According to a new study by R.L. Polk via Automotive News, just one-third of U.S. hybrid owners replaced their hybrids with a new hybrid when they purchased a new vehicle in 2011.
While those weak figures may seem to make a case for not offering hybrids, the same study did show that hybrids have excelled at attracting buyers to brands that they previously did not consider. Toyota, for example, may sell a Prius to a former domestic vehicle owner. When that owner decides to swap out the Prius, it will likely be for a new Toyota, even though it appears unlikely it will be a second Prius.
One possible explanation for the abandoning of hybrid technology from past owners could be the newly available gas-powered vehicles that are offering fuel economy that is in many cases not terribly far off from the more expensive hybrid counterparts.
