Most companies are doing this for money. With gas prices skyrocketing, many Americans are looking for something else to run their car on, something less expensive. Auto manufacturers realize this and are working very hard to supply this demand. Hybrids are a clear result of this hard work. Although you must still buy gas to power a hybrid, they get much better gas mileage, especially in the city, than conventional automobiles (Toyota claims that the Prius gets 60 mpg in the city). The better gas mileage you get, the less often you have to fill up your gas tank, and therefore the less money you have to spend on gasoline.
Alternate energy vehicles will also help the U.S. economy. Much of the United States' oil comes from other countries. The U.S. uses 25% of the world's oil, but only produces 10% of it. Many alternative fuels can be made in the U.S. This will create more American jobs and therefore help our economy. If less oil is bought from other countries, that surplus money can be spent in America, also helping our economy.
A third reason is environmental. Alternative fuels pollute substantially less than gasoline. Switching to alternate energy vehicles will cut down on emissions. This will help curb global warming and reduce air pollution. Air pollution accounts for 60,000 premature deaths annually. Traffic accidents only kill about 40,000 people each year.
As you can see, there are many reasons to develop alternate energy vehicles. The primary reason is monetary, but alternate fuels will also help our economy and our planet.
