There are a variety of reasons to by a hybrid car. They are cleaner and better for the environment. They are quieter, adding less noise to an already ear splitting world. They use less gas, so drivers can see significant savings when they fill up at the pump. For many people, the promised tax breaks for hybrid owners is enough to tip the scales in the favor of the gas and electric vehicles.

One of the most popular of all of the hybrid cars is the Toyota Prius, but buyers of new Priuses may be in for a shock come tax time. The popular car is no longer eligible for a tax credit. Neither is the Honda hybrid cars.

It has always been hard to understand the way the hybrid tax credit has worked. The credit is applied to all qualified hybrid purchases between 2006 and 2010. Oddly enough, there is no credit for plug in hybrid vehicles, even if such vehicles make it to the market by 2010.

The tax credit, or the Alternative Motor Vehicle Credit– its official name, is based on the hybrid’s maker and the model. The amount of the tax credit is based on the weight of the car and the car’s gas mileage. It is also based on how many of the hybrids have been sold. Only the first 60,000 of any hybrid model is eligible for the full tax credit.

The tax credit cap was part of a deal that lawmakers made to get the support of American automakers who did not want Toyota and Honda to have an unlimited tax credit benefit. Since Toyota and Honda were the first auto makers to introduce hybrids, so it is no surprise that both Honda and Toyota have met the 60,000 car sales limit.

Ford, which was the first American car maker to debut a hybrid car, could possibly meet the 60,000 car threshold this year, but General Motors is still far from reaching the cut off and Chrysler has yet to manufacture a vehicle that qualifies for the tax credit. The first hybrid vehicle that Chrysler plans to market is a hybrid version of the popular Dodge Ram in 2010.

After a car manufacturer sells 60,000 hybrids, new car buyers get a credit that is much smaller than they may have expected. The first cut in the tax credit reduces it by half. The the credit is only one quarter of its original value. The credit will eventually be phased out, so hybrid buyers that expect a tax credit should research their options before they buy.

The tax credit for the Prius was $3150 when it debuted and continued through for cars purchased until September 30, 2006, but for cars bought between April 1, 2007 and September 30, 2007 the credit  had dropped to $787.50.

Honda hit the magic 60,000 car mark during the third quarter of last year, so its credits are alos being phased out like the Toyota’s credit.

The Arizona State Legislature is considering a bill that would require car makers to make hybrid cars louder. The motive behind the bill is to make the streets safe for the visually impaired, but critics of the law say that it is foolish to pass a bill requiring a vehicle to add noise to streets that are already loud and raucous.

House Bill 2780 was introduced to the legislature by State Representative Ed Ableser, a democrat from Tempe. Twenty two other democrats signed the bill before it was introduced. According to activists for the visually impaired, many blind people can not hear hybrid vehicles as the approach in electric mode. “Hybrid cars are amazing, and I think one of the unintended consequences of this new technology is that it is so effective in reducing noise on the streets. The fear is that our blind citizens are in danger crossing the road,” said Ableser when asked about the bill. “This bill is to encourage the auto industry to step up and address these issues more quickly than they are now.”

A House committee has already passed the bill that would require all vehicles sold in the state of Arizona to meet a “minimum sound standard.” The National Federation for the Blind has endorsed the bill and has expressed support for similar measures in Hawaii, Virginia and Maryland.

There have been no reports of any injuries or fatalities sustained by blind people as a result of quiet hybrids, but activists are concerned that as more hybrids hit the streets, it is only a matter of time before an accident occurs. “We know that there have been a lot of close calls,” said Chris Danielsen, the federation spokesman who is blind himself. “We would like action to be taken before there’s actually an injury or, heaven forbid, a death from this.”

The federation and other activists say they are just trying to keep the blind safe an point out that the law would also help to keep cyclists and children safe as well.

Critics of the new law say that the lack of noise from hybrid cars is a good thing. They also maintain that because hybrid cars are so new, that it will take society time to adjust, but that society will learn to live with them.

Opponents of the law believe that people will eventually learn to look for vehicles instead of just listening to sounds and that blind people will adapt their resources as well. The Wall Street Journal reports that guide dogs for the blind are being trained to recognize the quieter sound of hybrids when they help the blind cross the street. “I’m kind of mystified about this bill,” Bob Robson, the republican House speaker pro tempore said. “This bill would be the ruination of the auto industry in Arizona. The financial impact is enormous for the state.” The bill was sent to the House after it was passed by the committee, but it was stuck with a “Do Not Pass” recommendation by Robson.

