But even standing on the gas pedal doesn't produce much excitement.

WSJ: Is the 'Near Luxury' Car Buyer Myth or Reality?

The Auto EV mode is essentially electric-only most of the time unless you're standing on the gas -- in other words, if there's a demand for more power.

ENGADGET: Ford C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrid test drive (video)

Oviatt testified Monday that within minutes of the first calls, he responded to the theater and found Holmes standing outside in a helmet and gas mask, his hands atop a white coupe that turned out to belong to him.

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For example, Merrill Lynch shares the view of many environmental and conservation NGOs that the most effective way to address deforestation which is responsible for 20 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions is to create a financial incentive to keep forests standing.

CNN: Your ask the expert: Carbon trading, part 2

It killed entire brands, Pontiac included, and axed high-performance cars like the G8, a full-size, V8-powered sedan very similar to the new Chevy SS. It even went so far as to completely disband its long-standing High Performance Vehicle Operations unit, which had developed such fast, gas-guzzling cars as the Cadillac CTS-V and Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1.

FORBES: 2014 Chevrolet SS Revives Rear-Wheel-Drive Tradition, Is A Sign Of Strength At GM

The company has begun an effort to improve its standing with local communities in the last decade by building clinics, roads and even natural gas power plants.

NPR: Dutch Court Rejects Most Of Shell Spill Case

"Oil and gas prices are high, and they are here to stay, " says Plummer, standing in shirtsleeves in front of a working oil well.

FORBES: Magazine Article