Even if you are a devoted petrolhead, electric vehicles or hybrids are starting to attract the interest of those who prefer a larger engine with a lot of noise. Many motoring enthusiasts who would not be seen dead in a Prius with its wheezy engine, have developed a secret passion for a Tesla. If you want to switch to a greener car, what would be the best option? For South Africans; the dream of charging stations all over the country where you could pull in to charge your car while scoffing a couple of Steers burger and a coffee may appear to be a futuristic dream. But is not so far-fetched anymore; according to Tech Central; Nissan, BMW and Volkswagen are considering bringing the electric revolution to South Africa. They would have to persuade Parliament to get rid of the 23% import tariff for electric vehicles and a bigger challenge is charging infrastructure, but the industry is preparing "a unified stance on electrification to present to government by the end of the year." So, the question is, would South African motorists prefer hybrids as there would still be the option of the internal combustion engine when there is no prospect of finding electricity with Eskom loadshedding or inadequate infrastructure? An MIT professor John Heywood has predicted that electric-battery operated vehicles will account for only 15% of passenger cars by 2050 and that most of the rest will be hybrids. Heywood points out that there are initiatives to improve thermal efficiency of the internal combustion engine which he says is here to stay for decades to come. The main reason why these engines will continue in the foreseeable future is that the penetration of electric vehicles in the developing world will be slower. Mike Colias writes in the Wall Street Journal that the industry is not sure whether they should put their money behind hybrids or EVs. While GM and Volkswagen have decided to favour electric vehicles; Toyota and Ford plan to keep hybrids in their line-ups. – Linda van Tilburg

GM, Volkswagen say goodbye to hybrid vehicles