Volkswagon Gol
Photo by Ricardo Hirae
How it runs: The Gol’s flex-fuel engine burns gas, ethanol, or blends.
Cars sold: None in the U.S.; 445,000 in Brazil
Retail price: About $13,000 in Brazil. Making cars flex-fuel-capable generates no extra cost for consumers.
Range on full tank: 15 to 20 percent less than the same car running on gasoline
Competitors: G.M., Ford
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Tesla Roadster
Photo by Ron Kimball
How it runs: The Roadster’s battery can be charged from a wall socket.
Cars available: Debuts in November. Tesla expects to produce 800 next year.
Retail price: $98,000
Range on full charge: 200 to 250 miles
Competitors: Mitsubishi, Nissan, Think Global, Reva
Acceleration: Goes from zero to 60 in about four seconds
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Chevrolet Volt
Photo by Ron Kimball
How it runs: The Volt is an electric car with a battery and a gas tank. When the battery runs low, the car burns gas to recharge it.
Cars available: Industry rumor says the cars are due in 2010, if the development of lithium-ion battery technology doesn’t stall.
Retail price: Probably below $50,000
Range on full charge: 40 miles on battery power; then the gas engine kicks in.
Competitors: Toyota, Visionary Vehicles
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Chevrolet Equinox
How it runs: Chevy outfitted its existing S.U.V. with a modified version of the technology unveiled in the Hy-Wire and Sequel.
Cars available: None on the market, but Chevy plans to place 100 vehicles with test drivers this fall.
Retail price: Too early to say. The testing program will last three years.
Range on full tank: 200 miles
Competitors: Almost every major carmaker.
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