Rocket powered Prius hybrids coming soon?

Just add a micro-jet engine?

ETV, an Israeli startup, has a modified a Toyota Prius into a range extended hybrid, much like the Chevy Volt. However, instead of using a small engine to generate electricity, the ETV hybrid uses a small micro-jet engine / turbine that produces power to drive the wheels or to recharge the battery pack.

According to ETV their range extended Prius can travel 35 to 50 miles on a charge before the jet engine needs to fire up. Fortunately, the jet engine is reported to be 'whisper quiet' and it can use diesel, gasoline, biofuels, etc to to generate electricity.

More important, ETV believes their hybrid technology will be cheaper than other hybrid vehicles, possibly due to the lithium manganese nickel oxide batteries the company has developed.

According to MotorTrend, "The batteries are the first of their kind to have 4.7-volt cells rather than a standard lithium-ion battery's 3.2-volt cells. The higher density battery stores more energy which allows for greater range with a smaller battery, and the battery is expected to last the life of the car."