SOUTHFIELD Michigan ranked 18th in the nation for hybrid vehicle registrations in 2003, which nationwide rose by nearly 26 percent from 2002.

How many hybrids were registered in Michigan last year? Only 770. Nationwide, there were 43,435, of which the Honda Civic hybrid accounted for 50 percent of the market. The Toyota Prius was close behind with 47 percent market share. Honda Insight accounted for the remaining 3 percent.

“People are buying hybrids because of mileage benefits and environmental concerns, said Lonnie Miller, director of Polks Analytical Solutions. With the rising cost of gas in the U.S., hybrid registrations will likely increase in 2004.”

There are a number of new hybrid vehicles planned for the coming year from several manufacturers including hybrid versions of the Chevy Silverado, GMC Sierra, Dodge Ram Pickup, Ford Escape, Honda Accord, Lexus RX 400 and the Toyota Highlander. More new hybrid vehicles are being planned beyond 2005 which will continue the growth of this new technology and market.

Since the introduction of hybrid vehicles in model year 2000, hybrid vehicle sales have increased over 570 percent with a compound annual growth rate of 88.6 percent.

During calendar year 2003, California and Virginia retained their number one and two positions with 11,425 and 3,376 hybrid registrations respectively. Florida rose to third place with 1,996 registrations, followed by Washington with 1,972 registrations. Rounding out the top five was Maryland with 1,851 registrations.

Los Angeles was the number one market for hybrid registrations, with 4,701. Washington, D.C. and San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose, Calif. took second and third places, with 4,024 and 3,813 respectively. Rounding out the top five markets were New York City and Seattle/Tacoma, Wash., with 1,768 and 1,700 registrations respectively.

According to Polk’s motor vehicle registration database, women account for 38.8 percent of all hybrid registrations. Women account for 36 percent of gasoline engine vehicle registrations. The average age of a hybrid vehicle buyer is 49.6 years, compared to an average age of 47.6 years for buyers of gasoline engine vehicles. The average income of hybrid vehicle buyers is $78,350, compared with average income of $71,576 for gasoline engine vehicles.