It looks like another case of tell me which side of the argument you're on and I'll give you the statistics to prove you're right. A few weeks ago we reported on a survey by J.D. Power and Associates that indicated that interest in hybrids was beginning to wane in favor of diesels. While potential car buyers may have increasing motivation towards oil-burners aside from heavy duty trucks, there aren't a lot of these vehicles available to US buyers at the moment.
With a flurry of new hybrid models coming later this year including the Chevy Malibu and Tahoe, the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan and others, Power is now saying 2007 will be a record year for hybrid sales. This should come as a surprise to no one as gas prices across most of the country remain at or above $3 a gallon. While the numbers were down more than half of respondents still wanted a hybrid. That's all part of why they are predicting that hybrid sales will increase thirty-five percent this year to 345,000 units. As more diesels become available in 2008, things may change, but sales will probably still continue to climb.
[Source: J.D. Power and Associates, AutoblogGreen]
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