Hybrids gain popularity

Apr 17 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Gracie Shepherd The Augusta Chronicle, Ga

Most industries suffer when gas prices climb, but hybrid car dealers gear up for more sales.

John Kelly is a customer service manager and resident hybrid expert for Honda Cars of Aiken. He said the correlation between hybrid interest and gas prices is undeniable.

"It's phenomenal," he said. "We've had times where we weren't able to keep them in stock."

According to car-buying guide company Edmunds, hybrid sales nationally are up 25.3 percent compared to sales last year at this time

Honda's first vehicle with an electric-gas engine was released in 1999, but Kelly said the first real trend towards hybrid cars was a few years ago when gas hit $3 per gallon. Kelly said he and his coworkers expect interest to increase even greater if gas prices reach $4 per gallon.

The average price for a gallon of gas in the Augusta metro area on Thursday was $3.73, according to AAA. A month ago, it was $3.47.

In the past, hybrid owners were categorized as either ecologically conscious or interested in the technology of the engine, Kelly said. Now, he's seeing more people attracted simply because of the chance to save money on gas.

"People are looking for fuel economy everywhere," he said. "They're not on the ecology kick, they're now outside of the hybrid norm."

Al Marshall, of Aiken, bought his hybrid Honda Civic in 2003, originally interested because of the technology of the engine. When he began driving it, however, he was so impressed with the fuel economy that he has become a hybrid car cheerleader.

"It's done everything I wanted," he said.

Marshall remembers gas prices being at $1.35 per gallon when he bought his hybrid, and he called his wife from Charlotte, N.C., saying how glad he was that he had good fuel economy.

"At $1.50 per gallon, I told her I couldn't imagine what I would do without my hybrid," he recalls with a laugh. "The higher gas prices climb, the more thankful I am for my car."

Paul Nopper, a manager with Milton Ruben Toyota, said he's also hearing from more people who will do just about anything to get better fuel economy.

Nopper said he and his staff have seen customers gravitate toward the fuel-efficient models such as the Toyota Prius or Camry for the past five years, and it's grown dramatically in the past three months.

"Our Priuses have been sold before they get here, especially since gas reached $3.50 per gallon," he said.

Toyota has three hybrid models; the Prius gets 50 miles per gallon, the Camry gets 33 miles per gallon and the Highlander gets 28 miles per gallon. Nopper said fuel prices have people more willing to pay a higher upfront cost for a car that will save them money in the long run.

Because of the increase in interest, Toyota created a hybrid version of the Highlander SUV for customers who need more space in their vehicle.

"The customer base has broadened significantly," he said. "It used to be just environmentally conscious people, but now we're getting just about anybody."

Many dealers expect hybrid technology to stick around.

"The technology will be around forever," Nopper said. "It's getting better, and it's going to grow."