10 of 11
BACK NEXT
Plugging in
Plugging in
GM plans to sell the Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid by 2010.
Q. What is this new kind of hybrid I've heard of?

A. You are probably talking about plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, or PHEVs. Like pure electric cars, these can be recharged via a wall socket. Unlike pure electric cars, PHEVs also have a gas engine that starts as needed to either move the car or recharge the battery, so you won't be stuck as you are when your cell phone dies.

The fuel economics of PHEVs exceed those of the current crop of hybrids. They can run up to 40 miles on battery alone, and the cost per mile can be about a tenth that of a gas-powered car. Toyota is hoping to have its Prius PHEV to market by 2010, and GM plans to sell its Volt PHEV by then too.

The big question will be cost; the battery is quite expensive so far. "We're talking thousands of dollars," says Kelley Blue Book's Nerad. "The payback period could be very lengthy." The popularity of PHEVs will depend to a large degree on how big a tax credit the government offers.

NEXT: Doing the math

Last updated August 12 2008: 6:04 AM ET
More Galleries
10 of the most luxurious airline amenity kits When it comes to in-flight pampering, the amenity kits offered by these 10 airlines are the ultimate in luxury More
7 startups that want to improve your mental health From a text therapy platform to apps that push you reminders to breathe, these self-care startups offer help on a daily basis or in times of need. More
5 radical technologies that will change how you get to work From Uber's flying cars to the Hyperloop, these are some of the neatest transportation concepts in the works today. More

Special Offer

Most stock quote data provided by BATS. Market indices are shown in real time, except for the DJIA, which is delayed by two minutes. All times are ET. Disclaimer. Morningstar: © 2018 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Factset: FactSet Research Systems Inc. 2018. All rights reserved. Chicago Mercantile Association: Certain market data is the property of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved. Dow Jones: The Dow Jones branded indices are proprietary to and are calculated, distributed and marketed by DJI Opco, a subsidiary of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and have been licensed for use to S&P Opco, LLC and CNN. Standard & Poor's and S&P are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC and Dow Jones is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC. All content of the Dow Jones branded indices © S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC 2018 and/or its affiliates.