For the past few years I have rambled to anyone willing to listen about purchasing a Hybrid car. A Hybrid vehicle, in lay terms, is fuel efficient, runs on zillions of miles per gallon, and helps to slow the progression of Global Climate Change. I focused primarily on the Toyota Prius and the Honda Civic Hybrid as they seem the most accessible.

The Toyota Prius had dominated as a first choice among drivers striving to be Green in urban centers and has won attention by many celebrities. My personal tastes favor the sleek design of the Honda Civic Hybrid. I admit, I have been a Honda loyalist for 19 years. In my neighborhood, the Honda Civic Hybrid is priced around $30,000 and entails a waiting list.

Both cars make up a group of vehicles which uses a fuel cell and switches to a diesel or petrol fuel after reaching a certain mileage per hour. Add another $24000 or so to convert a hybrid into a plug-in. A plug-in involves the updating of the electric fuel cell to increase fuel efficiency. The original priority of the Toyota and Honda companies focused on reducing carbon emissions. As a means to reach this goal, the effect of increased mileage obtained per hour materialized.

Beyond Hybrid automobiles, I have also looked into Electric, Hydrogen Fuel Cell, and Biodiesel vehicles. My dream car is a 100% electric Tesla Roadster. With a base price of $98000, the Tesla Roadster was named after inventor, scientist, and genius Nikola Tesla. It has no emissions, utilizes no gasoline, boasts 135 mpg, and goes from 0 to 60 in only 4 seconds. If you can afford it or want to dream about it like me, surf over to: www.teslamotors.com.

Affordable electric vehicles are also available such as the Zap Zebra. It is priced around $11000 and comes in lively colors. Plug it into an electric outlet and drive. One can reach up to 40 mph so it would probably best serve an urban base. Before this 21st century Green movement, General Motors owned a fleet of EV-1 electric cars that were driven in California. These cars were eventually, abruptly recalled for political reasons and protests by the loyal car owners ensued. For more information into this compelling tale check out the DVD, "Who Killed The Electric Car."

Hydrogen fuel cell autos like the Honda's FCX combine water, air, and oxygen chemically to produce electricity, water, and waste heat. This type of engine is attractive to the Green movement because not only is Hydrogen found in 93% of all atoms but the emission is simply water. The down side is the limited number of Hydrogen fuel cell stations located in the United States.

Being in the restaurant business for over 20 years, I thought converting spent deep-frying oil into fuel to run a car was brilliant. You can see a number of these cars on the road daily marked with a sign: "Powered by Biodiesel". Biodiesel fuel is a mixture of grain oils and biomass and not currently readily available in most areas. Another current disadvantage is that this fuel favors a diesel engine not easily found in the U.S anymore.

Due to the accelerated demand for Green products, conventional cars running on petrol or diesel fuel are being tweaked with cutting edge low-emission technologies. Innovations like focusing on light, aerodynamic cars with small engines are also challenging Hybrids and catching up in the race to be Green.

Until you're ready to buy there is no reason why you can't practice Green driving in the meantime. Encourage someone to carpool with you. Consolidate your errands to a particular area to reduce the gas and time consumed. Take advantage of public transportation if available and walk when appropriate. Soon the supply of Green cars will equal or exceed demand and prices will adjust accordingly. That sounds like the perfect time for a test drive.