Sign of Things to Come: Prius Is Japan's Top-Selling Car

The Toyota (TM) Prius was the top-selling can in Japan last year -- a sign that the hybrid has come of age. Most major international car companies sell some form of hybrid car, or an equivalent; VW makes clean diesel vehicles, and Ford (F) pushes its "EcoBoost" engine. High gas prices in 2008 and concerns that gasoline will move back up toward that level have helped car companies sell hybrids that get high mileage per gallon. The large number of environmentally conscious people in the world's largest car markets have probably helped hybrid sales (you can thank Al Gore for that).