DailyTech.com has a nice story on the evolution of hybrid technology, from 1999’s Honda’s Insight two-seater to the new Lexus, Toyota and Honda models available today.

The bottom line,

As the price of hybrids come down and the mileage figures goes up, we can expect to see more and more people snapping them up. And before you know it, hybrid technology won’t seem like just a passing fad.

The LA Times Dan Neal writes today about his driving experience in the new Lexus GS450h,

The well-bred hybrid
The Lexus GS450h adds a green machine to the sports luxury class. Doubters — it’s time to put away those slide rules and jump aboard.

How will hybrid haters attempt to dismantle the GS450h? By accusing its owners of green grandstanding? Perhaps, but the car’s hybrid badging is quite discreet — just a lovely sword of chrome along the lower panels. By accusing them of insincerity? Fuel-efficient powertrains must be made available across the vehicle market; to insist otherwise is to insist that everyone drive the same kind of car, essentially repealing capitalism — which, as nice as that might sometimes sound, isn’t going to happen. Yes, rich people can be more responsible too.

And from the sounds of it, they don’t have to sacrifice in terms of performance either,

I didn’t have access to a track and, not wishing to microwave my license, I didn’t verify my hunch, but I’m guessing the GS450h is about a second quicker in the quarter-mile than the standard GS430. Considering the wads of cash that luxury and performance buyers blow for much smaller increases in performance, the GS’ hybrid delta is charmingly nominal.

Oh, and by the way, the car gets 20% better fuel economy than its conventional cousin: 25 mpg city, 28 mpg highway, compared with 18/25 mpg. According to Lexus, that’s good for a savings of about 200 gallons per year, or $560 at current California prices for premium fuel. In other words, even without tax credits and accounting for increases at the pumps, the hybrid delta is covered in five years.

Also, the car is rated as a super-low emission vehicle (or SULEV). Not bad for a “performance” upgrade.

To read the whole article, click here.