Sometimes the future of technology can be found by going to the past. That was surely the case of a man who turned a rusted 1972 Volkswagen Beetle into a car that costs a penny to drive.

As a former NASA engineer, John Hendrickson definitely had an advantage when turning the 37-year-old VW into an electric vehicle but his story shows that with some determination and a disdain for paying for gas, anything is possible.

“I thought gas stations were ripping us off, so I decided to just go build my own electric car,” Hendrickson told the Houston Chronicle.

After about two years of work, Hendrickson’s VW now gets about 50 miles on one charge and has taken home a number of awards.

But according to the paper, Hendrickson isn’t through tinkering with used cars. Now the 74-year-old intends on turning a used 1992 Isuzu Amigo into a hybrid vehicle that runs on electric and gasoline.

Although many would like to see the day when it is no longer necessary to make a visit to the gas station, it appears that hybrid cars are the next best thing for the time being. As another sign of the hybrid future, the New York City police department will soon unveil 40 hybrid vehicles that will be on patrol in the city, according to the New York Post.

Find New York Used Cars with New Jersey State Auto.