Available Hybrid Vehicles - DOE

The introduction of Honda's new 2003 Civic Hybrid expands U.S. consumers'hybrid-electric vehicle choices to three. Like the Toyota Prius and Honda Insight, the Civic Hybrid gets exceptional gas mileage (46 MPG city/51 MPG highway). All three hybrids are environmentally friendly with among the best ratings for global warming and smog-forming emissions.

Three Gas-Saving, Low-Emission Choices

Honda Civic Hybrid (2003)

MPG
(city/hwy)

Price
(MSRP)

Automatic

48/47

$20,550

5-speed manual

46/51

$19,550

	5 passenger sedan
	First hybrid version of an established car model
	40% better gas mileage than conventional Civic Sedan

Toyota Prius (2003)

MPG
(city/hwy)

Price
(MSRP)

Automatic

52/45

$20,480

	5 passenger sedan
	First mass-produced hybrid in the world
	Can reach speeds of up to 100 MPH
	0 to 60 in 14 seconds
	Made of 90% recyclable materials

Honda Insight (2003)

MPG
(city/hwy)

Price
(MSRP)

Automatic

57/56

$21,280

5-speed manual

61/68

$19,080

	Two Seater
	First hybrid sold in the U.S. (introduced 2000 model year)
	Light-weight aluminum body
	Best gas mileage of the three hybrids

Even More Choices Coming Soon

According to automakers, consumers who care about fuel economy will have a dozen hybrid cars and trucks to choose from within the next few years. Below is a list of hybrids with their announced introduction dates.

Manufacturer	Model	Model Year
Ford	Escape	2004
	Explorer	2005+
General Motors	Saturn SUV	2004
	Chevy Pickup	2004
	Chevy Suburban	2005
Daimler-Chrysler	Dodge Ram Pickup	2005
	Mercedes S-class	2006

How do hybrids get such great gas mileage?

Gasoline-electric hybrids have a gasoline engine as their main power source but also use an electric motor for additional power when needed. Hybrids can capture the energy normally lost during braking and store it as electricity in a special battery. Unlike all-electric vehicles, hybrids run on regular unleaded gasoline and never need to be "plugged in" to an electrical outlet. What's more, hybrids don't waste energy idling. The gasoline engine shuts off when the car comes to a stop (e.g. at a red light), to be started instantly by the electric motor when needed again.