High New Hybrid Owner Numbers for Chicago, State of IL

By Amy Mikel in News on Aug 26, 2008 8:00PM

No updates yet on that proposed mandate which would require Chicago cab companies to convert to hybrid cars, but it seems that a high number of Chicago and other Illinois residents are personally making the switch. While California strongly outpaces all other states for new hybrid vehicle registrations, statewide financial incentives and the price of gas are helping to keep both the city of Chicago and the state of Illinois in the top five on lists for new hybrid sales.

According to research from HybridCars:

The top five cities for new hybrid sales are:
1. Los Angeles - 17,638
2. San Francisco - 11,155
3. New York - 10,419
4. Washington, D.C. - 5,828
5. Chicago - 4,862

The top five states for new hybrid sales are:
1. California - 39,830
2. Florida - 8,810
3. New York - 8,612
4. Texas - 8,255
5. Illinois - 6,107

In the state of Illinois, a recently-defunct Green Rewards rebate program from the State Treasurer’s office gave residents eligibility for a $1,000 rebate with the purchase of a new hybrid or other fuel efficient vehicle. Another factor? Gas prices here are still among the highest in the nation.

Image via toyota.com