Fleet sales to significantly increase hybrid demand

A big opportunity for dual mode hybrids?

Fleet managers will be purchasing more than 4 million hybrid vehicles by 2015 according to forecasts by Pike Research. The biggest growth area in this new demand will be "medium/heavy duty trucks and buses" according to Pike.

Such an increase in demand could be a great opportunity for GM. Not only is GM already a leader in hybrid technology for buses, but its dual mode hybrid technology, as found in the Chevy Tahoe hybrid, is an ideal technology for many large vehicle applications.

Of course, millions of hybrids beyond the commercial market will require a serious uptick in worldwide hybrid battery production. That should bode well for the consumers of conventional hybrid cars as well.