[dcb]

Lol, you are making assumptions about my assumptions, in your presumption.

But you have basically made my point here, hybrids are never perfect, that would be like saying automatic transmissions are perfect. Hybrids help people who are too lazy to drive efficiently (let alone people who don't want to commute 40 miles by bicycle).

But your driving environment would benefit from not having the "heavy and expensive" batteries and motor, if you used an efficient technique (easier than peddling) rather than using the crutch of a battery and motor.

This is exactly my point, you have to carry extra weight up and down the hills and get little return in efficiency (other factors excluded, cuz I don't care) as compared to learning to drive "right".

So in many cases I don't think it makes ANY sense to make a gas car carry a battery and motor, OR to make an electric car carry a gas engine. These are compromise solutions, and always less than ideal, and less than perfect, and usually over complicated, over budget, and over schedule.

I can't get very far in a NEV due to the speed limit restrictions on them, otherwise that would fill some of the electric niche, but would be nice to have a bit more speed and range, so that the gasser can stay in the garage longer.

What I WANT short term is to be able to keep my beater saturn wagon for trips/vacation so that it doesn't get tossed (I get ~45 mpg with it), and an electric vehicle for about 40 miles worth of driving, more is better obviously, but the fuel costs should go to negligible and the reliability should be superb.

But I don't think the automakers can bring themselves to sell anything that you don't pour gas into. They are in a rut.