[AtomicLabMonkey]

I pretty much agree with JC. Bob-o there has some true technical points, but it's naysayers like him (combined with beancounters) that have stifled any real technological advances in the domestic auto industry. If you just sit on your hands and whine about all the technical hurdles & cost standing in the way of accomplishing something new, you'll just stagnate at the same level forever while somebody else invests the development effort and gets it done. Which is one of the reasons why Detroit iron companies are facing bankruptcy & closing factories while most foreign manufacturers seem to be doing just fine.

The reality is that as gas prices creep steadily higher and higher, the marketplace will drive the development of more and more alternatives to the typical low-mileage detroit car. Someone will get out in front of that and make a lot of money, and right now it looks like Toyota is putting in the effort to have it be them...