|
Rome seems to be much more forward thinking that most American cities.
Having power available at a parking meter is a great idea. I wish we were doing it here.
I am not a huge fan of hybrids, because they don't get the kind of mileage that they really should be able to. I think they also give some people a "false" sense of eco-friendlyness. By that, I mean that hybrid drivers often just drive about without any special thought to how they do it. A pickup truck driver, who drives less, plans trips, and thinks about things a bit more, may actually use less total fuel than a hybrid driver.
That said, at least hybrids let "regular" folks drive pretty normally and get good fuel economy. That in itself is a good thing.
I do think that hybrids may end up being a fantastic bridge to electric cars and other alternative transportation.
First a person enjoys how a hybrid can be quiet and powerful. Then they like how much fuel a plug-in hybrid can get and how quiet it is. Eventually, they may want a car with only one power system instead of two, and no oil to change.
In the long-run, hybrids may be the best way to get people into electric cars. It takes a while for people to try new things and think about their actions differently.
|