Hybrid and SUV Interest Reaches New Highs

Interest in hybrid and SUV vehicles among Americans hit new highs in the first half of 2026 while interest in electric vehicles dipped slightly, according to vehicle valuation company Kelley Blue Book (KBB).

The findings were revealed in the KBB’s Brand Watch Survey report for H1 2026.

Among survey respondents, hybrid vehicles were considered as an option by 22 percent of buyers, hitting a “new high” and up from 20 percent a year ago, KBB said in an Aug. 4 statement.

Among the top five electrified cars considered by shoppers, the top four spots were taken by hybrid vehicles—RAV4 Hybrid, CR-V Hybrid, Forester Hybrid, and Camry Hybrid—according to the survey report. The first three are also SUVs.

Of the top 10 most considered models, nine were hybrids, with seven SUVs. The only full battery-electric vehicle (EV) on the list was Tesla’s Model Y, which the company categorizes as an SUV, at the fifth spot. Five out of 10 models were Toyotas, all of them hybrids.

In contrast, 22 percent of shoppers considered hybrid vehicles, compared with only 10 percent who considered EVs in the first half of this year, down from 11 percent in the first half of last year.

The top factors driving consideration for electrified brands were durability and reliability, followed by safety, driving comfort, fuel efficiency, and affordability, the report said.

In the non-luxury segment, SUV consideration hit an all-time high, with 71 percent of respondents reporting they considered these vehicles. The figure was higher in the luxury market at 79 percent, a record level, KBB said.

In a July 10 statement, auto services company Cox Automotive, which owns KBB, said that the story of electrified vehicles in the United States in the first half of 2026 was “increasingly a story about hybrids.”

“Elevated gas prices continue to support demand for fuel-efficient vehicles, and automakers are expanding hybrid offerings across more product lines,” Cox said.

“In some cases, nameplates that once offered traditional gasoline powertrains are now available exclusively as hybrids, helping drive continued growth in the segment.”

Rising Hybrid Vehicle Interest

A March survey by the Pew Research Center, published on April 3, found that Americans are more likely to seriously consider buying a hybrid vehicle than an EV.

In the survey, 32 percent of respondents said they were “very/somewhat” likely to seriously consider an EV when looking to buy a vehicle. In contrast, 44 percent of respondents said they would consider hybrid vehicles.

More people also said they were “not too/not at all” likely to consider EVs compared to hybrids, according to the survey.

EV interest in California is also waning compared to hybrids, according to a July 2026 report from the California New Car Dealers Association (CNCDA).

According to the CNCDA report, hybrid vehicle registrations in California accounted for 22.1 percent of total new light vehicle registrations in the first half of 2026. Registrations of zero-emission vehicles, which include EVs, were 15.9 percent in the first half.

In a July 20 statement, CNCDA said the 22.1 percent market share was the highest ever recorded for hybrid vehicles in the report’s data series. The share of hybrids in California’s new vehicle market has increased in every single year over the past four years.

“Californians are buying the vehicles that fit their budgets and the way they drive, and right now that means a lot of hybrids,” CNCDA chairman Jessie Dosanjh said in the statement.