CARS

The future is here – and it’s a hybrid

They’re good for the environment and good for your wallet, but hybrid cars have always suffered from a bit of an image problem. Toyota’s Prius, the most famous electro- petrol car ever made, has been easy fodder for comedians since it launched in 1997. It’s been regularly mocked in Seth McFarlane’s Family Guy over the years ( Brian, the democrat- voting, liberal- thinking dog, drove one), while Will Ferrell’s soppy detective Allen Gamble was vili ed by his fellow cops for driving one in the 2010 comedy The Other Guys ( one called it a “tampon on wheels”).

When pop urchin Justin Bieber was chased through the streets of Los Angeles back in

2013 by NFL player Keyshawn Johnson, who was angry at him for speeding in the gated community the singer lives in, the big news wasn’t about two celebrities re- creating their own Fast & Furious movie, it was that Johnson had chased ( and stopped) Bieber’s Ferrari in his Prius.

But the jokes haven’t silenced Toyota’s cash registers. The makers announced in October this year that they’ve sold more than seven million hybrids. This November, the company won its fth victory in the 201 FIA World Endurance Championship using hybrid cars. The green business is a good business. More importantly, other car manufacturers have taken note and want their own piece of the tree- hugging driving market. But why should motoring enthusiasts in the UAE, where petrol is so cheap, care? Because we all know how important the brand of car you drive is here and thankfully you can do your bit for the environment with style and class and without squeezing into a vanilla- looking Toyota or tiny SMART car: BMW, Mercedes, Lamborghini, Porsche and Audi are just a few of the high- end brands who want you to plug in and play.