Hybrid vehicle sales are off, but not because people don't want the gas-electric vehicles. In fact it is quite the opposite -- there aren't enough in the dealerships.

Toyota, Honda and Ford are all scrambling to build more hybrids while SUVs are piling up like discarded ashtrays. Like students cramming at 5 am before a test, consumers are realizing at the 11th hour that gasoline is only going to get more expensive.

Since the first days of the Honda Insight and the Toyota Prius, people have argued whether or not the vehicles are cost effective. Finally, many consumers believe -- and justifiably so -- that the extra $3-4 grand will be worth it if gas stays in the $4 range for an extended period of time. Unlike the 80s, this time around we may not be so fickle and might actually keep fuel economy at the forefront of our vehicle purchasing decisions.

Now is the perfect time for a plug-in hybrid, which uses much less gas and makes economic sense because consumers in many areas of the country would be paying about $1 per gallon -- equivalent to driving on electric power from recharging the batteries at home.

Toyota made it official that they'll be selling a plug-in hybrid by 2010. Plug-in hybrids and competing extended-range vehicles such as the Chevrolet Volt will likely be sold out immediately. Although PHEVs require easy access to electricity to plug in the vehicles, they will surpass hybrids in sales as soon as the battery technology is up to the task.