Forecasting the Hybrid’s Future – What’s in Store?

There are a lot of things still uncertain in the future of hybrid cars, trucks and SUVs. The only thing that is certain is that hybrid vehicles are here to stay. Hybrid vehicles are the SUVs of the 90’s. In the 21st century, the hybrid vehicle marks automotive trendsetting. It may not be the most cost-effective or the most fuel-efficient, but then again, SUVs were never that either, and we all know how the SUV trend went: straight up. Hybrids have a similar future in the United States. Regardless of the cold hard facts, hybrid vehicles are the IN thing in automotives. And the cold, hard facts are not all bad; any way you slice it, a hybrid is better for the environment than a traditional vehicle. If you must have an SUV, at least make it a hybrid SUV.

That’s right, hybrid SUVs! It’s a conflict of interests as far as most environmentalists are concerned. Hybrids were supposed to be about fuel efficiency and environmentally friendly automobiles. We all know that that’s not what SUVs are all about! However, for the die-hard SUV fans out there who drive their SUVs despite prodding from their more eco-friendly friends and neighbors, hybrid SUVs are their way to have their cake and eat it too. Hybrid SUVs don’t get gas mileage that’s as good as hybrid cars (naturally) but they do get better gas mileage than their non-hybrid SUV counterparts. And I hate to admit it, but they get better gas mileage than your average sedan car with an automatic transmission.

Each year brings more hybrid models to the buyers’ market. Gone are the days of the miniscule ‘electric car’ that stood out like a sore thumb on the road. Hybrid cars are virtually indistinguishable from their non-hybrid counterparts; one way to tell them apart is that their drivers can pull into the gas station and fuel in about half the time that you can. It’s a nice touch, and I bet the bill is more attractive too.

The hybrid revolution is a quieter one than the SUV revolution; we can’t pick them out on the road, but every year there are more and more of them up for sale and they’re selling better than well. Dealers do not have to sell the hybrids; consumers are coming in looking for them, already having made their choice. It seems that hybrids are selling themselves; actually, the idea of the hybrid is selling the vehicles.

There are currently many car and SUV hybrid options and two truck models. There are new models of all three in various stages of development, with trucks being the newest hybrid type on the market. Currently, all hybrid models are priced at over $20,000; Hyundai is planning to launch the first of the ‘affordable’ hybrid cars, but only in 2009.

Every new model of hybrid vehicles has one thing going for it, one thing and that’s all it will take to sell it—that it’s a hybrid. Consumers are not looking at the big picture, not in fear of replacing a very costly battery once the car is out of warranty. They are willing to pay the higher sticker price for a hybrid just like they were willing to pay a higher sticker price for an SUV years ago. The details, the long term, the big picture, these are all out of the picture for the time being. Hybrids are IN, and with gas prices where they are and the current stance on the environment, hybrids will continue to be a very popular car choice. The general public is concerned, not with the environment itself, but with appearing to be concerned about the environment; as long as this continues to be the case, and probably longer, hybrids will continue to be a popular item.

The heyday of SUVs has passed, but SUVs are still widely used, bought and leased. If the trend in SUV usage, despite current hikes in gas prices is any indication, hybrids too will continue to be on the upward climb long after their heyday has passed. The heyday for hybrids is still in the future, but at the speed of the 21st century; it might be approaching even faster than we think.