Hybrid Cars Not Just a Curiosity. Vehicles that combine electric motors with regular engines appear to be catching on with both automakers and consumers. By Danny Hakim. [New York Times: Science]
Stephen Girsky, an auto analyst at Morgan Stanley, predicts that hybrids could grow to 10 to 15 percent of American vehicle sales, which approached 17 million last year. Government incentives, gas prices and how much manufacturing costs can be reduced will be important factors, he said.
John Casesa, an analyst at Merrill Lynch, said that because the Japanese "view this as a core technology over the next decade," domestic automakers have to respond. "Inevitably, we're moving toward a future with higher fuel economy standards, risk to energy supplies and higher environmental consciousness," he said. "So there's a market pull here."
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