Hybrid car rendezvous at upcoming L. A. Auto Show, Fri Jan 3.
This should be fun. Dozens of hybrid cars outside the L. A. Convention Center, lots of reporters, with the event sponsored by the Union of Concerned Scientists. Check their webpage for info both on the event and about hybrids.
My green (of course) Toyota Prius and I will be participating.
Hybrids are dual-powered, with gas and electric engines. The gas engine recharges the electric motor battery. Thus, they do not need to be plugged in and recharged like all-electric vehicles.
The Toyota Prius can run both engines at once,or just one at a time. A computer chooses which engine to use, and does so effortlessly, and a digital readout tells you what the engines are doing.
Driving a Prius is like driving any other car, including handling and acceleration. Except, of course, when you stop at a traffic light. Then you have silence, because the gas engine automatically shuts off when the car stops – and starts automatically when you hit the gas pedal.
In L.A., driving in the city during the summer with the air conditioning on, I get 45 mpg. The tank holds 12 gallons, so that’s 540 miles on a tank of gas!