It's billed as the largest showcase of hybrid vehicles. Hybridfest 2006 powered up in Madison Saturday, giving drivers the chance to experience hybrid electric vehicles hands-on.
"One small step on the accelerator, one giant step for mankind," a voice says of a display at Hybridfest 2006.
"I think the car for the future today, right now, is the hybrid. It's available," organizer Bill Robbins says.
Hybridfest 2006 offers drivers a glimpse of what's available.
"There are ten different hybrid cars that you can buy today on car dealer floors. Many more are planned in the next year or two years," Robbins says.
Robbins is a hybrid car owner himself.
"We have people from Canada, people from 21 different states have come to kind of show us their cars and show their cars to the public," he says.
Robbins and other local hybrid fans designed the event to educate other hybrid owners -- and the public.
"Some people think all hybrids are tiny two-seaters, or slow, without much pickup. And those are myths. They're not true at all," Robbins says.
Robbins says lower emissions drove him to purchase his first hybrid back in 2003.
"You can have up to 80 percent less emissions coming off of the tailpipe per mile compared to a standard gas-powered car of the same size," he says.
But how much can drivers save in fuel economy?
"People who live in very urban areas, where they're driving a lot of stop and go traffic, a hybrid vehicle can give you up to 50 percent increase in your fuel economy over a conventional vehicle," UW Automotive expert Glenn Bower says.
"Mileage-wise you find most people don't quite get what they say on the EPA mileage, but that's true for all cars, not just hybrids. So when you have a hybrid Prius in real world, you probably get 50 miles to gallon," Robbins says.
Still, supporters admit a hybrid is not for everybody. UW Automotive Expert Glenn Bower works with students on developing better hybrids.
"I commute 20 miles, at 65 mph and three miles in the city. So, for me, carrying the extra weight of a hybrid package doesn't really pay off in the end," Bower says.
But supporters say the faster gas prices rise, the faster the payoff.
"Generally, a hybrid car will cost maybe three- to four-thousand dollars more than its equivalent. With gas at about three dollars a gallon, generally you're going to break even with that extra cost, if you keep that car for a good six or eight years. As gas gets more expensive, that break even time gets even shorter," Robbins says.
Hybrid fest ran Saturday only at the Dane County Fair, but the volunteers who organized it hope to bring hybrid fest back to Madison every year. You can learn more about the non-profit organization behind it, at www.hybridfest.com.