Plug-in cars: who can afford them?

“Business is good and we are shipping a lot of product,” says Rob Protheroe of Plug In Supply, a Northern California company that sells a $4,995 conversion kit for the Prius. "Plug-ins are here to stay."

Although the plug-ins burn less gas and emit a whole lot less CO2 — even when drawing their juice from coal-fired powerplants — than cars running on dino juice, you'll probably never save enough money to recoup the cost of the conversion. Uncle Sam so far hasn't been inclined to cut early adopters any slack. Although the Senate has approved a bill that includes some serious tax credits for plug-in hybrids built by the automakers, there's no word on whether it'll cover converted cars. But EV evangelists say money isn't the point. "If you're using payback to justify buying these systems, forget it," Protheroe says. "Ride a bicycle."

NVDL: I am.

clipped from blog.wired.com Everything about Alison Gannett is green, from her straw-bale house to her solar-powered appliances. But when you're as serious about curbing carbon as she is, a mere hybrid won't do. That's why she spent $35,000 to install an extension cord on her Ford Escape Hybrid. She is among a small but vocal — and growing — number of people who aren't waiting for automakers to deliver plug-in hybrids. These early adopters are shelling out big money to have already thrifty cars like the Toyota Prius and Ford Escape Hybrid converted into full-on plug-in hybrids capable of triple-digit fuel economy. "I love watching the mileage go up," says Gannett, a world champion extreme skier and dedicated eco-evangelist. "The highest I have gotten is 232 mpg. I average around 80-100 mpg."