Beaten to the Plug-In?

This is a guest post by Jesse Prentice-Dunn of the Sierra Club Clean Cars Campaign.

Hold on to your wall sockets, everybody. The world’s first mass produced plug-in hybrid vehicle went on sale this Monday. No, I’m not talking about the Chevy Volt or a new Prius. The sleek F3DM, produced by Build Your Dream Autos, ranges about 60 miles on a full battery charge. Unlike many prototypes from other automakers, the F3DM’s lithium-ion batteries can be recharged from a standard wall outlet. For those of you reaching for your pocketbooks, not so fast, this car is only available in China (for now, anyways).

With the F3DM already on lots and models from GM and Toyota on the way, hopefully plug-in hybrids will go zero to 60 in the global auto market in a hurry.