For the environmentally conscious, hybrid cars like the Prius have become very popular. But could America’s ports be the next stomping ground for hybrids? Maybe so, according to the Los Angeles Times, which reports how a Seattle company has developed a hybrid tugboat that consumes less diesel, and generates one-third less pollution by using electricity when it only needs low power. Tugboats are among the most powerful vessels on the water, but they waste most of their 5,000-plus horsepower of muscle when idling or cruising, running on full power only 7% of the time. But by enabling the hybrid tug to switch from diesel to an electric generator through the same drive shaft, they can save energy and reduce pollution. Talk about a little red tugboat that could!