You probably never thought you'd hear “McDonald's” and “energy independence” in the same sentence, but here is a tale that defies the odds: Mississippi resident Robert Tomey, who owns four Mickey-D's in the southeast, is running his VW Beetle on the copious gallons of grease that are left over in his french-fry friers, according to a recent Associated Press article. To advertise his concept, he has come up with the perfect neologism, emblazoned on his license plate: FRYBRID.

Here's an encouraging sign – or rather, billboard: Cruise down the 405 Freeway in El Segundo, California and you'll see a giant billboard with a panel of numbers clicking forward every four seconds, approximating the millions of gallons of gas that have been saved in the U.S. since 2000 thanks to the Toyota Prius and Lexus RX 400h SUV – hybrid-engine vehicles that are selling like hotcakes in America.