Honda recently introduced the Insight, a cheaper competitor to the Prius that gets somewhat less amazing fuel economy.
Ford, which has been making its mark with hybrid versions of its Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner SUVs, entered the hybrid car market in a big way with the new Fusion Hybrid Hybrid, shown here, and the closely related Mercury Milan Hybrid.
Hybrid cars often get lumped together with electric cars, but they're very different. In a hybrid car, a gasoline does most of the hard work of accelerating, climbing hills and driving at higher speeds. Electric motors are there to help with things like getting the car rolling from a stop, some low-speed cruising and providing a little added push during acceleration and uphill driving.
While the Fusion Hybrid can't match the egg-shaped Prius, mile for mile, it gets the most out of its electric drive system, cruising at up to 47 mph on electric power alone.
Fuel economy like that should appeal to people who want a normal-looking car and it should help Ford reach its federal targets.
NEXT: Plug-in Hybrid - Saturn Vue Plug-in
