Roy Morgan Research are reporting that hybrid cars are appearing on the shopping lists of more and more Australian car buyers. The results of the study, in which almost 30,000 potential new car buyers were interviewed Australia wide, show that over half of Australian new car buyers are seriously considering purchasing a petrol-electric car within the next four years.

The survey found that 74 per cent of all new car buyers regarded fuel efficiency as more important than high performance, which is understandable given the state of petrol prices across Australia. Women were seen as playing a key role in influencing the purchase of hybrid cars, particularly in high income households.

According to Roy Morgan Research, Hybrid car consideration levels have increased at around 8 per cent each year following the introduction of Hybrids into the market by Honda and Toyota in 2001.

Whilst you can expect to see hybrid sales increasing in the next few years, it’s doubtful you’ll see me behind the wheel of one until the manufacturers do something about the ugly body designs of their hybrid offerings. Hopefully a motoring executive high up the food chain comes to realize that environmentally friendly does not have to equal ugly!

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