Have hybrid cars hit their peak? Consumers increasingly take rising gas prices in stride

摘要

LOS ANGELES - It was a truism for years: Gasoline prices shoot up in summer and sales of fuel-sip-ping hybrid vehicles follow. But American consumers appear to have become inured to the annual summer fuel price spikes to $3.50 a gallon - or to $4.50 in California - and sales of the Toyota Prius and other hybrids may be flattening. An analysis of data from the Automotive News Data Center and IHS/Polk suggests that hybrid sales have reached a peak of market share and volume.