Ford Motor is expected to present today during the Los Angeles Auto Show its new hybrid model, which will take a direct swing at Toyota’s product.

There are several models announced and expected for 2009, from Toyota’s next generation Prius which will be presented in Detroit in January, to General Motor’s plug-in Volt which might actually take a longer time to be released.

At this point, hybrids only account for close to 3.5 percent of the U.S. auto market, with the figures even lower worldwide, but the potential is there and auto makers believe that once the fuel price will get high again the government’s gas-mileage standards will increase, the focus will be set on this alternative.

Nancy Gioia, Ford's hybrid chief, explained that the new model will get government fuel mileage ratings of at least 39 miles per gallon in city driving, which represents a 6 mpg improvement over the similar-size Camry Hybrid. Also, when it comes to highway driving, the Fords should be at least 2 mpg better than the Camry. "What we're going to target is customers who do a lot of city driving, (who) really see the benefit of hybrids," Gioia added.

Another significant plus is the car’s ability to cruise at up to 47 miles per hour solely on its electric power, distancing itself as the fastest hybrid car on the market.

"Each generation, these hybrids are getting better," explained Roland Hwang, vehicle policy director for the Natural Resources Defense Council, as quoted by USAToday. "The Japanese have an incredible head start over the domestics, but they (U.S. makers) can catch up with the right kind of investments," he added.