Hybrid SUVs & Trucks

Automakers have been on a quest for heightened fuel economy and lower emissions for decades now, aiming for constantly moving government-mandated targets, as well as consumers who are demanding increased efficiency with each new vehicle purchase. Initially spurred by severe oil shortages in the '70s and '80s caused by OPEC oil embargoes and further provoked by today's ever-higher gas prices, consumers have developed a keen awareness of fuel economy. Over the years, federal regulations requiring higher fuel economy standards, along with air-quality laws mandating lower emissions, have also pushed auto manufacturers and their suppliers to investigate developing technologies that would allow achieving these goals while still producing vehicles that appeal to consumers.

The first hybrid SUV to hit the U.S. market, the versatile Ford Escape makes it easy to be green. Prices start at $26,380.

An array of advanced technologies has been explored over the years. Many of these have been incorporated into the vehicles we drive today, such as lean-burn, variable valves, and gasoline direct-injection engine technologies. We surely will see additional advances made with internal-combustion engines as the industry seeks to eke the most from this proven century-old technology.

Recent years have seen hybrid electric vehicles introduced to the marketplace, combining the advantages of the familiar internal-combustion engine with the high-torque capabilities of an electric motor. Initial offerings focused on urban commuter vehicles, the Honda Insight hatchback, Honda Civic Hybrid sedan, and Toyota Prius sedan. These city runners recapture energy through braking and engine shutdown at stoplights, resulting in impressive fuel economy. While smaller vehicles will continue to benefit from hybrid propulsion, the real news is that the technology is fully scalable to even the largest consumer vehicles, such as pickups and full-size SUVs, and that hybrids will soon become high-performance choices.

Illustrating just how far you can go with hybrid technology, the U.S. military, through the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development, and Engineering Center's National Automotive Center, is developing hybrid drive for everything from the HMMVW -the military version of the familiar Hummer-to its larger family of medium-duty tactical vehicles. This same logic is being applied to civilian vehicles now undergoing development, with medium-duty trucks and even big rigs poised to utilize hybrid drive.