Hybrids: Buy 'em & Leave 'em?

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A Polk study released today supports hybrid naysayers by revealing that apart from Prius purchasers, the repurchase rate for hybrid vehicles fell to 22 percent for 2012-- a low point following a rollercoaster that peaked at 39.6 percent in 2009.

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While interest in hybrids isn't as sticky as it once was-- perhaps due to the genre's technology premium, drivability sacrifices, or diminished lanesharing privileges in states like California-- the news isn't all bad, either. According to Polk, customers are maintaining brand loyalty for their next car purchase: in 2011, for instance, 60 percent of Toyota hybrid owners purchased another Toyota, while more than 52 percent of Honda hybrid owners stuck with the Honda brand.

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The study also reveals that hybrids comprise 2.4 percent of the US's overall new vehicle market, down from a 2.9 percent high in 2008. The findings don't cast a favorable light on electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle sales, which is reinforced by?Edmunds.com chief economist?Lacey Plache, who is cited as saying that, "For EVs and PHEVs in particular, certain obstacles -- including consumer unease with unfamiliar technology and the lack of an adequate recharging infrastructure -- will need to be overcome before sales increase."??

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Source: Polk

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