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The reason is that most hybrid transmissions use two electric motors/generators - one connected to the engine generates electricity to power the car while the other turns that electricity into motion.This "power split" system works well in the city but it means hybrids cannot run purely on petrol power. The electric generator and motor have to run all the time, even when the petrol engine is doing most of the work.This is less efficient than a conventional transmission in steady, highway speed driving.The "dual mode" hybrid transmission being developed by DaimlerChrysler, BMW and GM adds extra gears and clutches to the hybrid transmission to create an all-mechanical path from the petrol engine to the wheels.In highway driving, dual mode hybrids work the same way as transmissions in conventional cars.A dual mode hybrid uses the electric motor and generator only for accelerating and recovering energy in braking. At steady high speeds it is driven purely on petrol (or diesel) power.That might sound like a step backwards but it's actually an improvement in efficiency.The jointly developed dual mode transmission has four purely mechanical ratios for open road cruising on petrol/diesel as well as the infinitely variable electro-mechanical gearing range of a power-split hybrid for urban driving.

Billions of dollars will be saved. There will no need to signpost roads, cars will become more energy efficient and the trauma-free roads will mean fewer calls on emergency services and health systems.It is a pipe dream, right? Not if you believe General Motors vice president of research and development, Dr Larry Burns.Dr Burns is a self-confessed dreamer who likes to push the envelope. He has persuaded his company to explore affordable technologies with the potential to remove the tragedy of road crashes from society.Audi and Honda have runs on the board, releasing vehicle-to-vehicle safety systems at this month's North American International Auto Show in Detroit.Their systems work by using global positioning, radar, laser and radio to communicate with other road users.Dr Burns, however, has dreams of protecting all road users, not just those who can afford to place sophisticated technologies in their vehicles."Is it pie in the sky thinking? I don't believe so. We have to challenge ourselves, we have to ask those questions and search for the answers, that's how we evolve," he says. "Some of you may be aware that I have a cochlear implant . . . had it not been for the vision of the Australian professor Graeme Clark who thought of the possibility of putting an electronic device inside the ear to assist the deaf, I would most likely not be here talking to you today."So, what can a car in a crashless society look like? Dr Burns suggests it could be something as streamlined as an oversized skateboard - stripped bare of airbags and occupant safety cells among other safety devices - that also will give auto designers a broader scope with which to play.General Motors' answer to a crashless society, at this point in time, is vehicle-to-vehicle communication, along similar lines to Honda and Audi.It is exploring the use, however, of satellites and global positioning systems to map where vehicles are on the road network and have them constantly "talk to each other" - effectively taking human error out of the equation.Satellites are not yet part of the equation with current testing done in a controlled environment where test vehicles can "talk" directly to each other by radio waves. The basis of the vehicle-to-vehicle communication is that every car will know the precise location of all other cars travelling in the immediate area, with elaborate computer systems taking control of braking, acceleration and steering to avoid accidents.Satellite and global positioning technologies also can be used eventually to keep vehicles "on track", with roadways so accurately mapped motor vehicle speeds and the possibility of road runoffs are controlled by the commander system.Navigation will be simple. Punch in your final destination and let the GPS and smart vehicle guide you there.Dr Burns sees the possibility such a system can become so sophisticated it one day will be able to read road gradients and surface types and make adjustments to achieve energy savings.Perhaps the only crashes which cannot be avoided will be those involving pedestrians and animals - the often unexpected intruders on roads.The combination of radar warnings and the ability of the vehicle-to-vehicle communication system to avoid a more serious accident, however, will lessen the impact of such events.This is technology, Dr Burns says, that one day can be included in new cars for about the cost of a tank of fuel - around $70."To work, it has to be in every car and, therefore, it has to be affordable," Dr Burns says. "This kind of technology can be made affordable,"The technology has been proven to work. So confident is Dr Burns in the ability of his company's vehicle-to-vehicle technology, he has done some "real life" testing of the system with his bosses in the fitted out cars.At General Motors' Milford Proving Ground near Detroit, cars fitted with vehicle-to-vehicle communication systems have been used in an all-too-common crash scenarios.Vehicle manufacturers in Europe, the U.S. and Japan have agreed to develop a common standard for the necessary hardware and software and are pursuing standard radio frequencies to assure the system works right around the world.Safety first1949: Volvo introduces the first seat belt.1953: Patents applications for the first airbag system.1959: Volvo invents the three-point seat belt.1968: Allen Breed was holding the patent to the only crash sensing technology.1978: The anti-lock braking system.1990: Various forms of electronic stability programs and traction controls.2000: Radar and sensory equipment begins to find its way into concept vehicles.2006: Vehicle-to-vehicle communication presented as the way of the future for automotive safety.