Current hybrid technology is evolving through research to include the plug in hybrids that environmental advocates hope will soon be the standard for all hybrids. There have been some concerns about the performance of the new plug in hybrids and many places have been putting the cars though their paces. Once such place is the University of Vermont.

University of Vermont president Daniel Mark Fogel was given a brand new Toyota Prius that had been converted to a plug in hybrid. The car was given to the school by Central Vermont Public Service. The car will be used by researchers at the school to study the effects of the hilly, cold conditions of the Vermont winters will effect the car’s performance. Plug in hybrid cars are fitted with a new lithium ion battery and recharge by being plugged into a standard electrical outlet.

CVPS president Bob Young presented the modified Prius to President Fogel as part of the innovative plug ‘ go program. The program is the first in the country that allows drivers to use the new plug in hybrids to reduce fuel consumption and environmental pollution.

President Fogel said the school is extremely happy to participate with CVPS in research that will provide a smarter and cleaner type of transportation that will be environmentally friendly and economically beneficial, practical mode of transportation to a number of Americans.

Governor Jim Douglas agreed with Fogel and stated that the program will make Vermont a international leader in the charge to find cleaner energy technology that will help reduce dependence of oil and will strengthen the United State economy.

The research that will be done on the plug in hybrids will be specific to Vermont, which is known for its harsh winters. Researchers will monitor the performance of the plug in hybrid vehicles in different points and altitudes throughout the state and in a variety of weather conditions.

To assist n the study, a group of local and long distance Vermont commuters will be asked to use the plug in hybrids as they go about their daily driving routine. They drivers will collect data about their electricity use, their carbon emissions and the plug in hybrids performance during different driving conditions.

The cars will also be used to study the effect of plug in hybrids on the states electrical grid. Vermont researchers hope to learn enough about energy use to keep plug in hybrids from being a huge burden on Vermont’s electric capacity. If everyone charged their hybrids at the same time, it could force energy companies to raise rates or to buy energy from outside sources.

Plug in hybrid research is increasing because of the urgency in finding non-polluting modes of transportation. In a recent study it was shown that over a quarter of all U.S. greenhouse gases are caused by the U.S. transportation system. Experts claim that if 50,000 current cars were switched with cleaner, more fuel efficient plug in technology then carbon emissions would drop by 31 percent.

San Fransisco May Gavin Newsom is continuing in his quest to make the city one of the most environmentally friendly in the United States. He asked asked Bay Are city leaders to to join him in encourage car manufacturers to manufacture plug in hybrids in greater numbers.

Mayor Newsom held a press conference in an auto repair shop in southeast San Fransisco. The shop specializes in converting standard hybrid cars to plug in hybrids. In the press conference Newsom said he would contact other mayors in the area by mail and asked them to join in him in his pledge to buy a new plug in hybrid id the auto manufacturers will produce them.

Newsom said that if the auto makers responded to his challenge, he and the city of San Fransisco would purchase the new plug in hybrids to replace the existing cars in the San Fransisco city fleet. “We Want to create our own market for these cars,” Newsom said.

Pat’s Garage, the location of Mayor Newsom’s press conference, had three hybrids that had been converted on diplay for the public and members of the press that attended the conference as a backdrop for Newsom’s speech. Newsom also pledged to continue to press the issue in June at the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

In contrast with an ordinary hybrid, a plug in hybrid has been modified by adding a longer life lithium ion battery in addtion to the car’s existing standard battery. The modified plug in hybrids are able to go a great distance farther using electric power than a standard hybrid now produced. The only thing a plug in hybrid owner does to recharge his vehicle is plug the car’s battery into a standard electrical outlet. Each charge costs an estimated $1 in electricity.

The National Resources Defense Council conducted a study in July that said greenhouse gases and Unite States oil consumption would plummet if plug in hybrid technology became the industry standard by 2050.

It appears that full production of plug in hybrids may be many years in the future, because of industry concerns about the possibility of lithium ion batteries overheating and causing cars to catch on fire. There is also some question about the life span if lithium ion batteries and whether they can last fr the life of the car.

Toyota officials, home of the hybrid Prius car, have stated that the car maker is looking to the possibility of making hybrid conversions available in addition to standard hybrids. Other car makers make the same claim.

The owner of Pat’s Garage, Pat Cadam, has recently opened Green Gears, an expansion of his current auto shop. About 35 hybrid cars have been converted to plug in hybrids at the new shop Cadam says. Cadam believes that until the big car makers begin to make plug in hybrids widely available, there will be a large demand for his services. It costs about $20,000 for a mechanic at Cadam’s shop to add a 145 pound lithium ion battery to hybrid. The pay off for the expensive modification is gas mileage to the tune 150 mpg.

