LAS VEGAS, Jan. 7, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- America is a nation of car lovers. From the time that Henry Ford first made the Model T widely available and affordable to the masses, Americans have had a passion for traveling the open road. While auto transportation is the most frequently used form of getting to work, going to the grocery store and performing other perfunctory tasks, gas prices aren't as cheap as they used to be. When crude oil surged to its 2008 peak close to $150 barrel, gas prices reached $4 a gallon in some states and those lofty prices at the pump created quite a buzz about hybrid cars.
By now, you probably know someone that has a Toyota Prius or similar eco-friendly vehicle. Even American auto giants like Ford and General Motors are getting into the hybrid vehicle party. One of the unique things about the hybrid vehicle industry is that innovation seems to be met with greater acceptance and interest than in other automotive sectors. That's just one reason to keep an eye on smaller hybrid vehicle makers like Vision Industries (OTCBB:VIIC).
California-based Vision Industries makes hybrid cars fueled by hydrogen cells and plug-in fueling systems. Just a few years ago, those types of technologies were scoffed at by the masses as either too far flung or too "green." Now that drivers have gotten an unfortunate taste of high oil prices, green cars have an appeal that many thought would never be seen. And companies like Vision who built their businesses as the market came to them may well be positioned to reap the rewards. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is certainly optimistic.
While investors should understand that we're still a long way from seeing hybrid cars surpass their traditional fuel counterparts, Vision Industries has some diversification that many of its rivals would envy. Earlier this year, the company announced that package delivery giant FedEx (NYSE:FDX) is testing a truck produced by Vision Industries. Major transportation firms like FedEx frequently see their profit margins held hostage by rising fuel prices, so it's not unreasonable to expect they would have an interest in hybrid vehicles.
That opens up a new, potentially enormous market for Vision Industries beyond retail customers. No matter what becomes of the FedEx test, it is obvious that the green movement continues to gain steam and that indeed is a rising tide that could lift Vision Industries.
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