A hybrid car is a vehicle that uses a combination of at least two different fuel sources for its propulsion. Although many combinations are possible, generally when people are talking about hybrid cars, they are referring to cars with a combination of:

• a gasoline internal combustion engine
• an electric motor
• a battery that powers the electric motor and stores energy for future use

Hybrid cars may also be called gas-electric hybrids. Some examples of current hybrid cars include the Toyota Prius, Honda Civic Hybrid (HCH), and the Honda Insight. Due to their special use of technology, hybrid cars receive much higher gas mileage than the average U.S. vehicle. In fact, hybrid cars hold the top spots for fuel economy in their respective categories: two-seaters, compact cars and mid size cars.

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