It was a truism for years: Gasoline prices shoot up in summer and sales of fuel-sipping hybrid vehicles follow. But American consumers appear to have become inured to the annual summer fuel price spikes to $3.50 a gallon -- or to $4.50 in California -- and sales of the Toyota Prius and other hybrids may be flattening.
An analysis of data from the Automotive News Data Center and IHS/Polk suggests that hybrid sales have reached a peak of market share and volume.
"It's a financial situation. The hybrid price premium is not offset by the gas savings, and consumers are making a rational decision," said IHS Automotive analyst Tom Libby. "The more gas prices stay static, the more consumers adjust and move back toward what they are more comfortable with."
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