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Plug-In Hybrids Aren't Coming, They're Here

Wired is running a story about the small but vocal, and growing, number of people who aren't waiting for automakers to deliver plug-in hybrids. They're shelling out big money to have already thrifty cars converted into full-on plug-in hybrids capable of triple-digit fuel economy. "The conversions aren't cheap, and top-of-the-line kits with lithium-ion batteries can set you back as much as $35,000. Even a kit with lead-acid batteries — the type under the hood of the car you drive now — starts at five grand. That explains why most converted plug-ins are in the motor pools of places like Southern California Edison... No more than 150 or so belong to people like [extreme skiing champion Alison] Gannett, who had her $30,000 Ford Escape converted in December. Yes, that's right. The conversion cost more than the truck."<p><a href="http://tech.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/10/06/0224221&from=rss"><img src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?from=rss&op=image&style=h0&sid=08/10/06/0224221"></a></p><p><a href="http://tech.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/10/06/0224221&from=rss">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p> <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/OK0Iezz_RKZ9lFYmM-isLUqcmSg/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/OK0Iezz_RKZ9lFYmM-isLUqcmSg/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/EhKkq4mGzQU" height="1" width="1"/>