Did you know that the First Hybrid Car was patented in as early as 1905 by a certain American engineer, H. Piper? He was exploring the potential of constructing a vehicle with multiple sources of power and chance upon a strange concept vehicle powered by both a gas and electric engine.

The Rise of the Gasoline Guzzlers
A decade after the electric starter and cheap oil made gasoline cars much more accessible, production increased exponentially. Hybrid cars and other vehicles utilizing alternatives fuel were almost wiped from the market. These factors discouraged auto engineers to continue developing alternative cars.

Return of the Hybrid Car Concept
The oil price hikes of 1970s, coupled with growing awareness of environmental concerns, drove engineers back to their drawing boards for new designs. Extensive and experimentation 1980s produced the hybrids in the US in 2000. The earlier experience of the market on mass-produced hybrid vehicles has given engineers the encouragement to come up with complex systems, making multiple sources of power in a car possible.

In time to come, most cars will probably become hybrids, albeit eventually. It will either be a gas hybrid, a diesel hybrid, or a fuel-cell hybrid. It is obvious that people buying hybrid cars would be buying into the future of environmentally friendly vehicles.

Optimistic Survey Tells of Success of the Hybrid Car
In a recent online survey conducted by a US research center, 90% of the respondents surveyed indicated a willingness to buy hybrid cars the next time they need one, provided of course that the hybrid cars are comparable in look with what they currently own.

In this marketing study, about 46% of male respondents and 36% of female respondents strongly believed that these hybrid vehicles will perform comparably to all-gasoline vehicles. For these respondents, this is the most important factor. The concern for model, style, and features in these hybrid versions are important to respondents 49%, and 35% important to male respondents.

Only a handful of respondents, about 10% of those surveyed said they would buy hybrid cars with different style, while only 16% are willing to compromise on performance features, like horsepower and acceleration.

For price, surprisingly, the respondents are willing to compromise. When asked the additional amount they would be willing to pay for added fuel efficiency for the environment, a common characteristics of hybrids, 45% of the respondents indicated willingness to pay $1,000 to $2,000 or higher for their new hybrid cars.

So, would you be one of the early adopters of Hybrid cars to embrace an Environmentally Friendly Lifestyle ahead of others?

Check out other articles on Hybrid and Environmentally Friendly Cars Here.