Bloomberg reports, "Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd., the maker of Subaru-brand cars, may introduce a gasoline-electric hybrid vehicle by 2012, as the U.S., Japan and Europe tighten their emission rules." Company President Ikuo Mori revealed the plan to reporters yesterday, but did not specify which Subie might get the battery-assist.

Autoblog adds, "Subaru will license and adapt Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive system to its current drivetrains, which has proved difficult and, apparently, time consuming." Subaru loyalists often insist the brand's trademark boxer engines are smoother than more conventional cylinder layouts, and the company apparently plans to mate Toyota's hybrid system to the flat-oriented engines.

The company may be just one of many looking to bring hybrid technology to their lineups soon. Recently announced regulations will require automakers to meet average efficiency standards of 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016, four years sooner than previous rules had required.

If you're in the market for a new car, check out the U.S. News rankings of this year's best cars as well as this month's best car deals.