According to a new study by Westlake Village, California-based J.D. Power & Associates,
sales of diesels and hybrid-electric vehicles are expected to triple by 2015.
J.D. Power
expects the drive systems will reach a combined 17 percent of the U.S. new-car and
light-truck market by then. Also, Power predicts greater use of four-cylinder engines and
lighter vehicles, but anticipates the changeover will average $4,000 to $5,000 per vehicle.
Power expects hybrid market share to reach 7 percent by 2015, while diesels are expected to
go from 3.2 percent to 10 percent of the market by that time.
