In Your Green Garage: Life After the Hybrid

According to Environmental Leader, hybrid vehicle sales are up 49% in the US so far this year. That number includes a whopping 88% increase in sales for the noble Prius. Dealers around the country have begun offering cash back incentives and low interest rate auto loans on hybrids--in short, treating them like any other car model and letting them compete on price in the marketplace. In short, hybrids are no longer the exclusive car of the eco-chic elite: Muggles are now buying them, too.

Enter the PZEV, or "Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle". These are new versions of both regular fossil fuel-burning and hybrid production automobiles whose emissions are purported to be cleaner than the surrounding air. The PZEV gas engine adds a mere $500 to the sticker price of a vehicle. The California Ford Focus PZEV will carry a base sticker price of just over $14,000, finally bringing eco-friendly private transport within reach for the low end of the buying market, at least in states that have mandated it. If you don't live in California, Maine, Massachusetts, New York or Vermont, pester your local dealership, for without a perception of demand, the cars will be slow to roll out nationwide.

Note that the PZEV designation denotes cleanliness, not fuel-efficiency, though some models do offer both. Our advice: buy the PZEV, and practice fuel economy by spending more time in your fabulous, healthy green home, and less time driving around.