Ask any engineering executive at any car company: In order to meet new and ambitious fuel-economy standards in the global markets including a U.S. Corporate Average Fuel Economy standard of 54.5 mpg by 2025 cars and trucks of the near future will have to exploit the advantages of electric drive (low rpm torque, low-speed efficiency, regenerative braking) in urban driving, while reserving the gasoline-fired engine for times of peak load and sustained demand.
WSJ: Ford C-Max Hybrid Energi: The Bawdy Electric