In the driver’s seat of one of only 21 vehicles of its kind in the world, I was slightly intimidated. Anyone could sign up to drive or ride. I chose to drive. I fumbled around with the ignition, wondering why the car wasn’t turned on. The Progress Energy representative in the passenger seat chuckled and kindly told me that the car was already on. I couldn’t hear a thing. The engine of the Ford Escape hybrid was absolutely noiseless.

Hybrid and electric vehicles took over the parking lot of Tropicana Field earlier today to kick off the Get Ready Tampa Bay project, an initiative to get St. Petersburg (as well as other cities involved in the project) ready for the future of electric and hybrid vehicles.

Members of the city council were present, including Karl Nurse, Bill Dudley and Wengay Newton. Mayor Bill Foster addressed the crowd briefly, expressing an interest in the possibility of plug-in capabilities at parking meters downtown. “This is just the beginning. We are committed to furthering this opportunity,” he said.

Many speakers stressed that the project is a collaboration between the private and public sectors. Energy companies, including Progress Energy, Florida Power and Light, and Tampa Electric, are working with government officials as well as GM and Ford to create vehicles with an alternative fuel source. All of these electric companies have their own fleet of hybrid cars.

Tampa Electric President Gordon Gillette mentioned that their fleet of hybrid cars is growing. “We can only make a difference if we work together to find ways to encourage sustainability through innovation. It just makes sense and it is the right thing to do.”

According to Progress Energy CEO Vincent Dolan, plug in vehicles will provide three great opportunities including: lessening our country’s dependence on foreign oil, lower and more stable fuel costs, and reduced amounts of greenhouse gases. According to a pamphlet given out by Progress Energy, consumers have the ability to save up to $900 a year on fuel costs if they purchase an all-electric vehicle. It states that a conventional car will require $1,200 a year in fuel, a standard hybrid car will cost $800, a plug-in hybrid car (like the ones seen today) will cost up to $550, and an all-electric car will cost $300 per year.

Dolan says he thinks there will be a day when fueling at the plug is as common as fueling at the pump is today.

Energy companies have worked with motor vehicle companies like GM to create efficient and sustainable hybrids. Britta Gross, manager of Hydrogen and Electrical Infrastructure Development for GM, says that GM worked with Progress Energy to develop the Chevy Volt, GM’s newest hybrid that will come out in 2011. The Volt, a sleek and shiny looking car, was stationed next to the rest of the hybrids in the lot, but this one didn’t look like a hybrid car at all. In fact, it looked sporty and slightly reminiscent of something out of 2 Fast 2 Furious.

In addition to the row of hybrid cars, a working charging port was also on display. Helda Rodriguez, President of Nova Charge, was present to explain how the system works. The “pump” has the capacity to charge two cars at one time, and “if at any time there is a safety issue, the energy stops,” Rodriguez said. Each unit has built in surge protection to prevent any damage to the vehicle. The commercial model, which was the one I had the pleasure of viewing, is touch-screen and takes credit cards by scanning the chip inside of the card, a technology that some companies like American Express have started using. The consumer will have to scan his or her credit card before the plug will be released from the holster to begin “fueling.” The unit recognizes when the car is fully charged and will then send an email or a text message to the owner.  According to Rodriguez, a vehicle with no power will take about four hours to charge to full capacity. She says that businesses have already started implementing the technology, and that her company has a plug-in port for hybrid and electric cars at a McDonalds in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Hybrid cars have an 80 percent efficiency rate as opposed to a 20 percent efficiency rate for a conventional combustion engine. In addition to the money saved on gas, the environmental benefits of purchasing a plug-in hybrid outweigh the cost of the car.

“It is not about the range of the vehicle, or about the price,” because those figures change every day, said Derek Kaufman, Vice President of smart USA. “We’re really talking about the evolution of technology.”