David Vieau, CEO of A123 Systems, shows President Bush a converted Toyota Prius. A123’s batteries, which can be recharged from a standard electrical outlet, allow the car to travel farther on electricity alone. Credit: Reuters/Kevin Lamarque

It's a hot and smoggy day in Washington, DC, and things aren't going well for Les Goldman, a longtime energy lobbyist whose latest project is a new kind of car that is supposed to slash gasoline consumption and reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. We're outside his office, a block from the White House and a quick trip down Pennsylvania Avenue from Capitol Hill. And Goldman is sweating at the back of the "plug-in" hybrid that I'm supposed to test-drive, checking electrical connections and trying to figure out why it isn't working.

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