Maybe I'm just an optimist, or maybe it's because I live in the crunchy Pacific North West, but I believe the tide has already started to turn towards alternative energy. More and more people are realizing how very dangerous our dependence on foreign sources of energy is, and considering all reasonable alternatives. These changes are most noticable on the West Coast and the North East, but I think the trend is quickly spreading to other major metropolitans also.

It is true that time will tell whether hybrids have finally hit the mark and will become more widely accepted by mainstream America, but even if they haven't, I don't think it will spoil the market for other alternatives for the reason stated above. As long as the hybrid (and battery) technology continues to improve and the major issues continue to be addressed, I personally think people will continue to buy them. There are so many options becoming available these days, if you don't like hybrids, buy a diesel. If you don't like diesel, buy an electric. If you don't like electric, buy a flex fuel / ethanol vehicle. And who knows what options will start to become available tomorrow?

Another major factor that I think could spread the popularity of new technologies much faster is advances in communication. Things like the Internet, GPS Navigation Systems and smart Mobile Phones and PDA's make the spread of information across the planet occur many, many times faster. You want to take a road trip across the country and drive on only BioDiesel? Go to google maps and do a search and instantly see all the fueling stations that sell biodiesel.

One last thing about economic sense - yes, I believe that this is really the clincher. Most alternative fuels still aren't profitable without government subsidies, which many don't support, and capitalism, for good or bad, has managed to stifle technological advances in these areas for many, many years. But growing demand drives new technology, and those with foresight have already seen that we have little choice but to move in that direction (or pump all the oil out of the ground until it runs out - China and India are helping to accelerate this).