Honda's hybrid show-piece, the Insight.

A hybrid car is one that combines two or more sources of energy to provide power in an environmentally friendly vehicle. They mostly operate using rechargeable batteries and a small amount of gasoline.

A number of companies have made their own version of the hybrid car, namely GMC (Sierra), Honda (Accord and Civic), Toyota (Highlander) and Chevrolet (Silverado), among others.

In a 2005 survey, done in the US, it was concluded that 74 per cent of hybrid car owners said that owning the eco-friendly vehicle has saved them money, 68 per cent of those surveyed replied that the technology applied is very appealing and 64 per cent believed it would reduce US dependence on foreign oil.

Even high-profile celebrities like Cameron Diaz, Brad Pitt and Salma Hayak are lovers of these cars. Some are even campaigning for others to put away their 'gas-guzzlers' and opt for this alternative, because hybrid cars not only improve mileage but more importantly reduce tailpipe emissions.

The technology of these hybrid cars is amazing. Most give you two options. You can either go fully gasoline-powered, or switch the car over to the electric motor and battery. These are called parallel hybrids, which have a normal fuel tank, which supplies gasoline to the engine, as well as a set of batteries to power an electric motor.

A series hybrid however, uses a gasoline engine to turn a generator, which in turn either charges a set of batteries or powers an electric motor to turn the car's transmission.

Commerce, science and technology minister the Hon Phillip Paulwell owns one of these hybrid cars: the Toyota Prius

Some of the drawbacks of hybrid cars, however, are that certain models, like the hybrid Accord don't come with a spare tyre, and the cost of replacement parts is high: for example, a replacement battery costs approximately US$3,000 to $8,000 depending on the model, and a battery generally lasts an average of 80,000 miles. They also accelerate at a much slower rate than fully gasoline-powered vehicles, so drag racers and other drivers who may not feel safe if they are unable to keep pace with a traditional automobile won't necessarily be in a hurry to switch.

But with gas prices increasing the way they have been recently, the hybrid car trend could just be a viable alternative to that normal 'gas-guzzling' car parked in your driveway.

Did You Know?

. A mo-ped (motorised pedal bike) is also a hybrid? It combines a small gasoline engine with the power of the bike rider.

. A locomotive that pulls a train is more than likely a diesel-electric hybrid?

. Some buses are diesel-electric as well? The US city of Seattle has buses that pull electric power from overhead wires, much like trams do, but can run on diesel when there are no wires around.

. A submarine can be either nuclear-electric and diesel-electric?

. A diesel car is about 25 per cent more efficient than your regular gasoline car? That's why companies like Volkswagen have started producing diesel versions of their more popular cars, like the Golf Turbo Diesel hatchback.

The fear factor

Feeding the multitude

DANGEROUS PETS