At the Plug-In show today, Efficient Drivetrains CEO, Prof. Andy Frank, 74, a.k.a. the 'Father' of the plug-in hybrid concept, brought his converted 200 MPG Chevy Equinox.

What's interesting about this SUV is that it can run about 40 miles on batteries alone and then switch to the Prius engine that's actually under the hood!

"This particular car is the gold standard of conversion. We take the engine transmission and throw it away and we redesign a much more efficient and smaller engine. This engine is only 1/3 the size of a conventional. The transmission is much simpler. And the weight we save in the engine and the transmission, we put it into batteries. So this car weight the same as a conventional car. And since it weights the same we projected that the costs are the same than the original car", said Prof. Andy Frank.

Video and more after the jump.

Plug-in Hybrids Cost Gap Closing

"If the car companies were to do this, they could build a car that would cost no more than a conventional car... But they have to build at least 100,000 to 500,000 units a year".

Already much better than the Chevy Volt!!!

"Our technology is much more sophisticated than the Volt... because the Volt has no transmission and this has one, and this transmission technology is our unique patented technology".