The multi-million dollar hydrogen concept car's getting, well, a little boring to me. Wonderful EcoGeek material, but not something I expect to be a common part of the driving scene within my lifetime (and I don't plan on dying tomorrow). The Ford Airstream, however, goes beyond hydrogen to some interesting features: Hat to DSnodgrass at Celsias and to Hydrogen Cars.

• HySeries Drive plug-in hybrid. Electricity only for 25 miles (with a 336-volt lithium-ion battery pack).
• Serial hybrid, with the fuel cell (or think biofuel system) recharging the battery pack, not directly driving the wheels.
• A "floating" instrument panel, with touch-sensitive driving controls;
• Innovative interior design, with swivel front seats, a "lounge"-like back seat (with a 360-degree entertainment screen which even has lava lamp settings), and a passenger screen (for watching DVDs or blogging); and,
• Asymmetrical doors for hatchback.

While not ready to buy into hydrogen, a serial plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) would have me in line at the dealer (ready to take out, for the first time ever, a loan to buy a car). And the innovative interior and door design features definitely catch my eye, even if the 360-degree screen seems, well, a little overboard for that back seat. It would, however, give an entirely new definition to automobiles and theater, no longer drive-in theater, but surround sound/surround vision driving theater.

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