Registrations of new hybrid vehicles in the United States continued to rise last year but the rate of increase is slowing.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Data Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more


Data from industry analysts RL Polk & Co. showed that sales were up 28% to 254,545 units in 2006 but the increase was the second-lowest year-over- year boost since 2000.


California continued to lead the nation in hybrid vehicle registrations with the cities of Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego alone accounting for 22.3% of all hybrid registrations.


“Consumers know that hybrids are important to the environment, but they are not the only option,” said Lonnie Miller, director of industry analysis at RL Polk. “Automakers still have obstacles to overcome to prove the merit of owning a hybrid, including educating customers about developing hybrid technology; debunking the myth that hybrids are only needed when gas prices rise and general apathy or risk averse attitudes toward the relatively new-to-market technology.


“The challenge is for automakers to stay the course and to continue exploring fuel-efficient viable options for next-generation vehicles.”

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

Overall, hybrids accounted for just over 1.5% of all new vehicle registrations in the US last year. For the third year in a row, the Toyota Prius led the segment with 42.8% of new registrations.


“The Prius continues to set the pace for this category. However, with several models debuting over the next two years, and many in the works for the near future, Toyota market share will be challenged. We will see if it can maintain its foothold at the top,” said Miller.


Following the Toyota Prius, the Toyota Highlander was the second most- registered hybrid model, taking 12.5% of the category, followed by the Honda Civic, with 12.3% of all new hybrid registrations. Combined, Toyota and Lexus had more than 75% of all new hybrid registrations in 2006.