[balinvadasz]

I second the vote for diesel cars/minivans. Much simpler internals than hybrids with comparable (if not better fuel economy). I'd also venture to guess that the total environmental impact including the manufacturing processes is much less too. I wish VW/Audi/BMW/Mercedes sold a decent minivan with a diesel engine here in the US and I'd be a buyer. The VW Sharan gets 43MPG+ (http://www.greencarcongress.com/2010/07/sharan-20100701.html) It's no coincidence that nearly half of the European cars have diesel engines.

[ph0rque]

With a diesel-electric hybrid, the jump in fuel economy is just as dramatic: for example, the upcoming VW XL1 will get 235 mpg: http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/reviews/hybrid-electric...