DRIVING L.A. WILD AUTOMAKERS UNVEIL FLEET OF HYBRIDS.

Byline: Candice Choi Staff Writer

With hybrids all the rage - at least in California - a snazzy fleet of new part-time gas, part-time electric vehicles will come rolling out today at the opening of the Greater L.A. Auto Show to much fanfare.

Hybrid SUVs, luxury hybrids, hybrids for every pocketbook.

``They're just creating so much publicity and buzz,'' Wes Brown, a partner at Thousand Oaks-based industry analyst Nextrend, said Thursday.

Despite the buzz, big questions remain about whether hybrids will have the stamina to power the auto industry for long.

``In California, which is the land of images, the hybrid is in,'' said Bernd Pischetsrider, president of Volkswagen AG.

But he cautions there's no evidence yet that hybrids are anything but another West Coast trend too nutty for Middle America. The extra initial cost might make sense in heavily congested California with its high gas prices but buyers are scarce in the wide-open spaces found elsewhere.

``We need to be realistic,'' Pischetsrider said. ``The pre-condition of hybrids is we have to have many stops-and-gos.''

Californians are the biggest buyers of hybrids; 42 percent of all hybrids sold nationally are bought here, according to J.D. Power and Associates. But hybrids accounted for only 0.5 percent of national automobile sales in 2004. That small slice is predicted to grow to just 3 percent by 2010.

Still, automakers gathered for the Greater L.A. Auto Show, running today through Jan. 17 at the Convention Center, were talking up their new lines of hybrids that are being unveiled here.

Hybrid SUVs by Chevrolet and GMC will be available by 2007; Lexus is rolling out a luxury take on the niche cars this year. Toyota, Saturn, Chevrolet, Mazda, Nissan and Mercury are coming out with versions over the next two years as well. Even Mercedes-Benz, once adamantly opposed to hybrid technology, is considering the technology.

Hybrids serve a particular purpose: conserving fuel in stop-and-go traffic. That makes them hugely popular in Southern California's congested market. But with limited national appeal and with clean-burning diesel technology on the horizon, the popularity of hybrids could be limited.

``Hybrids make sense to some drivers, especially in Los Angeles where driving conditions are about as congested as they can be,'' said Anthony Pratt, senior manager at J.D. Power.

The state's high gas prices give car buyers additional incentive to purchase a hybrid. For a hybrid to be financially worth the premium of about $3,000, however, an owner would have to own the car for about six years to save the money in gas, Pratt said. As gas prices settle, he said, the fervor for hybrids could wane.

These limitations are why Volkswagen is focusing on diesel technology, Pischetsrider said. For many Americans, however, diesel conjures up negative images.

Though diesel-powered cars are more fuel-efficient than both regular gas and hybrids, state regulations do not allow them in California. Automobile manufacturers including Volkswagen are working on producing clean diesels that would pass regulatory standards.

Candice Choi, [phone]

candice.choi(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

photo, 2 boxes

Photo:

(color) The Toyota FTX concept truck, 19 feet long and 7 feet wide, is on display at the auto show.

Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer

Box:

(1) HOW IT WORKS

SOURCE: J.D. Power and Associates

Jon Gerung, Gregg Miller/Staff Artists

(2) IF YOU GO