I was at a press event for the Ford Fusion Hybrid in April, and I got to test drive the car for a few minutes on busy city streets. My quick-take review is that it is a solid-feeling full hybrid that can run on electric power only for quite some time. When the gasoline engine does engage, it’s barely noticable. The LCD dashboard gives the driver as much or as little information about power and fuel economy as she wants, and it looks cool while it does it. Those animated leaves you see in the commercials? They’re for real.

As soon as I can get my hands on a Ford Fusion hybrid for a full review, I’ll post it here. But my first impressions were favorable, if it’s on your short list for a new car.

NASCAR isn’t going all tree-hugger on anybody, but it is trying to reduce its carbon footprint, according to a report on NASCAR.com. Organizers also hope the mere presence of a hybrid on the track will help crack the alternative-fuel ice with the sport’s fans, who tend to favor high horsepower and big trucks. But in a year of volatile gas prices and growing green awareness, even die-hard speed freaks can see the advantages in a higher-mpg vehicle.

The hybrid version of the Fusion, and its nearly identical twin the Mercury Sable, will be available to consumers in spring of next year. The official unveiling of the car will happen at the L.A. Auto Show, November 21-30.

Image courtesy of NASCAR.com.