Hybrid vehicles move into new markets

For those drivers ready for the hydrogen fuel-cell evolution, don’t hold your breath. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that mass-produced, fuel-cell vehicles will not be available for at least another decade.

But environmentalists take heed: The hybrid electric vehicle, or HEV, is inching its way into the mass market, and many in the industry view the gas/electric combination as an interim solution to the reality of fuel-cell-powered vehicles.

Hybrid electric vehicles combine an internal-combustion engine with an electric motor, allowing the electric motor to assist the engine when accelerating, hill climbing and in stop-and-go traffic, thereby reducing fuel consumption and…