Some still plug in their hybrids

At the North American International Auto Show, signs were posted near the Toyota Prius telling visitors that hybrid cars, such as the Prius, don't have to be plugged in.

Yet, some hybrid buyers still want to plug in their vehicles, and are adding the functionality to their hybrids themselves.

A story by the Christian Science Monitor states, "In effect, these backyard mechanics have turned the hybrid car's appeal on its head. Instead of emphasizing gasoline over electric power and the convenience of today's cars, they're aiming to create less polluting higher-mileage vehicles that emphasize electricity over gasoline - even if it's a bit less convenient."

What's the point you might ask?

"We're not talking about electric vehicles, but about plug-in hybrid vehicles that can be topped off with electricity for short trips," James Woolsey, former director of the Central Intelligence Agency, said last month during the unveiling of a report by the 16-member National Commission on Energy Policy. "The potential in terms of national policy, and in terms of global warming, ought to be focused on by anyone" concerned about terrorism or "paying over $2 a gallon."

Click here for the complete Christian Science Monitor article.