Another Perspective

摘要

How would you like to drive 1,000 miles between fill-ups? When I bought my 2008 Toyota Prius hybrid early last year, I thought the 45 miles per gallon that it promised to give me would be enough to satisfy my green and thrifty streaks. But then as gas prices soared to over $4 per gallon last summer, and when I found that a local Toyota dealership was certified for doing plug-in hybrid conversions, I decided to take the plunge and go plug-in all the way.rnEven with gas now averaging around $1.70 in my area (metropolitan Washington, DC), I'm still glad I did.rnIn the United States, there are several hundred plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) on the road today. Many of them belong to local and state governments, utilities, and corporate fleets. For example, Southern California Edison currently has 20 Ford Escape phevs, as well as many other electric drive vehicles, in its fleet.