SKAGGS Blog

“The U.S. consumes 21 million barrels of oil a day, far more than No. 2 China (which consumes 6.9 million barrels a day) and No. 3 Japan (at 5.4 million)”, said Neel Kashkari, senior advisor to Secretary of the Treasury Henry Paulson. [More…]

As Joseph J. Romm points out in his excellent posting, the hybrid card is the “silver bullet” solution to rising gas prices since it not only addresses the larger problem of dependence on oil from the Persian Gulf, but also because it can cut your gas bill by 40-50%. Wait lists of up to 6 months validate the fact that Americans are finally ready for change. This change can effect government policy too and perhaps it will finally wake up the American automakers as well. (BTW, GM, you had it made with the EV-1 and then you sold out for the Hummer, what the hell were you thinking?).

But check out CalCars - The California Cars Initiative for information on the development and promotion of plug-in hybrids (PHEVs). The idea is to modify a hybrid car with a larger battery and the ability to plug it in to any 120-volt outlet. In essence creating an electric car with a gas-tank backup for those longer trips and one that is able to achieve 100+ MPG for less than one dollar per gallon!

Question: How long have hybrid vehicles been around? Answer: Find out here.