# Car Buyers Choose Hybrids

> Hybrid sales surge as automakers scramble to meet demand.
- Title: Car Buyers Choose Hybrids · Autoweek | Shortify
- Summary: Hybrid sales surge as automakers scramble to meet demand. Car buyers increasingly prioritize fuel efficiency, driving hybrid adoption despite automakers'…
- Keywords: hybrid sales, fuel efficiency, car buyers, automakers, general motors, ford, stellantis, hybrid vehicles, energy information administration, trump administration, cars, sports
- Source: Autoweek — https://autoweek.com/news/a74103962/car-buyers-have-chosen-hybrids-some-automakers-werent-ready
- Author: Jim Motavalli
- Published: 2026-10-12T12:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: hybrid sales, fuel efficiency, car buyers, automakers, general motors, ford, stellantis, hybrid vehicles, energy information administration, trump administration, cars, sports
## Hybrid sales surge
Hybrid electric vehicles reached a record 16 percent of light-duty vehicle sales in 2026.

> Hybrid electric vehicles continued to gain market share, reaching a record 16 percent of light-duty vehicle sales
## Consumer demand for fuel efficiency
Two-thirds of American car buyers prioritize fuel efficiency when choosing a new vehicle.

> two-thirds (68 percent) of people who plan to buy or lease a new car say that fuel efficiency is either "very" or "extremely" important to their decision
## Hybrid sales growth
Hybrid sales jumped 23 percent year over year in Q2 2026, with 24 percent growth for the first nine months of 2026.

> hybrid sales jumped 23 percent in the second quarter, year over year
## Automakers' hybrid response
General Motors canceled many green car programs but plans hybrid options by 2027.

> General Motors was perhaps a bit hasty in canceling many of its green car programs
## Fuel economy standards shift
Trump administration cuts fuel economy standards from 50.4 mpg to 34.9 mpg by 2031.

> The Trump initiative called "Freedom Means Affordable Cars" finalizes regulations that basically gut the Biden initiative requiring fuel economy of 50.4 mpg by model year 2031
## Ford's hybrid strategy
Ford increased hybrid sales by 22 percent to 228,072 units in 2025 but wrote down $19.5 billion in EV programs.

> At Ford, 2025 was a banner year for hybrids, with sales up almost 22 percent to 228,072 units (from 187,426 in 2024)
## Stellantis' hybrid plans
Stellantis plans conventional hybrids after discontinuing plug-in hybrids for the Jeep Wrangler 4xe and Grand Cherokee 4xe.

> Stellantis might have picked a bad time to discontinue plug-in hybrid versions of cars like the Jeep Wrangler 4xe and Grand Cherokee 4xe
## Hybrid market leadership
Asian automakers lead hybrid sales growth with Hyundai up 39 percent and Kia up 152 percent in Q3 2026.

> In the third quarter, Hyundai reported a strong 39 percent increase in hybrid sales
## Key takeaway

Car buyers increasingly prioritize fuel efficiency, driving hybrid adoption despite automakers' delayed responses.