Kicks the butt of YOUR hybrid

How'd you like to tool around town and get 225 miles per gallon in one of these?

Robert Q. Riley Enterprises will soon introduce its XR-3 plug-in hybrid, a sleek two-passenger, three-wheel sports car.

Designed to be assembled by someone "with average mechanical abilities and no prior experience," [ed. uh huh] the all-wheel drive vehicle will be available as a kit or plans for complete do-it-yourself construction.

Riley says this new vehicle is a new category of personal mobility devices that are neither automobiles nor motorcycles.

While the front wheels are powered by a three-cylinder diesel engine, a single rear wheel uses an electric motor run by a lithium-ion battery. The ground provides the connection between the two systems, eliminating the need for a complex electronic and mechanical interface, he says.

A three-position switch allows the driver to select between battery-only, diesel-only and hybrid driving modes. The diesel engine can remain off for local trips, since power from the advanced lithium-ion battery pack gives the car a battery-only range of up to 40 miles.