When people discuss hybrids a lot of time they are lumped into one single class, when the truth of the matter is there are several hybrid models out there that researchers are working on in hopes of becoming the next Pet Rock… or Slinky!

Two hopefuls are of course the HEV and PHEV. The difference between a PHEV and HEV is that a PHEV is basically a battery run electrical car, just like the HEV, but instead of needing a conventional combustion engine to provide electricity for the electric motor, it can simply be plugged in to a grid to provide enough electricity to run for many miles.

The primary advantage of the PHEV is its effective increase over fuel efficiency to its HEV brother, since it can actually run without the engine from the get go. Of course if you would ever find yourself in a situation where there were no electricity, the PHEV also utilizes a combustion engine for just such occasions.

While government studies have shown that PHEV’s are not only more economical to run, getting as much as 120 MPG for one single tank of gas, they also produce considerable less greenhouse gases into the air. These studies have shown that the PHEV could reduce these gases by as much as 36% or more, while the HEV’s only by 22%.

While HEV’s are becoming a common site on the road, the PHEV’s have not yet been manufactured, although GM and Toyota are feverishly in the race to see who gets there first and which one is going to be better. It is hard to teach an old dog new tricks and the United States is an 18 year old Labrador Retriever.

This is why by the year 2015 the government will have only mandated vehicles to reach the 35 MPG… when in fact we could all be enjoying 100+ MPG right now! But even an old dog knows to sit when you wave a turkey sandwich in his face…

And a 120 MPG sandwich might seem mighty tasty once gas prices reach the $5.00 a gallon mark!

You read that correct folks… the “Let’s Refuel America” program by Chrysler is currently afoot, and you’ve already lost one weeks time that this program is set to run. From May 7^th to June 2^nd, 2008, Chrysler is offering a guarantee that for the next three years any customer who purchases or leases a qualifying vehicle will not, I repeat WILL NOT have to pay anything over $2.99 a gallon for gas.

As Chrysler puts it:

“These are some challenging times. Fortunately, the Let’s Refuel America Program is doing what it can to help you get through it.”

Kind of makes you proud to be an American, don’t it. I can already see the old red, white, and blue waving across the gas tank of a Chrysler 300.

The way it works, is upon the purchase or lease of a new Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep vehicle, you tell them which credit card it is that you use to purchase your gas. They take that number and set it up so that whenever you use that card, regardless the price or location you are in, you will only be charged $2.99 per each gallon you pump in.

Unless Chrysler knows something that we don’t know, this would seem to be plain crazy. As it stands today, most regular fuel buyers are already paying at least $0.50 over this price. That’s around $8.00 discount per fill up of your average tank.

If you then consider the fact that fuel prices are predicted to reach the $5.00 range at some point in the future… you could expect as much as $5,000 back from Chrysler, depending on your driving needs and habits of course.

But that just seems to be too good to be true. What’s the catch?

• You need to have either a Master Card or Visa to even be enrolled in the program, and debit cards will not count.
• Once your card is activated for this program, it can only be used to buy gas.
• The program only works for regular (87 octane) gasoline, diesel, or E85.
• Mid grade gas (88 to 89 octane) will cost $3.14 per gallon.
• Premium fuel (90 to 94 octane) will cost $3.29 per gallon.
• For purchases beyond the 87 octane gasoline (meaning diesel or E85) the consumer will be charged a $2.00 service fee. (actually there are several scenarios where the consumer can be charged the $2.00 service fee)
• “All SRT models, Sprinter, Viper, Crossfire, Wrangler, Wrangler Unlimited, Ram Chassis Cab, and Challenger models (will be) ineligible to participate in this program.” (darn!)
• The purchaser will be given a yearly allotment of gas they are pre-approved to use each year. Once that allotment is full, the card will not allow anymore purchases until the new year turns over.
• Their yearly allotment is calculated based on the MPG of the vehicle and the expectation that the owner or leaser will be driving only 12,000 miles per year. So in other words, the more gas you guzzle, the more gas you get… obviously not a “Green” program.
  • Examples of yearly gallon allowances:

    Model/Gallons

    Chrysler 300 1,800

    Chrysler300C 2,118

    Chrysler Aspen 2,400

    Chrysler Pacifica 2,118

    Chrysler PT Cruiser 1,636

    Chrysler Sebring 1,714

    Chrysler Town & Country 1,895

    Dodge Avenger 1,714

    Dodge Caliber 1,500

    Dodge Charger 2,000

    Dodge Grand Caravan 1,895

    Dodge Journey 1,800

    Dodge Magnum 2,000

    Dodge Dakota 2,250

    Dodge Durango 2,400

    Dodge Nitro 2,000

    Dodge Ram 2,400

    Jeep Commander 2,400

    Jeep Compass 1,500

    Jeep Grand Cherokee 2,250

    Jeep Liberty 2,000

    Jeep Patriot 1,565

• This program will not be transferable upon selling the vehicle within the 3 year time frame.
• And most importantly, Chrysler has put a clause in the agreement that they may back out and/or change the rules at anytime during those three years. (Yeah, perhaps that aren’t as crazy as it first sounded!)

This is a great marketing idea. Instead of the typical one time cash back incentive… this could be a “gift that keeps on giving” throughout the next 3 Christmas seasons. So, if you’ve been mulling over getting a new Chrysler, Dodge, or Jeep… now is the time!

With the SVT…

and Roush Ford Focus hatchback out of the way,

… the Mazda 3 hatchbacks can sit back and pull in some of the residual consumers that have been cast out from Ford Motor company now that the coupe and sedan Focus is all they have to choose from for 2008.

But there are still quite a few used models of the performance oriented Focus available… and at the average cost of $10,000 to $15,000 less than the MazdaSpeed 3, they just might make a great way to get a great gas saving economy car at an even better economy price.

The Stage 1 Focus Roush package has all of the sporty looks, yet still maintains its 30-plus MPG capabilities. The Stage 1 package includes driving lights, mid-wing spoiler, side skirts, rear fascia, and exhaust system with chrome tip.

Using the optional 5-speed manual, the 2,800 lb focus has plenty of spirit to get you around using the stock 2.4 liter boasting around 130 horsepower. If you opt for the Stage 2 Roush of the (non-turbo) Ford Focus you’ll get the addition of suspension upgrades for the springs, struts, shocks, and a rear sway bar.

If you really have the need for speed, the SVT Ford Focus ups the ante to 170 horsepower and 145 lb-ft torque. Reviews show that the average driver probably won’t notice this horsepower increase much unless they really push it out on the open road.

The gears on the SVT are a bit too tall for inner city driving, but out on the highway they make a perfect fit. From 0-60 the SVT Focus can see numbers in the 7.7 second range, which is a good second and a half faster than the Stage 2 Roush’s 2.4 liter, which is approximately 9.3 seconds.

While the focus will never have the capability to beat the MazdaSpeed at a red light without the Roush turbo upgrade, it’s looks and handling are very comparable and the price is right for somebody looking for a fun compact in the $10,000 to $15,000 range.

With todays average sport compact costing upwards of $25,000 for even your most basic driver package, you really don’t need to spend big to save big and have a heck of a lot of fun going about it!

Roush or SVT… either way you can’t go wrong!