Hybrids account for 2.3% of January auto sales

Although the global and U.S. automotive markets are suffering a huge setback in sales, it's not impossible for automakers to find a few positive trends to hang their hats on, and one of them centers around hybrids. On the surface, it seems that now may not the best time to be charging extra for fuel saving options, especially since gas prices have fallen mightily from their precipitous highs last summer. Regardless, hybrid vehicles managed to carve out a bit more market share last month, with the official figure standing at 2.3 percent.

The fact is that automakers sold fewer hybrids last month than they did a year earlier, but that rate of decline is actually better than what's being seen in other segments. It may be a shallow victory, but it's a possible ray of good news in an overall negative climate. There's reason to believe things will continue to improve on the hybrid sales front with the upcoming introductions of volume sellers like the new 2009 Honda Insight, 2010 Toyota Prius and 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid.

[Source: TerraPass]