Can you tell a hybrid car from a gas-guzzling car? Automakers hope not

When the idea of the hybrid gas-electric automobile first entered the final consciousness, it got here within the bizarre, form of dorky type of the 2004 Toyota Prius. When it was launched, the Prius instantly turned the head-turning automobile of the second. Formed vaguely just like the blunted nub of an previous crayon, the Prius was neither sedan nor SUV nor some other kind of automobile most shoppers had been acquainted with on the time.

The automobile was an replace to the unique Prius, which launched in Japan in 1997 and within the U.S. in 2000. By comparability, the 2004 Prius appeared extra like an area station escape pod than part of the morning commute. It was the type of automobile individuals would see driving by and say, “What’s that factor?”