More US Auto Buyers Turning To Hybrids As Sales Of Electric Vehicles Slow

Logos are shown on the exterior of a 2024 Honda CR-V Hybrid in Sunnyvale, Calif., Monday, Dec. 11, 2023. Like many hybrid buyers, Shilander Singh, an Uber driver, said that for him, the gas savings helped tip the price equation in favor of a Honda CR-V hybrid over the corresponding gasoline model.(AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

DETROIT (AP) — America’s automakers have staked their futures on the notion that electric vehicles will dominate sales in the coming years, spurred by buyers determined to reduce carbon emissions and save on fuel.

But so far, while EV sales are growing, their pace is falling well short of the industry’s ambitious timetable for transitioning away from combustion engines.

Instead, buyers are increasingly embracing a quarter-century-old technology whose popularity has been surging: The gas-electric hybrid, which alternates from gas to battery power to maximize efficiency.

So far in 2023, Americans have bought a record 1 million-plus hybrids — up 76% from the same period last year, according to Edmunds.com.

As recently as last year, purchases had fallen below 2021’s total.