J.D. Power and Associates are predicting the sales of hybrid vehicles to increase rapidly over the next six years. Hybrid market share which accounted for.5 percent of the US market last year, will increase to approximately 3 percent, or about 650,000 vehicles. Currently, there are ten hybrid models on the market. The number of available hybrid models is expected to increase to approximately 44 by 2012.

The Ford Escape Hybrid is currently the only domestically-produced Hybrid. NAFTC Photo

Approximately 54,000 Priuses were sold in the United States during the last fiscal year. It is estimated that Toyota will sell 110,000 this year. A hybrid version of the Toyota Camry will go into production in Georgetown, Kentucky late next year. Toyota plans to produce as many as 48,000 Camry Hybrids on American soil starting in late 2006. Currently the hybrid Ford Escape SUV is the only hybrid that is domestically produced.

Nissan is also planning to offer a hybrid version of the Altima, (their first hybrid,) which will be produced in Tennessee. Hybrid versions of the Honda Civic, Honda Accord, and the Ford Escape SUV are continuing to be popular models, while General Motors, Daimler-Chrysler, Volkswagen, Hyundai, and Ford are all promising hybrids vehicles in the near future.