Plug-in hybrids -- wave of the future?

Plug-in hybrids -- wave of the future? from the SF Gate

Good general overview of the current status and the comments have a lot of value.

Electric Cars - So what?

The more I read about Electric Cars, the more ground game changing I am finding them. Plug-hybrids combined with smart meters could do a huge amount in a relatively short amount of time to change fuel usage. The majority of energy in the US is used by automobiles with oil. What happens when the majority of oil usage goes away.

Some hopeful headlines:

• Telsa Finally Hires Someone Who Knows What He's Doing
• Toyota gets serious about batteries
• Toyota Promises Plug-In Hybrid by 2010
• Honda's New Car: The next hybrid
• Honda's New Car: The next hybrid

Plug In and Hybrid Savings

Calculating the paypack time for a hybrid and a Plug In compared to a regular car.

Assume $4.50 per gallon of gas. 12,000 miles per year. Hybrid mileage 45 mpg. Plug In Cost per gallon equiv. $1.20. Assume avg. car mileage of 25 mpg. Assume a car costs $20K, Prius $24K, and Plug in $27K.

Payback for a Prius now is 4 years and Plug in 4.5 years.