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With gas prices rising and with concerns over environmental degradation increasing, more and more people are looking at alternative ways of transportation.

This, of course, has fueled interest in hybrid automobiles such as the Toyota Prius. The Prius is called the most fuel-efficient car in the United States by the Environmental Protection Agency.

And at the Miko Group, a 5-year-old Norman-based company, the idea of thinking green is taken seriously. This includes their company car, a Prius, which is a mass-produced car with a conventional propulsion system with a rechargeable energy storage system.

But at Miko Group, they take the Prius a bit further - by giving it a little extra juice via a Hymotion lithium ion battery, which turns the Prius into a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) which gets more than 100 miles to the gallon. Hymotion technology is a creation of A123 Systems.

Miko Group President Mark Morton said his company, which specializes in analyzing federal programs for clients, particularly the Department of Education, recently purchased a Toyota Prius. The company purchased the vehicle as part of their "Think Green" initiative, which includes a handbook, given to their 16 employees, giving them ideas on how to be green at work and a home. This ranges from recycling, to using cloth napkins or working in a community garden.

Standing in Miko Group's parking lot, Morton notes the electric cord plugged into the rear of the green-minded Prius.

"I plug it in in the morning when I get to work and plug it in at night when I get home," Morton said, adding that it takes a about four hours to charge the L5 Nanophosphate Lithium ion battery.

Morton said shortly after his company purchased the Prius, it was taken to Denver, Colo., where it was retrofitted with the new battery which gives it even more fuel efficiency.

As noted in a recent issue of Oklahoma Living magazine "plug-in hybrids take the idea (of a hybrid engine) a step further by relacing the nickel-metal hydride battery with a 9kWh lithium-ion model -- a much larger version of those used in cell phones and laptops -- that delivers more electric power and better fuel economy. A plug-in charging system that can be accessed above the car's left rear bumper is then installed."

And this is when Morton goes to the rear bumper of the car, unplugs the power cord, gets in the car and takes a spin in the PHEV Prius.

It's a smooth and quiet ride. Morton notes the read-out on the dashboard showing a graphic which informs the driver how much power is being used and how many mpg's it's getting.

"I'm not concerned with the price of gas," he said. "(The plug-in hybrid) has very low emissions and our carbon footprint is extremely small."

"I've got $39,000 in this Prius," Morton said, adding that it's worth it if it helps the planet, plus, he said, they appreciate in value over time. "And the more they make the lower the cost will be in the future."

Media reports indicate that plug-in hybrid electric vehicle development remains "hampered by costs and still-evolving battery technology," as noted in Oklahoma Living. It then says that the plug-in's, with their lithium-ion batteries are "not yet proven" but that impressive technical progress" is being made, including the addressing of plug-in's causing brownouts as more people plug in after work at the same time.

Rick Burgess at Fowler Toyota in Norman, where Morton purchased his Prius, said he has contacted the outfit which trains Toyota dealership employees on how to install the Hymotion battery units and they expect to have that completed by next spring. The closest place to get the retrofit is in Texas and Colorado.

"There's a lot of concern about overindulging with fossil fuels and now people are looking for ways to be environmentally minded," Burgess said.

Burgess acknowledged the $10,000 price tag for buying and installing such a battery is not economically viable for everyone but for those willing to spend the money, it's worth it, particularly if you're getting upwards of 128 miles per gallon.

"It's a green thing," Burgess said.

And Morton would agree with that assessment and that having a green outlook is key for a cleaner future.

"Thinking green," he said, "is a mindset."