I'll be the first to comment on my post:
1) Brock's animadverting is weak and off the mark. The "facts" are like statistics - you can find the ones you like to suit your agenda. Certainly I, and many others on this site, are able to BLOW AWAY the EPA estimates, both in the city and on the "open road". It comes down to how much attention to your driving style you are willing to commit to making the car work for you. OK, he'd never be willing to admit to that, but that is his prerogative.
2) The comments provided by J.D. Power and the engineering executive seem grounded in economic reality and don't take capricious stabs at any particular demographic (the "greenies" or thier "flunky, gassbag-elitist" media counterparts)
3) What is missing from this most one-sided article is any mention of today's technology becoming mainstream on its own merits. What I mean is when new automotive techonolgy is introduced, its is "spotlighted" and sometimes branded right on a car's badge. (look at your car now; yes, it says hybrid). You knew early cars when they had anti-lock brakes as well (they TOLD you so, right on the badge!). Perhaps the battery technology will work in the long-run, and economies of scale will be realized to bring per unit costs down. Then what? Auto makers can build MORE powerful hybrid cars that also happen to benefit from the rewards of better economy. Maybe they will be able to do that with a very mainstream car one day. Something like an Accord or similar vehicle. It would be interesting to see if this actually caught on and became a reason why the "average" buyer would actually want the technology baked-in (more power - yeah, that's it!). And for commercial and fleet vehicles, lower operational costs. No guarantees, but it could be practical. I'm just making the point that this was totally missed.
4) Alternative fuel vehicles - Brock is introducing a new topic here to bolster his obvious hate of hybid vehicles as they exist today. Infrastructure and production are clearly huge hurdles for alternative-fuel vehicles, but let's make that a different discussion. The 38 models that J.D. Power is alluding to, I'm sure don't use alternative fuel.