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Hybrid Could Be Wave of Future

The spike in gas prices to more than $3 a gallon last year sparked interest in hybrid vehicles. But, as KPBS Reporter Ed Joyce tells us, some newer hybrid cars aren't available to the public.

Hybrid Could Be Wave of Future

The spike in gas prices to more than $3 a gallon last year sparked interest in hybrid vehicles. But, as KPBS Reporter Ed Joyce tells us, some newer hybrid cars aren't available to the public.

President Bush has set a goal of reducing gasoline use in the United States by 20 percent over the next ten years. Bush called for more plug-in hybrid vehicles. Plug-in's are electric cars with large batteries and small gas engines. Frank Falcone is a graduate student in San Diego State University's mechanical engineering department. He's part of a team that designed an alternative-fuel car. Falcone says we could see more plug-in's on U.S. highways in the near future.

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Falcone: Plug-in hybrid could become a mainstay, a staple of our vehicles.

Falcone says whether plug-in's will be available to buy depends on the auto industry. Major automakers are working on plug-in hybrids. Federal officials say yearly fuel costs for hybrids are about $700 less than conventional cars. Hybrids also generate less pollution. Ed Joyce, KPBS News.