It seems like every time you turn around these days there's an ad for another company that's launching their own version of the hybrid. The Prius isn't the only player on the market anymore-Honda, Ford, Mercedes, Saturn and Lexus are all launching their own hybrid models as part of their 2010 vehicle lineup. Having that many hybrids on the road has made car insurance companies stand up and take notice, which means that buying a hybrid isn't just the smart choice anymore. It's also the best choice to shave up to 10% or more off your annual insurance premiums!

Save the Earth…

You're probably already familiar with the multitude of ways that hybrids are taking a bite out of pollution and making us a "green" society, but for those of you who haven't bothered to do your research and are still tooling around in your good ol' gas guzzler here are the highlights. The engine in the electric hybrid is powered by both gasoline and a rechargeable battery. Once the engine starts the battery takes over for as long as it lasts. Then, the gasoline starts flowing again until you get where you're going and recharge the battery.

Repeat ad nauseum.

This has two major perks. First and foremost, since you're using much, much less gas (the Toyota Prius gets something close to 48 miles to the gallon out on the highway) we're burning through our natural resources at a much slower pace. You're also giving off fewer emissions, which means that although we're still continuing to eat a hole through our ozone layer we're at least doing it at a much slower pace. If we're really lucky we'll be able to watch the amount of smog in cities like L.A. drop dramatically, but that could take a while.

Whatever your ecological motivation, you can rest assured you're making the environmentally sound choice when you slip behind the wheel of a hybrid. Which brings us to…

…and Save Your Piggy Bank

If you're like most people, you're looking for ways to cut your expenses and make your budget stretch farther in today's pressed economy. Even though the hybrid is going to cost more direct from the dealer than its gas guzzling cousins, it's going to make the difference up in the amount of money it's going to save you on gas and car insurance.

Think about it for a minute. If you're getting 48 miles to the gallon, how often are you going to have to stop and fill up your tank? Not nearly as often as you used to. (Especially if you can talk your boss into letting you cut your commute, but that's a story for another day!) When you're filling your tank once a week, or once every other week, rather than every couple of days, your bank account is going to thank you.

Your checkbook's also going to love the discounts most car insurance companies offer hybrid drivers. You could potentially save 10% (or more) by picking up a hybrid, so what are you waiting for? After all, economically and ecologically sound choices don't come together very often. Take advantage of it while you've got it!