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Powertrains: key considerations: in addition to developing new technologies, the auto industry also must educate consumers and regulators as to what's possible, what isn't, and how to tell the difference.

Article Excerpt
The changing technical and regulatory landscape will force many changes on both automakers and consumers. How those changes are implemented and accepted will depend as much on the skill of the people developing the technology as it does on the ability of consumers to understand and pay for it. Despite the claims made for diesels and hybrids--both plug-in and conventional--and the ability of new regulations to reduce oil use, it is increasingly apparent that not only are car buyers are unfamiliar with what to expect from these new technologies, legislators do not understand the most efficient way to reach their stated goal of reduced fuel use.

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Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles

Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) will require owners to find a 110-volt outlet into which they can plug their vehicle to recharge the battery. Otherwise, they may find themselves driving predominantly on...