Toyota Prius

The New York Times ran an article about the Toyota Prius and its owners today. The Prius is the most popular hybrid vehicle on the road today and probably averages around 45-50mpg in normal use from reports I've seen from drivers.

from the article:
- sales of the Prius are up over 93% vs. prior year
- Over 94,000 of the Prius's have sold year-to-date June.
- Despite there being many other hybrid options available (including a hybrid Camry), most Prius owners want the Prius because it comes in only a hybrid model, and makes a statement about the driver.
- other car companies are rushing to increase the volume of hybrids to market. Here are some examples.

To me it's looking like a critical mass / concensus is forming that's on the verge of pushing a new type of automotive to the mainstream. From an investment standpoint it may be time to look at companies supporting this new industry vertical. Toyota is clearly in the lead as a manufacturer, but I'm betting suppliers are interesting too. Batteries come to mind initially, but there's also alot of energy conserving devices built into these vehicles - some of which might be outsourced.