Americans "don't get it"?

In America we have sources of power other than coal-burning plants. Like nuclear power plants, or hydroelectrics, or wind, or solar.

A 100% electric (like the Tesla) recharged with power from the hot California sun has absolutely zero greenhouse gas emissions.

Zero. Not 200, not (like vehicles currently being lauded) 150 or 130. Naught.

This is the way of the future. The only thing even close is the hydrogen, which has some immediate benefits over full electrics.

And this is even barring the issues of scale, carbon sequestering, etc, that can all mitigate the emissions of big (conventional) power plants.

That said, i'm kind of with Top Gear. I get what Leno is saying, but i can't help but snicker a little.

M Solyst, La Crosse, WI, USA

I think Jay has been hanging around Detroit big boys a little bit too much... 99% of the time I see this type of SUV on the road it contains less than 5 passengers (and 75% of the time it driven soccer mum with one kid)...
Beside the law about diesel in US (which is stupid because it doesn't apply to truck or pickup that can release as much lethal stuff in the atmosphere as they want), it's to protect the US car industry that don't have and don't want to build modern diesel (they don't have the $ or the brain to do it).

Elie, san francisco, USA

Internal combustion engine were, are and will remain for a while the answer. But, not the one we utilize now. There is a neglegted much better way to build them.
Search the web for the "Tour Engine", or wait few more months.

Ben, Quiryat Gat, Israel

Americans really don't get it! Plug in cars are never going to help. You have to plug them in and charge them up. in place of a petrol or diesel engine you have a huge great big power plant. plug in cars just move the pollution from the exhaust pipe to the power station tower.

tom smith, salisbury, uk

" I was amazed to go to Britain and rent a Ford Fiesta diesel, that consistently got 50 MPG. Quiet, no smell, good pickup. If Ford can do that in Britain, why can't it come close in the U.S.?"

Because US diesel emissions standards are much more restrictive than Europe's, on an order of about five times. This was done to protect us from the carcinogenic byproducts of diesel exhaust, which was a huge problem in heavily polluted cities back in the '70s. The Europeans don't care so much because they all smoke about three packs a day, so nobody is going to live long enough to die of diesel-induced cancer anyhow.

The Supreme Dalek, Wahoo, USA / NE

Tip my hat to you, Jay, I couldn't have said it an better than you did.

John Collins, San Diego,

From another large posterior American car nut like Mr. Leno- I was amazed to go to Britain and rent a Ford Fiesta diesel, that consistently got 50 MPG. Quiet, no smell, good pickup. If Ford can do that in Britain, why can't it come close in the U.S.?

Laurence Budd, Fort collins, USA/Colorado

Typical hybrid batteries are NiMH; not a particularly large amount of 'noxious heavy metals' in there. They're also pretty much completely recyclable; Toyota for example pays a bounty of $200 for a returned unit and handles the recycling. A replacement unit apparently lists for some $3000 or so. There are claims of Prius' with 2 and even 3 hundred thousand miles on the clock and still using the original battery pack.

Clearly hybrids are not the final answer by a long shot but they are a useful intermediate step to cleaner transport. Anything that can significantly improve the dismal fuel efficiency of the rolling garbage they call cars in the US has to be a good thing.

tim Rowledge, qualicum Beach, canada

Jay Leno states his case as well as can be expected, when trying to defend a 5649mm/18.5ft behemoth in these +/-US$100-per-barrell days, yet his article still dodges the fatal flaw of all hybrids. Important as improved economy is, it's the recycling of the batteries that store a hybrid's electrical energy that let the overall concept down. OK, despite the added weight of the batteries, the Tahoe hybrid can get an almost 100% improvement in its mileage over the non-hybrid version, but that still does not offset the recycling of the noxious heavy metals used in the battery banks. Using less petrol is a good thing, but opting for a hybrid should not allow consumers to sleep the sleep of the guilt-free. Especially when a diesel-powered Tahoe would offer more or less the same economy.

Julian, Twickenham, UK

Well put, Jay.

JPS, Norwich,, UK