Is a hybrid in your future? Probably

Once upon a time, hybrids appealed to a small group of niche drivers. Of course, this was before the summer of 2008 when the average retail price of regular gasoline in Canada hovered around the US$1.40 per litre mark. While fuel prices have dropped somewhat, many Canadians are now looking to buy a fuel-efficient vehicle as their next set of wheels.

Hybrid appeal continues to grow

As trends go, hybrids appear to have staying power. Recent reports have hybrid auto sales jumping 66 per cent, to 12,000 vehicles in the first six months of 2008. Further supporting evidence is provided by kanetix.ca; as an online auto insurance shopping service kanetix is in a unique position to identify car trends simply by the types of cars people are requesting to get quotes on:

•  In the first six months of 2008, already 74 per cent of 2007's total hybrid auto insurance quotes have been obtained; yet there is still six months to go.
•  If looked at month-by-month, the last three months of the first half of 2008—April, May, and June each had the highest number of hybrid car insurance quotes ever recorded. May surpassing April's all-time high and June surpassing May's.

Hybrids come in many shapes and sizes

First introduced to Canada in 2000, hybrid appeal has grown so much over the years that automakers have introduced more options to satisfy almost any driver vehicle preference. Gone are the days when you only had a handful of hybrids to choose from. For the first half of 2008, the most popular hybrids as quoted online for auto insurance through kanetix.ca show how diverse the selection is:

•  Toyota Prius
•  Honda Civic Hybrid
•  Toyota Camry Hybrid
•  Ford Escape Hybrid
•  Toyota Highlander Hybrid
•  Lexus RX400h
•  Honda Accord Hybrid
•  Nissan Altima Hybrid
•  Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid
•  Saturn Vue Green Line Hybrid

Hybrid car insurance

After comparing online quotes at www.kanetix.ca, it appears there is no one particular trend when it comes to hybrid auto insurance rates. While there were times hybrid car insurance quotes were lower then their gas-powered alter egos, there were also times when they were higher and even sometimes the exact same. More interesting is how insurers rate these vehicles; there were even instances where a hybrid cost more to insure than their non-hybrid version with one insurer while with another company, it cost less.

What does this mean if you’re in the market to buy a hybrid? Shop around for your car insurance coverage. Rates are not the same across insurance companies, and if you get a new hybrid your current insurer might not offer you the lowest premium you can get.

Whether you’re buying a hybrid, or simply looking at your policy renewal notice, compare auto insurance quotes through kanetix.ca to see if you could be saving money with a different insurer.