Japanese consumers turn to hybrids

After years of indifference toward hybrids–in part because many gas-only models that got excellent mileage were already available in showrooms — drivers in Japan are lining up for the Toyota Prius, the Honda Insight, and other models powered by gasoline and electricity. The enthusiasm for hybrids is also a result of new models arriving in showrooms. Toyota introduced the third-generation Prius in May; in June, it was the best-selling car in Japan, elbowing aside the Insight, which in March became the first hybrid to hold the top sales spot. Honda has been selling about 10,000 Insights a month, twice as many as had been expected in the company’s internal forecasts. There has been a five-month waiting list for the Prius in Japan, similar to the situation in California last year when gas prices swept past US$4 a gallon. (August 14, 2009)