Electric and hybrid-electric vehicles are two examples of these advanced technologies. While these alternative vehicles are available now in only a few markets (e.g., as leasing options, as fleet vehicles, and only in certain regions), they will soon be available nationally. In fact, certain automakers have announced plans to market hybrid-electric vehicles in the United States beginning as early as 2000.

In 1994, electric vehicles, or EVs, were the first of these advanced technology vehicles to gain public attention when General Motors began leasing its EV-1. Since then, a number of vehicle manufacturers have developed and marketed electric cars and trucks including Chrysler (now DaimlerChrysler), Toyota, Honda, Ford, and Nissan. These vehicles are now available in California, to meet the strict emissions standards there. With a limited range of 35 to 120 miles on a single charge and typically a substantially higher price tag than traditional vehicles, however, these electric vehicles thus far have had limited main stream market success.

In Japan in1998, Toyota began to market the first of another advanced technology vehicle - the hybrid-electric Prius. Hybrid-electric vehicles use two sources of energy for motion, a combustion fuel source (e.g., lean burn gasoline engine) and an stored energy source (e.g., batteries). The storage devices are used to capture energy during braking and to generate additional power for peak requirements such as climbing hills and accelerating rapidly. This dual system increases fuel efficiency (e.g., achieving 60 to 80 miles to the gallon) and decreases vehicle emissions. Toyota's Prius should be available in the United States in 2000. Honda and General Motors have announced expected release dates for their hybrid designs in 2000 and 2001, respectively.

Still other advances in technology are promising. Improvements in engine performance (e.g., friction losses), drivetrain performance, rolling resistance, aerodynamics, and mass reductions can improve the fuel efficiency of any motor vehicle. In addition, new energy sources such as fuel cells use hydrogen and oxygen to generate electricity and emit nothing more than water vapor from the exhaust pipe. Vehicle manufacturers continue to investigate these and other advanced technology alternatives, but have not been quick to bring these innovations to market.