The biggest problem with the unpopularity of hybrid cars is the lack of education and knowledge that exists about them for the general public. We kid ourselves sometimes and say they’re popular, and yes, they are growing in popularity, but we’re not there yet.  Part of the future of the hybrid car has to be the publicizing of it by the people who drive them as to their benefits, their usefulness, and their enjoyment factor as an automobile.

Most people who drive hybrids do so because they feel some sort of social responsibility. They are the people that say to themselves that they want to keep gas prices lower, they want to consume less non-renewable resources, they want to have a smaller environmental footprint, and they want to hand over a better world to the next generation. These are all noble motives, but maybe if those are our true goals, any one of them, then we need to take a better look at what else we can be doing other than simply just driving a hybrid.

We have to tell people about them. The fact of the matter is that in America today people are still woefully uneducated or deliberately ignorant regarding hybrid cars.  Mention a hybrid to certain old people and they’ll just grunt and declare it hippy technology and be done with it. First it is important to educate ourselves about the history and technology of the hybrid car as best we can so we can sell it to other people. Yes, we’re selling it, even though we don’t have a car to sell, we have to sell them, and therein lay some hope for the world and the industry.

We can be telling people that it’s not just cars. Hybrid motorcycles, trucks, SUV’s and other things as well. Even the American military is exploring hybrid options for their vehicles, and if can be good enough for the military it can be good enough for anyone.

Eventually, we need to see hybrids on every street corner. The only way that is ever going to happen is if we tell people about them. Tell them what we like; even tell them what we don’t like. Only by presenting a complete picture of what the hybrid is will its publicity and presence spread, thus leading to a more hybrid friendly consuming public.

Not all people are driving hybrids out of environmental responsibility, for some it is about the economic impact the rising gas prices and the reduction of fossil fuels in our earth could someday have on America. This is a perfectly valid justification, and if that is your motive it is just as important to get the message out regarding that. It is the same state, where one person driving a hybrid for that motive won’t help, but 100,000 sure would. But those people who aren’t need to know why they should, and that’s up to those of us who do.

Hybrid cars are a political issue. It would be easy to assume that we could just each make our own individual decision as to why and if a hybrid was for us and be on about our business. It would be nice if people were responsible enough to be buying more hybrids and thus increase demand on them and thus increase the jobs in the country building these hybrid cars. That is simply not the case though. Because of this and because of the current state of the economy, the hybrid car has been making news on a political front this year.

With the presidential primaries raging all about us in the most ferocious battle in recent history the democratic candidates are battling for every single delegate they can grab. Barak Obama has stated over and over in his message that he is dedicated to ensuring that American auto makers are putting more time and money into increasing production of Hybrid cars. This has become especially important in Michigan as car makers are posting huge losses and cutting jobs everywhere.  Obama has repeatedly stated his dedication to making sure that more companies in America are creating greener and more fuel efficient products.

If Obama really gets into power and can make this happen it could turn things around for the American auto industry. Hybrids increase in popularity every day as our attention gets focused more and more on the state of our world around us. The American’s are offering hybrids, but they just don’t have the numbers or the visibility of those cars to compete with the imported models. If the American car makers started making more and better hybrids, it could only work out better for everyone.

People should feel it’s as much their responsibility to buy American hybrids as to buy hybrids at all. The economy is in a serious recession and if the shift can move to buying American cars again it will help that economy. But, obviously we have environmental responsibilities as well, so we’re not going to rush out and buy an American gas guzzler. It is a comfort to see political candidate who realizes this conundrum as well as sees a way out of it. Hopefully that vision can come to pass and all of us can be putting our resources towards both trying to maintain and respect our environment as well as supporting workers within our own country. Both are social and national responsibilities that Barak Obama clearly takes very seriously. We should as well. Obama himself traded in his V8 for a hybrid, and hopefully the car makers will heed his message regardless of what happens in this election and we can all get back along a better path.

With the growing interest in environmental protection and rising gas prices, many more people are turning to hybrid vehicles to protect the earth, reduce our dependence on foreign oil and save money on gas. In an effort to serve people who have turned to hybrid cars, the State of North Carolina is teaming up with Progress Energy and Duke Energy to create a new center at North Carolina State University to start new research on Plug in hybrid cars, said North Carolina governor Mike Easley on Tuesday.

