The last time that gas prices soared, hybrid cars were selling above their sticker prices.
Not so much this time.
According to USA Today, hybrid sales fell to only 1.6% of total auto sales – down from their 3.6% peak in 2009.
Why?
“Even with the fuel savings, it doesn’t make sense to buy a hybrid” for many buyers.”
Sure, gas prices hit $4, creating “economic value” versus conventional gas-engine cars … but the fuel savings has narrowed with the introduction of compacts that get 40 mpg and sell for considerably less than hybrids.
Sales of high-gas-mileage, conventional compacts such as the Hyundai Elantra, Ford Focus and Chevrolet Cruze are hot.
The new conventionally powered cars use various strategies to boost gas mileage to near hybrid levels — without the batteries and electric motors that can add $6,000 on average to a vehicle’s cost.
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Volt update: Chevy sold 481 Volts in May … pushing it’s total since January up to a whopping 2,184.
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The Homa Files 
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