The Present and the Future of Hybrid Automobiles

Hybrid automobiles have long ago turned from a novelty into market participants of full value.

Japanese manufacturers were the most successful in this niche and tens thousands of small Toyota Prius models are being long ago sold in developed countries, but anyway such technologies had still been the product for economy class.

The buyers of those cars were most often those who were used to saving money and had no desire to spend them on fuel. However progress has reached luxury class. The producers decided that if wealthy customers couldn't be attracted by low fuel consumption it was necessary to promote a posh up-to-date idea of the environment protection and zero exhaust emission.

The leading hybrid cars' producer today is Toyota. It has been producing such cars since 1997 having introduced economy cars of Prius series, Lexus RX 400h off-roaders, and luxury Lexus GS 450h models. There were over 500 000 Prius models sold world over as for the end of 2006 without taking into consideration other models. Hybrid drive HSD invented by Toyota was licensed by Ford and Nissan.

Mass production of hybrid automobiles is a bit slowed down because of nickel-metal-hydride batteries' deficit, nevertheless the hybrid cars' sales volume in the USA increased by 22% in 2006 against the year of 2005 (they occupy about 1.5% of the new cars' market).

There were about 251000 hybrid cars sold in the USA in 2006. Toyota has increased its annual output up to 300 000 cars this year and is planning to switch over to hybrid production only by 2012.

First Automotive Works company plans to produce about a thousand hybrid buses by 2008 and after 2012 London will be supplied with hybrid buses exclusively. It is planned to introduce about 500 hybrid buses annually.