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As i understand it, electric cars are the least efficient at highway speeds. On hybrids you have a decent amount of electric torque to get you accelerated past low speeds, and a gas engine that is competent enough by itself to bring you through the highway speeds. Neither of which are only tuned to run optimally in the narrow section of highway cruising. Add more electric power to compensate for only using a 120cc gas engine while cruising, and you add alot more cost and weight to the vehicle. Use only a low horsepower 3 cylinder engine and you get good highway mpg, but terrible low end performance and acceleration.
I would'nt object to a Tribrid electric/1.5litre/120cc. The only goal is to max out highway mpg for the least amount of money like any good ecomod should do. For example:
The VLC used a 250cc motorcycle engine at a max 40 hp but in reality only required 3.5hp to cruise at 50mph. Imagine the mileage that would get with a 60cc engine maxing out at 3.5hp. Running only a 3.5hp engine on that would be implausable, thus a hyrbrid gas/gas engine. The cost of a 60cc would be next to nothing, but a hybrid platform would cost $6,000 or more on a VLC (theoretical guestimates for arguments sake). You could see a city mpg improvement of 20% or more for $6K, or a 20% highway improvement for under $300.
Highway has always been the biggest mpg factor for me as my family lives on the east and west coasts.
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