Toyota spent much of the last five years since the introduction of its Prius hybrid vehicle telling the public that it doesn't need to be plugged in. Yet there's a small but growing contingent that wants the flexibility of being able to drive their hybrids on electricity only, without using a drop of gas. That group took matters into their own hands to create a new type of car: a plug-in hybrid-electric vehicle (PHEV).

Why pursue electric-only technology with a vehicle that's already more environmentally friendly and fuel efficient than most? The hybrid technology lends itself to an electric-only conversion relatively easily, and with electric-only power available for short distances, fuel economy goes up to more than 100mpg. That sure puts a lot of distance between fill-ups, doesn't it?

How it works

How it works
We tell you who's building plug-in hybrid cars, what modifications are needed, and how they drive.

The future
Are plug-in hybrids the wave of the future? Although some issues need to be addressed, the cars are finding proponents in places of power.