John Birchard, Voice of America, June 9, 2003

While hydrogen-powered fuel cells hold promise as the power source of the future for automobiles, they're still years away from the marketplace. Right now, the vehicle of choice for those really concerned about fuel economy and clean air is the so-called hybrid.

The hybrid combines a gasoline engine with an electric motor to produce greater fuel efficiency and reduced pollution. The big advantage of the hybrid over the "pure" electric car is that the hybrid never needs to be plugged in for a re-charge.

Toyota was first in the world with a hybrid for public sale five years ago, the Prius. Toyota's National Manager for Advanced Technology Vehicles, Ed LaRoque, sees sales on the rise.

The growth in sales for Toyota is in accord with a new report from J.D. Power and Associates, the international marketing information firm.

Ford Motor Company, which plans on introducing a hybrid version of its Escape sport utility vehicle later this year, is keeping a close eye on current sales.

Corolla is a conventionally-powered Toyota, while Honda offers both conventional and hybrid versions of the Civic.

Even as hybrid sales move up, J.D. Power's Walter McManus says such vehicles are barely beyond the curiosity or novelty stage.

Mr. McManus says car buyers are fearful of spending $20,000 on technology with which they're not familiar. They worry, he says, about reliability, durability and resale value. Additionally, he cites the lack of major motivation to jump into a new power source.