Green Makes The Scene

DETROIT, Jan. 6, 2003; Environmentally friendly vehicles have
seen a 54-fold increase in popularity in the past five years, according to
analysis of vehicle registrations by R. L. Polk & Co.
    From January through October 2002, seven electric and gas-electric hybrid
vehicles accounted for nearly 35,000 registrations, compared to just 650 new
registrations in 1997.  Gas-electric hybrids accounted for nearly 83 percent
of the 2002 registrations.
    Nearly 30 percent of all environmentally friendly vehicles are from
California Designated Marketing Areas (DMAs), where higher fuel costs (nearly
20 cents per gallon more than the national average) and stricter environmental
regulations have sparked growth in "green" vehicles.  Three of the top five
"green" vehicle markets -- Los Angeles, San Francisco and Sacramento -- are in
California.

    Designated Marketing Area    Number of New Registrations
    Los Angeles, CA                         5,141
    San Francisco, CA                       3,461
    Washington, D.C.                        1,976
    Sacramento, CA                          1,459
    New York, NY                            1,338

    The Toyota Prius and Honda Civic, both gas-electric hybrid vehicles, are
the most popular environmentally friendly vehicles, representing 78 percent of
the total "green" vehicle registrations.  The Prius accounted for
approximately 17,500 registrations, while the Civic reached nearly 10,000.