There are many car buyers and automakers who thought America would easily transition from gasoline-powered cars, also known as Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles, to all-electric transportation with ease toward the end of this decade.
Many automakers such as General Motors predicted that gasoline powered cars and even hybrids had seen their day and set goals to end the production of ICE models by around 2035. But then an interesting change took place.
A massive pandemic caused many things to happen including a shortage of computer chips that drive all modern cars. A lack of these chips caused fewer new cars to make it to dealerships and thus caused used car prices to soar. In the years that followed, supply chains evolved, settled, and more cars were built.
While a lot of new all-electric vehicles (EVs) began to appear and their prices began to drop, many consumers found that they were not ready to make the leap into a zero emission EV because these vehicles were still too expensive. However, there are used vehicles that can be purchased for much less than the average new EV. They have been around for over 20 years and are known the world over for their excellent mileage. They’re called hybrids.
Toyota began mass producing the Prius hybrid compact four-door liftback in Japan back in 1997 and was introduced worldwide by 2000. It has a hybrid electric drivetrain combined with an internal combustion gasoline motor. Known for its incredible fuel economy, early Prius models easily took their owners an EPA estimated 48 miles per gallon and today’s fifth generation model will get you up to 57 mpg.
Besides the high price of EVs, many consumers didn’t want to think about the problems involved with charging them, especially on long trips. So, for the last few years, the sales of EVs have been less than had been originally predicted by futurists and at the same time, more and more people were buying hybrids. And we’re talking about new and used hybrids here.
Why has this happened? Hybrids are less expensive than EVs and they are extremely easy to drive. From an owner’s point of view, there’s nothing new to learn and the gas mileage is great. I have a 2018 Prius that averages 52.2 mpg.
You can now buy hybrids in all the popular models, such as the Toyota Highlander Hybrid SUV that is a great family hauler. These new hybrids feature all the bells and whistles that consumers are looking for including reliability, safety features, and the latest driver assist technology.
In a time when the sale of electric vehicles has not grown as fast as industry leaders had hoped, hybrid cars have filled the gap, making a growing share of car sales, both new and used. “People like the attributes that hybrids bring to the table,” says executive director of insights at Edmunds, Jessica Caldwell. “They offer better mileage than pure gasoline models, and the prices are pretty close to pure gas vehicles, so they’re much more affordable than EVs.”
According to the Department of Energy, hybrids made up nearly 14 percent of light weight vehicles sold in America within the first three months of 2025. That’s twice the share of EVs sold in the same period. Nearly half of new car and truck sales so far this year for Toyota have been hybrid vehicles.
