>>JD> So-called 'hybrid' technology isn't at all new. The only problems are
 >>JD> weight and complexity, both of which lead to expense. After all,
 > 
 > Turbines have 1 moving part and develop more HP pound for pound than 
 > any reciprocating piston engine along with the attendant higher 
 > reliability since there are so few parts.  
You're correct when comparing turbine to piston engines. We started out 
comparing piston engine drivetrains in automobiles to hybrid designs. My 
argument still holds: install 2 drivetrains (piston/turbine + electric) and 
you've doubled the complexity and increased the expense.
 > Compare this with hundreds of moving parts in an IC engine. It is  easy
 > to see that there is a huge savings to be made in avoiding the cost 
 > of making the hundreds of moving parts used in an IC. A further huge
Sure. It looks good on paper, but if you've ever priced a turbine engine 
against a piston job, you'll find that your theory doesn't quite hold in the 
real world. I'll give you that turbines are more reliable.
 > anymore. I believe the IC engine should be relegated to the scrap 
 > heap of history to re-join the steam engine already there.
You had already revealed that it's a religion with you.
At any rate, Toyota has announced a hybrid-driveline automobile, to go on 
sale in December in Japan. It 'may' be introduced into the US. The main 
reason for the hybrid is economy and pollution requirments, and this thing 
supposedly does very well at both.
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