Plug-in hybrids? You're just as baffled as I am. What the heck is it? Well, from my understanding, it's a hybrid car made even more environmental friendly through the use of electric power cord.

World champion mountain freeskier and environmental staunch advocate Alison Gannette is all about green living. She not only lives in a straw bale house with her solar powered appliances, she even converted her Ford Escape Hybrid into a plug-in one at a staggering cost of $35,000! Gannette is just one of those few people who can't wait for car manufacturers' supply for plug-in hybrids.

So how good are these plug-in hybrids? Well, a normal hybrid car can only reach not more than 45 mpg (this is the case even for the newest models); but a plug-in hybrid can reach up to three digits! The highest that Gannett's plug-in hybrid can reach is up to 232 mpg. On average, it borders between 80 to 100 mpg.

Sound's great huh? But the setback here is the cost of the conversion (Hey! Cost has always been the setback.). As we've seen earlier, the cost for converting your hybrids to plug-in ones can reach as high as $35,000. I'm just not sure if the electric cord is already included in that total. Well, for one thing, special batteries used to store such electric power, such as lithium-ion, are not really cheap. But then according to Gannette, the goal is to get everyone become inspired with this action, and have them join in the cause. This should transform the whole plug-in hybrid conversion and use to become more mainstream. And as a consequence, this should also invite auto makers and fuel providers to supply their consumers cheaper plug-in hybrid cars and electric power.

It sounds like a great idea but it's definitely gonna take a lot of time. But then with such revolution, Gannette implies that you'd barely even feel how long time has passed.

Source: AUTOPIA