Hybrid Nation

From a Minnetonka soccer mom toting her kids and their gear in a Toyota Highlander Hybrid SUV, to the fictional drug dealer from Showtime’s “Weeds” who drives a Toyota Prius, the hybrid car business is booming.

But what about the strapped-for-cash young adult looking to give back to Mother Nature with their next car purchase? Plan on forking over at least 20 grand; and pre-owned hybrid vehicles, at least for now, may not be the best option. Simply put, they’re just not available yet.

David Petryszyn, sales consultant at Denny Hecker’s Toyota of Inver Grove Heights, says just 2 percent of Prius buyers have traded their cars in, and that was because of the main body redesign in 2004.

“To this day, we’re unaware of any recalls, repairs or replacements of any hybrid,” Petryszyn says. “Anyone that I’ve ever talked to or sold to has never had any complaints. They’ve never broken down.”

Most major car companies are working on developing a vehicle that doesn’t use gas at all, Petryszyn says. In the future, this will hopefully bring prices down a bit for those who can’t afford or find used hybrids.

Lester Williams, senior sales associate at Rudy Luther’s Toyota in Golden Valley, says the hybrid prototype is more expensive than the models will be in the future, a good sign for drivers wanting to go green.

“Everybody wants to save this environment,” Williams says. “Because you see, we’re tearin’ it apart.” a

Hayley Webster