Hybrid vehicles: trends in technology development and cost reduction

This briefing paper is a technical summary for policy makers of the status of hybrid vehicle development in the United States. Both sales of hybrid vehicles and the number of hybrid
models have risen steadily in the U.S. since their introduction, with that growth trend accelerating sharply starting in 2003. The forty-five hybrid models available in 2014 captured about 2.75% of the overall U.S. passenger vehicle market, down slightly from 3.19% in 2013. For purposes of comparison, hybrid market share is about 6% of vehicles sold in California and about 20% in Japan.