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http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/2/AmericanFlag.jpg The future is filled with hybrids and battery powered cars (http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/feb/27/future-of-autos-electrifying/)

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/2009_Smart_ED.jpgCheryl Jensen - MOTOR MATTERS (http://washingtontimes.com) - Feb. 28, 2009

From more efficient hybrids to full fledged and capable electric vehicles... anyway, we are still waiting for the latter! -- Ed.

So many automakers are talking about electric cars and plug-in hybrids one could be forgiven for thinking she had fallen asleep like Rip Van Winkle - missed the years of the necessary infrastructure being put in place - and awoke to an electrified future.

At a recent major auto show I attended, there were more announcements of gas-electric hybrids and hybrids to come. Honda introduced its all-new 2010 Honda Insight hybrid vehicle. Toyota introduced its third-generation 2010 Prius hybrid. Toyota says the new Prius will get a fuel economy of 50 miles per gallon city and highway combined, up from the current 46 mpg. The automaker also gave us a peek at the new Lexus hybrid sedan, the 2010 HS 250h.

BMW showed 7 Series and X6 hybrid concepts and said both will be sold in the U.S. by the end of this year. Mercedes plans a gas-electric hybrid for each of its major models, starting with the S400 hybrid this summer. And Audi said it will offer a hybrid version of its Q5 crossover in late 2010.

Ford's 2010 Fusion hybrid is scheduled to go on sale in early spring and is expected to get up to 41 mpg in the city - 8 mpg better than the Toyota Camry Hybrid.

All of these announcements, however, were overshadowed by the emphasis on "plug-in hybrids," as well as full-electric vehicles… http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/feb/27/future-of-autos-electrifying/

If the concern is simply to add an appropriate plug on the side of the house, nearest the car, big deal. Quite possibly, keeping the battery warmish overnight (if you don't have a garage and live in a Northern winter area) will be a bigger problem. Ice cold PEV's suck.

If the concern is the amps needed for a PEV, then we already have power-limiting, power-sharing, and timer modules, and that is pretty quick to source and install, too.

If the concern is that someone on the 34th floor needs a plug in an assigned parking spot, then that "can" be done, too, at a bit of a cost (est $1000 for most assigned-parking spaces in underground garages, if several spots done at the same time).

But if you want all that on "any" city street parking space, yeah, you have a problem (so stick with a Smart Car or similar). There's lots of perceived problems that won't rear their ugly heads for a LONG time after Joe Public starts to adopt electric cars en masse. These sound more like "reasons why I don't want to buy, and will continue to drive my FSP's".

Frankly, I do not have high regards for plug-ins particularly in the area of the country I live in. We tried them in recent years and they failed the viability tests.
Then again, this does not necessarily hold true for those living in warmer areas of the continent and on that basis, the most populated areas of the continent have much warmer climates where PEV's can work very, very well.

Personally, the ideal vehicle for me would be hydrogen powered since for the time being the industry in my area produces an excess of hydrogen as a by-product and as for our friends in Iceland, hydrogen remains attractive in more ways than one.
Too bad Honda is not leasing the FCX to folks in my area... but I am patient.

Cheers;

MSantos