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2004 bike trip visiting my brother in Southern Oregon. He now (as of 2007) lives in a house that provides half his energy needs, including the car, from solar panels.

2004.

First time I have ever ridden in a hybrid car. My brother showed off the fuel saving technology of his hybrid.

Something like 50 miles to the gallon with lots of get up and go.

Car can drive like a "muscle car" for short distances. Electric motors have lots of power for things like passing and hill climbing.

Since much of the rest of driving is on the flat and not accelerating, the small gas engine (in a hybrid) is sufficient.

While car is cruising, idling or going down hill, gas engine offers enough spare power to charge batteries above what it is using to run the electric motor.

Coasting down hill charges batteries as well.

This way, the car saves up power for short bursts of "muscle car performance" needed in passing, accelerating or climbing.

My brother says his car can store up enough power to climb, with ease, a mountain pass of several thousand feet.

Eventually, when battery reserve is depleted, a turtle appears on the dash board computer readout. The car slows way down. It has to "catch its breath" and recharge the batteries.

Hybrids are interesting technology. The hybrid uses it's electric motors to even out "stop and go" load on the gas engine. This allows the gas engine's RPM to be more steady. Also allows for a smaller gas engine.

Diesel electric locomotives, for trains, use a similar principle.

Hybrids are great for fuel efficiency, but they still create one car's worth of traffic on the roads.