As the U.S. economic environment continues to improve and consumers emerge out of the recent period of uncertainty, there are multiple underlying trends automotive companies are facing and should continue to address.

With consumer interest in hybrid and fuel-efficient vehicles continuing to follow the same trajectory as gasoline prices, an increasing percentage of these potential buyers are more interested in saving cash at the pump than in saving the planet. No matter what a consumer’s motivation may be for purchasing a hybrid, automakers need to be upfront about how close EPA fuel-economy estimates are to reality. The experience of one 2006 Toyota Prius owner, AARF’s Technology Director Krish Kuruppath, illustrates why this transparency is so important.