There's a world of difference between the American approach to motor economy and the Japanese style, says Andrew Hamilton
Is there a future for hybrid motoring, as represented on the Irish market by the Toyota Prius? It really depends what manufacturer you talk to. General Motors and Ford don't really see it as a way forward because in their view, fuel cell technology isn't very far away.
But Japanese manufacturers like Toyota and Honda argue differently. They see hybrid cars as having a growing and more popular role, given that setting up the refuelling infrastructure with fuels like hydrogen will take a long time, as far away as 2016.
Until now, petrol-electric hybrid cars have existed primarily to prove the green credentials of their manufacturers and the few people who buy or lease them.
They achieve good performance and fuel economy by combining a small high-efficiency petrol engine with elements of an electric car - a motor/generator to boost the engine's power as required, and to turn the energy dissipated when slowing down and braking, into electricity to charge the batteries.
The Prius, along with Honda's Insight, were the hybrid pioneers and both manufacturers admit that they haven't really made any money out of them.
The sales haven't been overwhelming either: just 27 Prius cars have been Irish registered in two years.
Whereas the Prius, with an ex-works tag of €30,400 is a capacious five-door of Ford Focus dimensions, the Insight is a two-seater coupé, largely of aluminium construction and optimised in shape and weight for ultra-low fuel consumption. It isn't on Irish sale, but Honda here has been showing it off through its dealer network.
Honda expects much greater hybrid popularity with its four-door Civic saloon and there's a good chance we will see it on the Irish market in the spring of 2003, according to Frank Kennedy, Honda's sales and marketing manager.
He won't speculate on price if it does happen: it could be around the Prius figure. That's taking into account a reduced level of VRT.
Under the Civic hybrid's bonnet is a development of the Insight's combined engine and electric motor/generator which Honda calls IMA (Integrated Motor Assist).
The maintenance-free nickel metal-hydride batteries and the electronic control system are housed vertically behind the rear seat, in a pack no thicker than the seat back, so they steal no passenger space and hardly any of the generous boot area.
The petrol engine is similar to that of the Jazz supermini, and produces 85 bhp. When the throttle pedal is down hard, the electric motor joins in with 13 bhp of extra urge for acceleration. The figures of 0 to 60 mph in 11 seconds are similar to a 1.6 Civic five-door.
A variety of clever devices work unobtrusively to reduce fuel consumption.
Regenerative braking keeps the batteries charged. As the car slows, three of the engine's four cylinders are deactivated to reduce friction.
When it comes to a halt, the engine cuts out altogether, restarting the instant you take your foot off the brake pedal.
Japanese official figures give the fuel consumption figure as 83 mpg, but in our world 50 mpg would be more realistic. Tests in America have shown that while 55mpg is attainable, driving gently and using the full, boosted performance brings the figure down to 45 mpg.
All this suggests that while hybrid cars are good for the environment, the mpg savings aren't really very profound. Just a few weeks ago, husband and wife journalists Brian and Mary Foley achieved a remarkable 112.71 mpg driving a 1.4 litre Honda Jazz petrol car with DSi or Dual Sequential Ignition.
They were best in an economy run where the average consumption for all participants was 65.4 mpg. Frank Kennedy thinks 50 mpg is very achievable in everyday running: "With this economy run, we were trying to prove that what you lose in extra tax over a 1.2 , you gain in reduced running costs."
Diesels would also do as well as any hybrid offering. But they wouldn't be as socially or environmentally responsible. There's a big price to pay for being green and clean with a Prius or Insight or Civic hybrid.