Gassy: Making sense of Fisker plug-in hype

The Model T of the plug-in hybrid?

There has been a ton of news about Fisker Automotive in the last several days. I guess being connected to the VP of the US is a pretty smart move, especially when the government is doling out $50 billion in fuel efficient loans and other grants, etc. these days to automakers and suppliers.

Still, how important is Fisker, and it's plug-in hybrids, to America's automotive future?

As with Tesla, I respect Fisker's focus on fuel-efficient, technologically-advanced products, but we're still talking about luxury vehicles. I mean, how much has Porsche, Ferarri, etc. really driven the future of the gasoline-engined auto industry?

Of course, the plug-in future is different. New. One innovation could change everything. Nonetheless, the future of the plug is scale, or millions of sales every year.

After selling more than 2 million hybrid cars, Toyota's hybrid technology still hasn't scaled enough to be cost-effective for most consumers, but Fisker or Tesla can achieve scale via tens of thousands of luxury plug-in vehicle sales per year?

Or, perhaps these luxury plug-in automakers are simply using luxury plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles to bridge to $50,000 'economic' versions that can compete with a Chevy Volt, a plug-in Toyota Prius, or a Nissan Leaf, etc in 2015?

Maybe. Still, I cannot help but ask, is a new automaker really the missing part of the oil-free revolution, or is the real issue the cheap cost of petroleum - at least in terms of pump prices?