Some Surprises in List of Top U.S. Hybrid Markets

It shouldn’t shock anyone to discover most hybrid-electric vehicles sold in the U.S. this year were delivered in California, where buyers took home 39,830 battery-assisted cars and trucks.

And it’s no real surprise that most of those – 17,638 – landed in Los Angeles driveways.

But what is surprising is that New York ranks 3rd and Illinois 5th among states for most hybrids purchased at 8,612 and 6,107, respectively. California is first, Florida (8,810) second, and Texas (8,256) fourth.

The findings were compiled by The Travelers Companies, the insurance firm that offers a 10% discount on certain types of policies to those who buy hybrids.

Among top cities for HEVs, Los Angeles is first, followed by San Francisco (11,156), New York (10,419), Washington (5,828) and Chicago (4,862).

And while 21% of buyers cite environmental concerns as the reason for purchasing HEVs, 70% say it wasn’t just high gas prices that got them to go green – tax incentives also played a big role.