The governor said that the idea s to make sire that both the technology and the infrastructure for hybrid vehicles are in place before demand outstrips availablity. The cars could average up to 100 miles pergallon based on current research. That would increase the gas mileage of current hybrid like the Toyota Prius by 100%and the triple mileage of gas only vehicles that are rated as fuel efficient.

The new center will be known as the Advanced Transportation energy Center. It will be housed on the Centennial Campus of the North Carolina College. The center will look for ways to make hybrid car batteries that are both cheaper and more efficient. It will also study ways to build an infrastructure for hybrid vehicles throughout the state. The energy project hopes to one day have “charging” stations that would operate much like gas stations that currently dominate the landscape. Charging stations would be placed at strategic intervels to encourage people to use hybrid vehicles for long trips in addition to driving their vehicles for short trips around the city.

Initial funding for the project will come from Progress Energy and Duke energy. The two utility companies will provide any electricity needed for widespread use of hybrid vehicles.

The North Carolina governor says that the project is good for the country. “It is our patriotic duty to free ourselves from dependence on foreign oil and become leaders in developing the technology to make our nation energy independent,” said Easley, who made his announcement at the Emerging Issues Forum in Raleigh. “Just as we have done in the biotech field, we can position our state to be a hub of activity, expertise and a magnet for the new jobs that will emerge as this sector of the economy grows.”

As gas prices continue to increase, consumers are looking to hybrid vehicles to cut their energy bills even though the initial expense of the vehicle is higher. As consumers turn to hybrid vehicles, the car industry and the government are sinking more money into the technology to keep the hybrids a viable alternative for people looking for savings. Hybrids are also popular with customers that are looking to reduce their carbon footprint. The North Carolina project has the potential to help not only hybrid owners in that state, but the research can help hybrid owners in other states to find vehicles with higher gas efficiency. Other states can also use their research to set up their own hybrid vehicle infrastructure.

With more people interested in the environmental and gas saving benefits of the hybrid vehicle industry, the rental car industry is jumping on the bandwagon. Customers in St. Louis will have the opportunity to try out the new hybrid rental program in one of the first in the nation programs.

The Toyota Prius hybrid is one of nine hybrid cars that will be available to anyone who lives in downtown St. Louis  or any downtown worker who needs to get across town and is willing to pay the by the hour rental fee . WeCar, downtown St. Louis’ first car sharing program, started Tuesday and is designed to help people who need a car sometimes, but would rather not use their own vehicle, or have to lay out the cash to buy a car when they only need one occasionally.

“I’ll definitely use it,” said Sarah Stewart of south St. Louis County. Stewart is  an urban planner with the Lawrence Group who drives to work. She says that she will use the Toyota Prius parked in front of her building regulary. Using WeCar for lunch time tasks will save her the time walking to the parking garage and then looking for an open parking space when she gets to where she is going . With WeCar, the parking space is provided for car sharers.

Car sharing is common in other cities throughout the country, giving many city dwellers who would rather not buy their own car easy access to cars for rent. WeCar is offered through Enterprise Rent-A-Car in Clayton Country, which first began the program last month at Washington University. So far, over 100 staff and students have signed up to use the six hybrids at WU’s main campus, and one at the university’s medical center, said Steve Salemi, group rental manager for the company.

The option was brought to downtown by Enterprise and the St. Louis Car Sharing Cooperative, led by Citizens for Modern Transit.

The program is designed to be simple to use. Interested users must sign up at www.wecar.com/stl. A membership packet is mailed to those who enrolled. The package includes a personal identification number and a key fob which is used to open the car. Reservations can be made any time and for any available location online. The driver than swipes the key fob over the keypad in the driver’s side windshield to open the car. The car key is in inside the glove box, which must be opened with the member’s personal identification number. The driver must then return the car to the parking space when the reservation is over. WeCar attendants will check cars for cleanliness and damage daily.

The downtown program has a $35 annual membership fee. A Prius rents for $10 an hour, except for between the hours of 6 p.m. and 8 a.m., when rental rates are a flat overnight fee of $30. Fuel and 24-hour customer service is included, making it a safe option for women traveling alone.

Mayor Francis Slay said, “It will help the environment.It will also give people more options as far as commuting. Some people would like to take light rail or the bus to work but they need the flexibility during the day. They can use the WeCar.”

