According to the AIADA newsletter, Macomb County Community College in Warren, Michigan, plans to debut two, 16-week hybrid repair courses for its 950 students during the 2006-07 school year.

The college received a 3-year, $200,000 grant from the National Science Foundation in order to cover costs of creating the new curriculum, reports The Detroit Free Press. Classes will start despite some struggles in finding material on hybrids.

Automakers with hybrids in their lineup typically train their dealership mechanics in house, and some have invited Urban and his colleagues to attend training classes, according to the paper. Hybrids currently make up a little over 1 percent of the U.S. auto market, but analysts say that number will double this year.