Hybrid-car sales grew in 2006, starting to slow

It was a good year for hybrid sales last year, up 28 percent over 2005 numbers, according to numbers out from R.L. Polk & Co. today. But, thanks to some tax credits ending (sorry, Toyota) the rate of increase might have peaked. Polk's numbers are:

• 254,545 hybrids sold in 2006
• 199,148 hybrids sold in 2005

One Polk analyst told MSNBC that hybrid sales growth in 2006 was the second lowest since 2000, thanks in part to "more environmentally friendly options." Hybrids only made up 1.5 percent of the U.S. vehicle market last year, and the Polk analyst said 2007 should see about 300,000 hybrids sold. Toyota would like 150,000 of those to be Priuses.

UPDATE: I changed the headline of this post to be more accurate. The old title was "Hybrid car sales' growth slowed in 2006."

[Source: MSNBC]