If the cost of gasoline has got you scared, and you're thinking about maybe trading in your auto for a moped, you've got half the solution right. It might be time to trade in your automobile, but forget the moped - get a hybrid powered vehicle instead.

The dictionary defines the word hybrid as: Offspring resulting from breeding between parents of two different species, and that's a good definition for our purposes. That's because a hybrid powered car has a power plant that's a cross between a gasoline powered engine and an electric motor.

What's the big deal about hybrid powered vehicles?

The automobile industry claims that a hybrid powered vehicle can give you as much as 20 to 30 miles per gallon more performance than a standard fuel engine. That means that you buy less gas, and buying less gasoline leaves more money in your pocket. You'll need that extra money, however, because hybrids are still relatively expensive compared to traditional gas-powered automobiles. As more gas/electric vehicles are sold, manufacturing prices will drop, and that drop will be seen in the selling price tag.

How does a gas/electric vehicle save gas?

In a typical automobile, the power plant is connected to the transmission via a mechanical link called the drive train. When the engines sparkplugs fire, they ignite gasoline vapor which pushes a piston up and down. This piston movement gets transferred to the transmission via the drive train. The transmission turns the wheels and the vehicle goes down the road.

Well, the hybrid car is almost exactly the same except that in addition to the power plant being connected to the transmission, an electric motor is also connected to the transmission. Actually, there are two different versions of hybrid vehicles. The one that was just described is called a parallel hybrid, because there are two different energy sources connected in parallel to the transmission.

The other type of hybrid powered car is called a series hybrid because the gas motor works in series with the electric motor to power the automobile. This is accomplished by having the gas power plant either charge the cars batteries, or power the electric motor. The gas engine doesn't actually turn the cars wheels at all.

The parallel hybrid operates off of the electric motor when the car is being driven below a certain speed, and the gasoline motor kicks in when that speed is exceeded, or when sensors in the car indicate that the driver has accelerated suddenly as if to pass or to avoid an emergency situation.

Of course, the gasoline engine is always running even when the electric motor is powering the vehicle, so some gasoline is always being used.

The series hybrid is always running off of the electric motor, which restricts the top speed of the automobile, and the gas power plant only kicks in when the batteries need to be charged.

Like all automotive claims, your mileage may vary. Even so, if youre searching to spend less money at the gasoline station, and avoid much of the effect of rising gas prices, you might want to park a hybrid car in your garage.

Diane Nassy is the founder of http://www.save-on-gasoline-prices.com. Visit her website for great tips on ways to save on rising fuel prices.