Sticker Shocker

But never fear, there's still some hope: Eco-friendly products might not be raking in the dough, but 60 percent of new-car buyers say they would purchase a more fuel-efficient hybrid vehicle, even if it raised the sticker price of the car. That was the conclusion of a study released today by auto industry research firm J.D. Power and Associates, which also found that nearly one-third of consumers would strongly consider buying a hybrid vehicle even if the fuel savings did not cover the cost of the hybrid technology. Most consumers said they'd spend nearly $1,000 extra for a hybrid car; currently, hybrids cost an average of $3,000 more than conventional cars, but the gap is expected to narrow as sales increase and tax credits become available. To date, only two gas-electric hybrids are available in the U.S.: the Honda Insight, which gets an average of 56 miles per gallon, and the Toyota Prius, at 48 mpg.