EDrive Systems LLC has developed technology allowing hybrid vehicles to be plugged in and charged using a conventional three-prong, 110-volt home electrical outlet, according to a May 2 release from the company. Edrive, a consortium of advanced vehicle technology companies, demonstrated the technology on a Toyota Prius this week at the Clean Cities Conferences being held in Palm Springs. By combining gasoline power with electricity from a home recharge, an EDrive-equipped vehicle can average 100 to 150 mpg for roughly the first 60 miles of the day, compared to 45-55 mpg for a conventional Prius. The vehicle also has the capacity to run in "electric-only" mode at neighborhood speeds, resulting in zero emissions. EDrive technology, an after-market installation, uses one-half to one- third of the gasoline used by a conventional hybrid, the company says. Edrive uses a lithium-ion battery from manufacturer Valence Technology, Inc. "Regardless of whether they use hydrogen fuel cells or batteries, the cars of the future will be powered by electric motors, period," said Seth Seaberg, a partner in EDrive Systems LLC and CEO of Clean-Tech LLC, distributor of the EDrive system. "The technology that gets us there while reducing emissions and oil dependency will effectively change the way people think about getting from point A to point B."