Of all the areas where I’ve seen progress on clean energy over the past three months, automobiles are definitely a stand out performer. Perhaps autos are the most logical entry point to a new clean energy economy. We see cars everyday. Almost all of us drive cars on a daily places. And cars are the place where we see the the economic impact of higher oil prices.

Autos like the Honda Insight and Toyota Prius were the pioneers in bringing clean technology to automobiles. While interest in hybrid automobile technology has seen relatively slow adoption in the U.S., sales of these and other hybrid cars have been steadily increasing as the price of gasoline has risen above three dollars per gallon.

Car makers are now looking past the standard hybrid technology to a new set of technologies that deliver better fuel economy and lower emissions. Here is a list of some of the cars that may be a part of the next generation of clean automobiles.

Make/Model: Kia Sportage
Technology: Hydrogen Fuel Cell
Due Date: 2012
Links: Kia World, Star Phoenix, Car Keys

Make/Model: Cadillac Provoq
Technology: Hydrogen Fuel Cell
Due Date: TBD
Links: New York Times, AutoBlog, PodTech

Make/Model: Chevrolet Volt
Technology: Plug-in Hybrid
Due Date: 2010
Links: Reuters, Chevrolet, Wikipedia, Detroit Free Press

Make/Model: Ford Escape
Technology: Plug-in Hybrid
Due Date: TBD
Links: Ford, AutoBlogGreen

Make/Model: Tesla Roadster
Technology: Plug-in Electric
Due Date: 2009
Links: Wikipedia, Tesla Motors, Car and Driver