They're economical, eco-friendly but harsh on the wallet. Max Tuttle showcases some of the hybrids we're likely to see soon in the UAE.
In 40 years time, when we sit down with our grandchildren, they may well ask us to tell their favourite story once again; how we used to pour oil-based liquids into the cars of our day to make them move.
And those of us who now live in the UAE will not only reminisce about these cars, but also remember how affordable they were to run.
With the price of oil hovering well above $145, some analysts predict it will keep on rising.
Putting aside the reasons for this incredible rise in price, one thing is clear: the search for feasible alternatives to cars that rely solely on oil for propulsion is on and becoming increasingly frantic.
Of the technologies currently available, hybrid power seems to be the most feasible solution for the average driver using their car for both city and out-of-town driving.
A hybrid can be any combination of propulsion methods but the one that is currently finding the most success is the petrol/electric hybrid. In the UAE - just as in the US and Japan - this particular type of hybrid works best.
Although diesel-powered cars generally beat hybrids in terms of fuel economy and exhaust emissions (so diesel-electric hybrids are even better), poor diesel fuel quality here means petrol stays king and the automatic gearbox, an integral part of a hybrid drivetrain, is prevalent.
The petrol engine of a hybrid is only used above certain speeds; below these, electric motors provide the drive.
These motors take their energy from batteries that are recharged when the petrol engine is being used, in part by harnessing the energy created when the brakes are used (regenerative braking). This means no plug-in recharging is required.
The result is that hybrids boast lower emissions, better fuel economy and less noise (at low speeds) than conventionally-powered models. That's why Cameron Diaz and Leonardo di Caprio love them so much.
And just like the stars that endorse them, hybrids will become sexy: Porsche's Cayenne and its forthcoming super-sedan Panamera will both be available in hybrid versions, as will the Connaught Type-D, a funky and super-quick V10 sportscar due to make production sometime in the next two years.
Besides the green PR value to makers of low-kml models, hybrids offer performance benefits: because electric motors develop maximum torque (low-down strength) at zero revs, the acceleration of hybrids is usually better than their petrol-only counterparts.
Before we're all whizzing around in hybrid Lamborghinis, however, more practical models will become available.
Importers here are tight-lipped on when they may bring these models here but here we'll stick our necks out and list our top four hybrid candidates to make it to the UAE first:
Toyota Camry
Toyota won't start making this car in its Australia factory until 2010 but the Camry's popularity as a taxi in Dubai might see a large allocation coming here if the Malibu trials with the RTA prove successful.
However, Chevrolet may have something to say about that - could the trial be a way to try breaking Toyota's monopoly of the sedan taxi market in Dubai?
The Camry hybrid would provide exactly what the regular model does - reliable, fuss-free motoring with no nasty surprises when you turn the key or get the servicing bill - with improved fuel economy and lowered emissions.
At the same time, it seems reasonable to bet that the Prius would enter the Middle East marketplace at the same time.
The world's best-selling (more than a million to date) hybrid car and the darling of Hollywood celebrities, so well-known is the Prius that it would be the ideal tool to spearhead the introduction of Toyota hybrids here.
Lexus hybrid range
Lexus hybrid models are already available in many parts of the world. The 'h' on the back of your Lexux scores you brownie points with the greens.
Three Lexus models can be had in hybrid form - the RX SUV, the executive GS sedan and the big LS sedan, flagship of the Lexus range. In the US the RX400h costs about $3800 more than RX350.
They are the same apart from the 'Lexus Hybrid Drive' drivetrain, which supplements the 3.5-litre V6 with electric motors, batteries and the complex electronics needed to make the whole thing work.
The GS450h and LS600h follow the same formula, with some differences; for example the electric motors of the LS600h drive all four wheels, whereas the regular LS460 model is driven by the rear wheels only.
And though the cars are environment-friendlier, the current price difference in the US (about $15,000) remains steep.
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Of course, hybrids are not all sunshine and low emissions; they're heavier, which negates some of the efficiency benefits; they are more complex, meaning costs of repairs and recycling are greater; and they use materials that are difficult to source.
Perhaps the greatest hybrid hurdle is expense - they cost more to build and whether or not it is possible to make money even on affordable hybrids with government subsidies is debated.
And they still need the black gold to keep moving - though the next generation of plug-in hybrids that can be recharged at home and run twice as far (about 65 kilometres) on battery power alone will rely on it less.
Toyota and GM say they're going to introduce these around 2010, though a UAE debut would likely come at least two years after that.
The plug-in hybrid, though more practical, will of course rely on electricity produced by power stations, which is often made using not-so-environment-friendly fossil fuels. This factor could possibly delay the wide-scale introduction of next-generation hybrids to the resource-strapped UAE.
It seems then that hybrids might represent an interim step towards cars fuelled in a completely different manner. Finally, however good the hybrid is or will become, it certainly won't save the world.
Drivers of hybrids will still face - no matter what subsidies are initially offered - the daily search for a parking space, road tolls, traffic jams... and queues for the car wash at the weekend.
Dubai goes green
The first cars to make it here arrive courtesy of the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), which brought five Tahoe SUVs and five Malibu sedans for a year-long trial to evaluate battery performance and the expected fuel economy, emissions and cost benefits.
The 'regular' Malibu is not sold here but the Tahoe is, and owners of the behemoth SUV will be awaiting the results of the trial with interest.
The Tahoe hybrid offers 8.93 to 9.35kml; that's pretty heavy consumption but a 25 to 40 per cent improvement over the 5.95 to 8.08kml of the standard Tahoe.
The downside? The price for the hybrid version in the US - $50,500 for the 2WD model - represents a premium of about $3500, despite tax credits being offered by the government there.
That could mean a hefty premium here unless this government does likewise. If the Tahoe proves itself to the RTA, it looks set to become the UAE's first commercial hybrid model.
Porsche Cayenne hybrid
SUVs are an easy target for enviro-troopers, so this big, bad SUV will get a much-needed greenwash when the hybrid version is launched in 2010.
It's predicted to have a fuel economy of just 26mpg, compared to 11 to 20mpg of current non-turbo models.
It's a little-known fact that Porsche made the first hybrid, the Lohner Porsche, way back in 1900. No performance or economy figures were given for the car, which used electric motors in all four wheels as well as a conventional engine, but it's believed the Cayenne hybrid is a marked improvement.
Hybrids driven by celebrity endorsement
Many in Hollywood drive a Toyota Prius to fly their green flag.
The list includes Tom Hanks, Leonardo DiCaprio, Cameron Diaz, Brad Pitt, Charlize Theron and so on.
Former mayor of London Ken Livingstone is another early adopter of the Toyota Prius.
