at least that unused engine is small and very efficient. It'* definitely a huge step in the direction we need to be going in.

Plus, and I know I don't stand alone, I'd rather buy something that has power, is efficient, AND looks good, rather than buying something that was designed by a bunch of aesthetically challenged people who think the Prius or Honda Element is pleasing to the eye.

If they'd simply work to improve the battery technology the engine wouldn't be needed. You guys do know there are electric drag cars right? They're not always slow.

I understand that, but we don't have good battery technology. Driving from CT to OR (Boosty?), it isn't going to happen on batteries alone. There will have to be a long charging break even with REALLY good batteries.

Accept this technology, and the better batteries will follow. The hybrids will get better and better until we don't need the gas motor anymore. The step towards a good electric car is a good hybrid car.

Aye, I guess I can concede to that development cycle for now, But I want my plug-in tommorrow.

The problem with waiting for battery technology to advance to the point where it is possible to use them for ALL driving situations, is that it means nothing gets done NOW. We need hybrids to span that technology gap.
Now, for the past few years, I've been asking why they didn't do a true hybrid like this, because we DO and DID have the generating technology. True hybrid, where the gas engine is used SOLELY to power a generator, is far more efficient than a gas/electric hybrid. That'* why they've been using them on locomotives for fifty years now. They're also lighter, because they don't need complicated mechanicals to connect and disconect the gas motor from the drivetrain, and you can also get rid of any kind of transmission, other than a single reduction gear.