Plug-In Hybrids: Beyond the Big Automakers

Today, the great technology that is getting a boost from independents is the plug-in hybrid electric car. Two who are pressing along are Henrik Fisker and Malcolm Bricklin.

Fisker, reports the Detroit News, gained his fame as a car designer of high-end sports cars like the BMW Z8 and the Aston Martin DB9 and V8 Vantage. He hopes to unveil a plug-in electric hybrid at the Detroit Auto Show in January, 2008.  He also plans to have high performance gasoline-electric hybrid sedans for sale to the public in a year and one half.

Expected price tag is $80,000. The cars will be marketed and sold under the name Fisker Automotive.

Bricklin built his reputation on introducing new foreign cars to the U.S. like the Subaru and the Yugo. He expects to have a plug-in electric hybrid sedan on the U.S. market by 2010. It should be a little more affordable than Fisker's version and have a sticker price of about $35,000.

Both Fisker and Bricklin are shooting for a range for their cars of about 45 to 50 miles on electrical power alone. For people who do a modest amount of driving in a day, this could probably be enough to allow the car to run only on electric power.

Then there are the econo-friendly or green companies that are trying to make their mark in the development and sale of electric hybrids. One that has been gaining attention is Tesla Motors. Based in San Carlos, California (certainly a green state), Tesla is already selling an electric roadster for $98,000. It is not a plug-in. Tesla already plans to release another model priced at a more affordable $50,000 by 2010. This could be a plug-in hybrid.

More details can be found above. Our take? We're keenly waiting to see what Toyota, the leader of the hybrid, will respond with against its competitors. Regardless, the average consumer will, ultimately, be the winner in this race.