Hybrids are not electric cars; they combine a gasoline engine with a battery-powered electric motor.

They have been around since 1999 and before. Most hybrids are made from exiting car models. Hybrid car sales rose 81 percent in 2004 and that trend continued in 2005!

A hybrid engine gets significantly better gas mileage than a conventional gas engine. Hybrids consume less gas and produce less pollution per mile than conventional gasoline engines.

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A research alliance consisting of General Motors, BMW and DaimlerChrysler plans to invest over $1 billion in the development of a new hybrid transmission and related systems that backers say will leapfrog the market-leading technology now offered by Toyota.The three car makers have about 500 engineers who have been working for the past 18 months on the joint development of the next-generation hybrid engine technology, which combines a battery-powered electric motor with a conventional petrol combustion engine, company representatives said today on the sidelines of an industry trade meeting.

The so-called dual-mode hybrid technology that has been under development by the consortium includes an onboard fuel-optimisation computer that determines when and at what speeds the two motors will be used for power and how the on-board battery will be recharged.

Development of the transmission - the core of the project - is expected to cost about $300m for the partners. The remainder of the investment represents the cost of integrating the new hybrid system with other vehicle components.

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