When gasoline prices began to rise, alongside concerns about the long-term availability of fossil fuels, interest in hybrid cars quickly increased. They are significantly more fuel efficient than their standard gasoline counterparts and use the energy produced by the engine more efficiently. In the early 2000s, several celebrities began driving hybrid vehicles, which also helped make them both fashionable and practical. Now, most automakers offer one or more hybrid options, including cars and SUVs. Hybrid cars have more efficient engines, save the owner money and reduce their carbon footprint. First of all, you need to know what a hybrid vehicle is and how it differs from a standard gasoline vehicle. The key difference between a gasoline hybrid vehicle and a gasoline-electric hybrid vehicle is "regenerative braking" in which the electric motor uses energy from the spinning wheels that is normally wasted and converts it into electricity which is then stored in a battery (US Department of Energy). ). The battery powers the electric motor and can support vehicle operation from the gasoline engine. Sometimes in a hybrid car, the gasoline engine shuts off completely and runs on electricity alone. Since the battery stores energy that would normally be lost in a gasoline engine, efficiency is greatly increased. “Only about 15% of the energy from the fuel you put in your tank [in a gasoline vehicle] is used to move your car down the road or run useful accessories, like air conditioning. The rest of the energy is lost to engine and transmission inefficiencies and idling” (U.S. Department of Energy). The first hybrids offered were mostly variants of existing vehicles, such as the Honda Civic Hybrid, as well as a few originals..... . middle of paper ......d vehicles provide significant gasoline cost savings and an environmental benefit to the owner. Works Cited United States Department of Energy. (nd). How Hybrids Work. Retrieved from http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/hybridtech.shtml.(02/2011). Ford assembly in Michigan to build electric, hybrid and plug-in vehicles. Welding Journal, 90(2), 11. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.Johnson, J. (09/26/2005). Ford plans a big hybrid push. Waste News. 11(11). Retrieved from EBSCOhost.Kelly Blue Book. (2011) New Cars. http://www.kbb.com/new-cars.Frankel, E. (2008). Oil and security: a world beyond oil. Netherlands: Springer Netherlands. 52.Grase, M. (09/12/2005). Toyota's Prius hybrid finds favor in Hollywood. The age of advertising. 76(37). Retrieved from EBSCOhost.Davenport, C. (02/12/2011). Automakers have doubts about fuel standards. National Review. Taken from EBSCOhost.