PETROL-ELECTRIC cars have been hailed as saviours of the environment and every “green” celebrity is driving one, but hybrids are failing to impress consumers and sales are falling.

Cars such as the Toyota Prius have gained enormous publicity amid soaring petrol prices and rising concern over global warming. However, in the first six months of this year sales of hybrids in the United States have fallen. Sales of the Prius in Britain have also stalled.

Total hybrid sales fell 2.7 per cent to 79,640 in the US during the first six months, according to CNW Market Research. Analysts believe that this figure would have been much worse if there had not been several new product launches and fleet sales to taxi firms. For older hybrid models, which are not as heavily promoted by carmakers, the sales declines are even more pronounced.

Sales of the Prius, the bestselling hybrid and a favourite of celebrities such as Cameron Diaz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Paul Newman, Natalie Portman and Meryl Streep, fell 9.7 per cent to 48,156 in the first six months of the year. The Honda Accord hybrid fell 59 per cent to 3,245 vehicles.

The British market is less developed than America’s, but hybrid sales in the UK are already showing signs of stagnation. Prius sales were down marginally in the first six months to 2,000, from 2,015 in the same period last year.

Overall the UK hybrid market has grown thanks to the launch of the Lexus RX400h, but analysts say that consumers are losing interest in these cars.

Only seven out of a thousand people who look at a hybrid on dealers’ forecourts in the United States actually buy one.

Hybrids have both a regular petrol engine and an electric engine, which adds to the cost of the vehicle. Power alternates between the engines, allowing hybrids to do 50 to 60 miles per gallon. The main reason that consumers are turned off is that hybrids cost substantially more than petrol-only vehicles — about $3,500 (£1,900) more in America.

In Britain the Prius is about £1,000 more than an equivalent petrol model. Some consumers have also complained about poor resale values and maintenance costs.

Art Spinella, president of CNW, said: “The Prius is sold to the lunatic fringe and they are buying it as a fashion statement. The added expense puts most people off, even if they really do want to do something for the environment.”

A number of manufacturers have backed off plans to enter the hybrid market, including Ford and Hyundai. They believe that other environmentally friendly technologies will be more attractive to consumers. A spokesman for Toyota said: “As far as we are concerned, we are in hybrids for the short to medium term. Demand remains strong in the US and UK and we have a three-month waiting list for the Prius in this country.

“Hybrids are a bit more expensive but they can achieve zero emissions and also they are exempt from London’s congestion charge, which could save drivers £2,000 a year.”

Toyota believes that the Government should provide assistance for people wanting to buy “greener” vehicles. Power-shift grants, which gave consumers up to £1,000 to switch to a hybrid, have been scrapped.

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