Gas prices and pollutions levels are on the rise so both consumers and manufacturers are looking for alternative sources of energy to power vehicles. The current crop of hybrid cars are coming at just the right time.

Electric cars have already been proven to be pretty impractical. They only run for about 100 miles and they take anywhere from four to six hours to charge. Maybe this makes them okay for the purely city bound driver, but most consumers demand a little more. Enter the hybrid vehicles, which have already proven to be more practical and commercially successful.

On top of being easier on the environment, hybrids also get much better gas mileage than conventional cars. With hybrid sales topping 100,000 in the U.S., auto manufacturers are gearing for a new round of hybrid vehicles, including the first hybrid sport utility vehicle.

Hybrids are similar in most ways to regular cars. In fact, unless you looked under the hood, you may not even realize you were driving one.

Hybrid engines vary in design, but all of them include both gas and electrical power. Most of the power goes towards acceleration or heading up steep hills, but for the most part they require a small engine. The gas engine is given a boost from the electrical engine whenever a boost is necessary. The engine in a hybrid is significantly smaller due to the electric component. A smaller engine means a smaller amount of energy.

Hybrids have many other exciting ways of conserving energy and increasing efficiency. Things like lightweight building materials, aerodynamic shapes, optimized tires to reduce drag, and regenerative braking, which lets the battery recharge any time the vehicle is slowing.

The end result is less pollution with better gas mileage.

Hybrid vehicles are affordable despite being slightly more costly than a non-hybrid with similar size and features. The higher initial price for a hybrid; however, is offset by the long-term savings you can expect in gas.

Depending on your driving habits, you could make back that cost over the life of your hybrid. You might even qualify for the tax deduction known as the Clean-Fuel Vehicle Deduction.

The electric parts of the hybrid don�t require much maintenance, but the rest of the car functions just like your regular autos, so they�ll need the same amount of attention. Battery replacement for hybrids is expensive (several thousand dollars), but most manufacturers offer warranties on hybrid components averaging about 8 years.

The overall lifetime cost of a hybrid is still a little more than a conventional car, but this gap is being narrowed as time passes on. For some people the environmental benefits may outweigh the monetary costs involved.