• by Karl Greenberg , August 8, 2012

Interest in hybrid cars is up, with a third of owners saying they have an interest in purchasing a hybrid vehicle and 23% saying their interest has increased from a year ago. 

Well, let's temper that. Hybrids still constitute a sliver of the sales picture -- they were 2.7% of total new-vehicle sales over the past three months, which is actually down from prior months. And a new Harris Poll says more than half of consumers still say internal combustion engines are their powertrain of choice.

Toyota sold 16,643 Prius vehicles last month -- over twice as many as last year, although the portfolio has also expanded since then. Nissan saw a big drop in sales of the Leaf electric car to 395 vehicles last month from 931 in the month last year. Chevrolet sold 1,849 Volts last month and 10,666 year-to-date. 

The Harris Poll of 2,634 U.S. adults suggests the adoption curve for hybrid vehicles also wanes with age. While nearly one-third of those under 35 years of age are more interested in alternative vehicle choices than they were a year ago, only 15% of those over the age of 67 show that trend. Eleven percent of those 67 and older report that they are less interested compared to one year ago.

Not surprisingly, hybrid vehicles -- those whose drive-trains are powered both by an electric motor and traditional internal combustion engine -- are the most popular option, with a quarter of car owners saying they will consider such a vehicle when they next go car shopping. Just one in ten say they would consider diesel (11%) or all electric (9%) automobiles. Almost two-thirds (63%) report that they, in fact, are not likely to consider diesel or all electric options at all for their next car purchase.

And consumers aren't thinking green when they are considering a hybrid or electric car. It's about the cash, as more than half of those who indicate an interest in alternative fuel vehicles say they just want to save money on the cost of fuel purchases. Just a quarter say their interest in hybrids or electric cars has to do with concern for the environment. Even fewer talk about wanting to help reduce U.S. dependency on foreign oil.

When asked about the vehicle quality of American-brand automobiles, more than one-third of car owners say that they find the vehicle quality of American brands to be lower than imports. Just under a quarter of car owners find American-brand vehicle quality to be better than imports, while 42% find them to be the same in quality.

“This survey shows that automakers are starting to win over consumer confidence in hybrid vehicles, especially with younger drivers,” said Mike Chadsey, vice president, Automotive Solutions Consultant, Harris Interactive, in a statement.