These days, hybrid cars are commonplace. Nearly everybody knows somebody who drives a hybrid. How quickly things have changed. Just a few years ago, only environmentalists, techno-geeks, and celebrities drove them (at least, according to many media reports).

Well, the hybrid future is quickly becoming the hybrid present. Along the way, gas-electric auto technology shed its elite image, appealing to an ever-growing number of regular folk interested in saving money at the pumps or doing their small part to reduce our dependency on oil. Then what do we make of the emergence of hybrid limousine services?

Hybrid vehicles contribute 80 to 90 percent less to air pollution than conventional vehicles. The impact of this reduction is even greater in urban regions like London.

I wondered why hired vehicles such as taxis and limousines still were based on traditional platforms: Crown Victoria, Lincoln Town Car. Why are livery fleets, the largest class of public vehicles on city streets, comprised mostly of large, inefficient, gas-guzzling beasts?" Traditional limos commonly get fuel economy in the low teens, while the Toyota Prius can break the 50-mpg mark.

While limousines are generally bigger and use more fuel than an ordinary vehicle because of the amount of time they spend on the road, the limousine industry recognizes that they need to be aware of the impact they are having and try to reduce the damage they are doing, without compromising their products and services for their passengers.

A lot of companies have begun offering in the last year chauffeur-driven hybrid livery cars. Now you can book professional, luxurious London limousine or sedan service in a hybrid! Offering sedan and limo hire service in hybrid vehicles is practical: hybrids are especially efficient in urban regions.

Hybrid limousine hire mission is to offer its corporate travelers executive level chauffeured transportation while:

• Reducing harmful pollutants into our city and environment

• Reducing our dependence on foreign oil and uncontrolled fuel price fluctuations

• Encouraging the chauffeured transportation industry to make more prudent use of our natural resources

If you hire a limousine to get you where you need to go every now and then you are putting a new car on the road in place of your old non-environmentally friendly one. Limousines have to be fuel efficient otherwise the limo hire companies wouldn’t make any money because it would all be going to the fuel stations. As such limos usually run on natural gas which is also better for our environment.

Of course, limo hire companies understand that many of customers prefer the larger size of our L Model Lincoln Town Car sedans, or the extra space and classic German style and engineering of our Mercedes Benz S500 sedans. They will still continue offering service in those vehicles for any who wish to book them. But for those who wish to try an environmentally-conscious mid-size sedan that still has plenty of luxury and style, our hybrids should be the answer!

Hybrid limo service may not be for you (yet! – some limo hire companies will be offering hybrid SUVs soon), but for any customer willing to ride in a comfortable mid-size sedan or a Prius stretch limousine, be sure you'll be happy with your hybrid limo service.