Auto makers are hoping that many of today's hybrid owners will turn into tomorrow's plug-in hybrid buyer. But they're tough, smart customers, so nothing is being taken for granted.
According to a study by Mindset Media, which manages the purchase of online advertising, hybrid drivers are "Creative 5s." This means they are highly likely to be imaginative, intellectually curious and emotionally sensitive. They're 78 per cent more likely to be highly creative, though how Mindset Media reached that figure is a bit unclear.
Mindset Media used Nielsen data to develop what they call a "Mindset Profile" of hybrid drivers.
Meanwhile, a study by J.D. Power and Associates found that even with gasoline moving toward $4 (U.S.) a gallon, few new-car buyers are prepared to lay out more cash for an "environmentally friendly" vehicle.
"The marketing buzz in the automotive industry is all about green cars and trucks," Jon Osborn, research director at J.D. Power and Associates said in a release. "While most consumers immediately think of hybrids when considering an environmentally friendly vehicle, the price premium of hybrids may be prohibitive."
The study found that only 11 per cent of buyers are "very willing" to pay more to buy an environmentally friendly vehicle.
The spring edition of the 2008 Power Auto Offline Media Report also found that new-vehicle buyers willing to pay more for environmentally friendly vehicles are more likely to be female and are highly educated. In addition, the study found that one in 10 of those self-described environmentally conscious buyers has already purchased a new hybrid vehicle.
The Power study found that when it comes to hybrids, car companies are largely preaching to the converted. Those willing to pay more for an environmentally friendly vehicle are more likely to purchase compact vehicles than the average new-vehicle buyer.
Over all, owners of hybrid vehicles tend to have more higher and higher household income. Hybrid buyers and potential hybrid buyers tend to read magazines as such as The New Yorker, Sunset, and Wired, and are likely to watch cable television channels such as CNN and CNN Headline News.
