Published Apr 29, 2026, 7:30 AM EDT Joe Kucinski is an author at How-To Geek with a decade of automotive writing experience. As a former SCCA competition license holder, a certified high-performance driving instructor and Porsche Club of America regional officer, Joe brings a unique perspective to his automotive storytelling. Writing and driving are his main passions but he can also quote any movie from the 1980s and holds a black belt in various martial arts disciplines including Taekwondo, Hapkido and Okinawa-Te.   Hybrid. It is a word that used to be almost synonymous with the Toyota Prius , and because of that, car enthusiasts treated hybrids like pariahs. When the first-generation Prius debuted in the United States about 25 years ago, it changed the world. It was one of the first mass-produced hybrid cars ever made, boasting an EPA-estimated 41 mpg combined rating and setting the benchmark for the eco-conscious car buyer.…