You already see plenty of hybrids around South Georgia.
Now, the plug-in hybrid Chevy Volt is trying to carve out a place in local garages as well.
Gas prices - they keep going up. If you drive a truck like Lisa Wilson of Albany, you're spending a lot to fill your tank.
"Every two weeks, 80 dollars," she said.
And as the prices go up, so does the interest in different types of cars, like hybrids.
Janet Parmelee of Toyota of Albany said, "we have, just constantly, people inquiring about them."
Hybrid technology is a mix of gas and electric. In most hybrids, the generator that runs the car when its in idle recharges itself constantly.
The king of the hybrids is the Toyota Prius with more than 1 million sold in the U.S. alone, and it's been that way since it first came on the market.
"It's been in high demand since 2000," said Parmelee.
With both the price of gas and the government fuel economy standards up, cars like the Prius are going to be getting more competition in the years ahead.
Technology coming in the next few years will make visits to the gas station even less frequent.
Mileage has always been the main benefit of the Prius, and the newest models will sip even less gas.
Parmelee said, "in March, they're going to release the Prius C which is a little smaller than our current Prius. And on an average, your mileage is going to be 50 to 53 miles per gallon."
Chevrolet's answer to the hybrid is the Volt. It's an electric and gas car as well, but with a difference.
"It never runs off the generator, it always runs of the battery," said "Scooter" Jones of Langdale Chevrolet.
It gets about 40 miles on a full charge, and while the mileage varies depending on how far its driven, the kind of numbers that it gets are astounding.
Jones said, "they average 94 miles per gallon."
With the price of filling her tank on the rise, Wilson was willing to give the Volt a test drive. So what did she think?
"It was a smooth execution. I mean I just wanted to keep going and going and going," she said.
She was impressed enough that she's thinking about trading in the truck for a new hybrid, and if the prices at the pump continue to rise she probably won't be alone.
"Once gas hits that $4 mark, we're pretty much all going to be concerned," said Jones.
And more customers like Wilson might decide that the higher initial cost is a small price to pay to be able to hang up the gas nozzle.
Copyright 2012 WALB. All rights reserved.
Under the hood of a Chevy Volt. The Volt is completely run by a battery for the first 40 miles or so.
Not surprisingly, the Volt has the highest possible Global Warming Score.
The sign at the Woodall's on Slappey Drive in Albany. Gas prices are on the rise, and many people are considering more fuel efficient vehicles as a result.
A line of Toyota Prius' at Toyota of Albany. The new Prius "C" is expected soon.
The hybrid drive in a Toyota Prius recharges the battery when the car is moving or braking.