The 2008 Chicago Auto Show marked the rapid increase of availability of hybrid vehicles as numerous manufacturers rushed to get their models out on the floor. As new government regulations demand that vehicles be more fuel efficient, car makers are scrambling to come up with new solutions. This year’s show offered a rare treat of a wide variety of available hybrids.

The most notable new release was the GMC Denali Hybrid. This futuristic truck/SUV combo featured a two mode hybrid propulsion system in addition to a sleek body and low line top profile. The Denali has received rave reviews so far as high performance hybrid that offers consumers a very nice exterior coupled with the traditional Denali extras on the inside.

GM also introduced their Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra full size pickup hybrids that made quite a stir. Both feature gas engines that shut down when the truck is idling or coasting. This means significant savings in gas mileage and better overall performance. When you’re ready to go again, the gas engine jump starts right away, with hardly any noticeable lag time. This represents some huge steps forward for hybrid trucks and may revolutionize the industry.

In addition to functioning as hybrids, the GM trucks also serve as a backup generator. This could increase their overall appeal, especially for job sites that do not have access to power. It will produce up to 2400 watts of power, which is more than enough to run even large equipment. Outlets are included in the back of the truck to make it even easier to use. This is a feature that remote ranches and construction locations can really use.

Ford also debuted their hybrid Escape, calling it the first hybrid SUV. The electric motor is used to start the vehicle and run it until it reaches about 25 mph. At that point, the gas motor clicks in and takes over. This produces an overall gas mileage of around 36 mpg, bringing it within the government regulations and producing terrific gas mileage for an SUV, even though it is on the small side.

Toyota’s Prius has long been the benchmark for hybrid vehicles, but this year’s model is even more fantastic. Its extra features such as Bluetooth wireless, Synergy Drivetrain and voice activated DVD based nav system may convince many to make the switch. Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drivetrain, which is considered to be the best on the market, was also on display and made quite a stir. The new drivetrain functions incredibly well while producing the lowest amount of emissions possible. It’s CVT system takes shifting out of your hands and puts it into the car’s so that it only shifts when absolutely necessary.

Honda’s Insight also had a strong showing with its impressive 66 mpg engine. It’s considered to be more conventional than the Prius and relies more on its gas motor while still ending up as the best gas mileage vehicle in the industry. This is one of the few cars that actually gets better city gas mileage than highway.

Colorado is currently working on legislation that could open lanes previously reserved for High Occupancy Vehicles to hybrids. This special legislation has been stalled since 2003, but lawmakers are picking it back up as hybrids become more popular. It is hoped that opening these lanes will give drivers more incentive to make the switch.

However, before this plan can come to fruition, the EPA will have to get on board. This is necessary due to concerns that thousands of hybrids using these lanes could clog roadways even further. The EPA never came to a decision on this subject before but it is hoped that they will make their move now.

Currently, the only vehicles allowed to use High Occupancy Vehicle lanes or HOV’s are carpools, motorcyclists and toll payers. With the added burden of hybrid vehicles, many worry that these special lanes will become as congested as regular lanes. This may anger those who rely on these lanes to get to work quicker and avoid the usual traffic congestion.

There are also concerns over which hybrids will be allowed to use these lanes, since not all hybrids are created equal. For example, you really cannot compare the Honda Insight to the Toyota Prius, since they function in different ways. However, they both are technically hybrids and the Insight enjoys the ranking as one of the most fuel efficient vehicles in existence. It will now be up to the legislators to determine which hybrid vehicles will be allowed in these lanes, if they are in fact opened up.

“The law currently states that a hybrid is fuel-efficient if it gets 50 percent more miles to the gallon than its counterpart,” said Stacey Stegman, the Colorado Department of Transportation’s director of public information. “You could have a Hummer that gets 10 miles to the gallon, and then they come out with a hybrid model that gets 15. But still there’s the normal Honda Civic that gets 30 mpg. It just doesn’t make sense to exclude the Civic over the Hummer.”

In order to keep things fair, the state is proposing creating a lottery for 2,000 hybrid vehicles. This will allow officials to test the efficacy of opening up the lanes to hybrids while avoiding over congestion. This has been proposed as the fairest means of creating a trial to see how conditions would be affected by the new law.

The state will also need to determine whether or not hybrid cars are actually environmentally friendly. Studies on this matter are still out, particularly for hybrids that still rely on gas engines for part of the time. As more trucks are converted over to hybrids, this problem may become even more severe.

One thing is clear that current incentives for switching to hybrids may not be enough, but opening up special lanes may also be counterproductive. More studies and trials are needed to determine how to increase reliance on hybrids while maintaining quality road conditions.