Yo.

Russian business tycoon and mining magnate, Mikhail D. Prokhorov, has ventured out into the hybrid car business. He is the same gentleman who owns the U.S. basketball team, New Jersey Nets. This will be the first gas-electric hybrid car by Russia, and will be able to use either petrol or natural gas in the process of generating its electric power. The car will be named ‘Yo’, and will be manufactured under a new company called e-Auto, and is targeted to go on sale in mid 2012.
‘Yo’ will be directly competing with the Toyota Prius. It will be propelled by 2 electric motors, and a small petrol engine that can work both on petrol and natural gas, which will work towards generating electricity that the car consumes while in use. While the Prius gives around 50 miles per gallon, this car is expected to give close to 70 miles per gallon, and will also have a better total range as compared to any other normal plug-in electric car.

The cost is expected to be a little less than $15,000, though actual pricing will be finalized in the near future. The ‘Yo’ is said to have a better mileage than the Prius due to it being lighter in weight and also having a lesser top speed.Mr. Prokhorov said he wanted to show the world that Russia can give it an extraordinary, useful and modern car. And from the way things seem, the ‘Yo’ might just deliver on that promise.