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Hybrid cars have officially jumped the shark, boring drivers from
coast to coast as they smugly hypermile wherever they're going.
Meanwhile, those with big trucks have been relatively out of luck,
having to stop frequently for gas -- and to scrape the remains of
those little hybrids out of their fender wells. That's changing soon,
with Via Motors taking its rebranded Chevy trucks (dig that flying V
on the grille) and offering them to fleets in 2011, with sales to
individuals coming two years later (you can get in line now for $1,000
down). Big companies like, apparently, PG&E will be able to roll
in these so-called E-REV trucks that offer either 20 or 40 miles of
electric range, augmented by an onboard generator. Yes, it's a series
hybrid layout similar in theory to the Volt, with the internal
combustion engine charging the batteries which, in turn, send juice to
the 268hp motor. Interestingly, though, that generator can power other
things as well, providing 120 or 240V to tools, lights, maybe even hot
tubs if you're a super cool contractor. No word on anticipated vehicle
cost nor efficiency, but we're not expecting miracles on either front.
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